Halloween Baby

**Warning this post contains pictures from inside of me**

A few weeks ago I wrote a post stating that we have had an ultrasound at every single one of our appointments.  Well, that streak was broken yesterday at our 24 weeks check-up.  But because of all our ultrasounds, I've had a hodge podge of ultrasound pictures, some of them great and some of them that look like a blurry mess.  It amazes me how magical the ultrasounds are to watch, but the pictures just don't do it justice.  Probably because you can't see her move in pictures or watch her little heart pumping.  We have a DVD from our 20 week ultrasound that I find myself watching whenever I've had a stressful day.  There's just something about seeing our sweet little baby moving around in her own little world that is very calming to me.

Anyway, back to the point.  With Halloween approaching I have decided to share some of her pictures with you.  They are taken from different weeks and check-ups but needless to say she's going to be a skeleton this year:

                                     

19.5 Weeks

This is the full view of her "costume"

16.5 Weeks

Here is a close up of her head and "mask"

And the one that will really scare you...

17.5 Weeks

She's coming to get you!

This last picture is really pretty freaky in picture form.  However, if you were in the room with us when it happened you would've been saying "Awe" as she turned directly towards us and yawned.  It was such a sweet moment and a reminder that she already is a little person.  At this stage in pregnancy all of her organs and parts are formed and she is working on growing bigger and practicing for her entrance into this world.  It's kinda cool if you think about it.  And yes she is practicing, her little kicks have certainly gotten stronger and she seems to be taking up more space than ever before.

I'll go ahead and give a quick update from our checkup yesterday since I'm sure it's not enough to warrant a separate post:  Everything is right on track.  It started off with a glucose screen to see if I might be developing gestational diabetes.  It's totally routine, but I won't know the results of the screen for a few days.  The doctor had absolutely no trouble finding her heartbeat, 156 bmp.  He has also started measuring my fundal height (which is the measurement of my baby bumb).  Right now, I'm measuring slightly large.  He didn't seem to be too concerned about this as I haven't gained more weight than I should, but said it could be the way she was positioned and if not she could be a bigger baby. 

While I want a healthy, strong baby, I'm kinda hoping she's not too big.  I still haven't come to terms with the whole "birthing" process.  In fact at this point, my birth plan is something along the lines of The Sims.  You know a few groans and then the baby appears magically above your head and you just have to catch her while everyone stands around and cheers you on...  I think that is the way to go.  Haha ~ Wishful Thinking right!?!

Anyways, Happy Halloween everyone, thanks for checking in on us!



Pictures from inside me... Eeek!

**Warning this post contains pictures from inside me**

So most of you have read my previous posts, hopefully, and will understand my disclaimer on this post.  I fully understand that ultrasound pictures creep some people out as they do not want to see inside of people they barely know.  I'm trying to be mindful of that while sharing my Little One's second photo shoot with y'all.  I won't bother showing you the first session as it really just looks like a blob instead of a baby.

But first a little background on these pictures.  We went for our monthly check-up around 11.5 weeks.  After waiting in the waiting room for about 45 min, we were called back to see my doctor.  We go through all the routine questions and information exchanging, then my doctor pulls out his doppler and says we're gonna take a quick listen to the baby's heartbeat.  So I lie back and stare at the "comforting" butterflies in a tree picture that cover his florenscent light.  I am preparing to hear the whooshing sound of my Little Ones heart any minute and actually have the thought that this is the first time that picture doesn't remind me of something unpleasant.  A few minutes go by and I can't hear anything.  A few more minutes go by and I still can't hear anything. 

At this point I look nervously at my doctor who is concentrating very hard trying to locate the Little One.  I glance at Mike who is completely unaware of the panic rising in me.  This should be routine right!?!  Did I miss something?  Surely I would know if something bad had happened in between.  So I try to concentrate on the picture and trust my doctor to tell me when I need to be panic'd.  A few more minutes go by, still static.  My doctor finally tells me after about 10 min that he thinks he found the baby for a few seconds, but that he wants to send me to ultrasound. His exact words were, "I'll sleep better tonight, and you'll definately sleep better tonight if we just take a quick look". 

So off Mike and I go to wait for the ultrasound tech to come and get us.  Let me tell you, time is tricky when you're fighting panic!  Those 10 minutes felt like a lifetime.  I could barely talk to Mike at this point because I'm concentrating all my efforts on praying that everything is ok.  And I don't want to voice what is really going through my head.

The very wonderful ultrasound technician takes us back and is super comforting and supportive.  We get things rolling and almost immediately there is Little One having a party of his/her own!  I'm talking kicking, punching, twirling, just having a ball in it's own little world completely oblivious to the panic that I'm encountering.  I'm sure to him/her my accelerated heartbeat was just dance music.  Or that's what I'm choosing to believe, anyway.  After the three of us had a giggle at the antics of our baby, the technician lets us hear the heartbeat, a healthy 188. Then she asks us if big feet run in our families, not to my knowledge we both say, but then she shows us it's feet and they do look proportionately large.  Oh well, Little One's healthy that's all that matters to us!

So our very nerve wracking appointment ended up with a great outcome ~ an unexpected ultra sound and pictures of our Little One which I will now share with y'all.  God is good!

This is our baby profile at 11.5 weeks.

This is the back of our baby, you can see it's arm in the air like it's waiving.

The infamous foot and leg.

Our crowning jewel of this session, the baby with it's foot propped up maxing and relaxing.

I hope y'all have enjoyed these pictures, we sure have!  We won't have another ultrasound until our 20wk check up. (Hopefully, if Little One will co-operate next time)  At that point we will given our baby's gender in an envelope which we will reveal to all of you after our "Gender Reveal Party" with our families.  Hope everyone has a wonderful day!!