31 Weeks and 3D Ultrasound!!

This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. She weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. She can turn her head from side to side, and her arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath her skin. She's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

I tell you what, the above is not a lie. She is moving like crazy! Kicking and somersaulting all over the place. My mom finally got to feel her move yesterday morning and then Joe felt her again yesterday afternoon and so I'm glad she's finally willing to make her presence known to people other than me. Joe was getting upset that she would never kick for him. I just kept telling him that she felt he was a calming presence. :) I also think the growth spurt part is right on because my belly is sore these days and I can't fathom its from anything other than trying to grow, grow, grow in these last 9 weeks.

9 weeks??? Yikes! I can remember that I found out about Nugget and we had our first ultrasound when I was about 9 weeks. Insane. That seems sooooo long ago and back then it seemed like getting this far was going to take FOREVER! Now 9 weeks seems like no time and I think Nugget will be here before we know it!

Well yesterday morning Joe, my mom, my step-brother Brian and I all traipsed to the doctor's office to undergo the 3D ultrasound! I was so excited and ready to see Nugget and finally be able to imagine what it would be like when she gets here! Of course, because Nugget is our child, she's already stubborn. She so didn't want to cooperate and kept putting her hand AND foot in front of her face so we couldn't get a clear shot of her for long. I swear! This child is either going to be a contortionist or a gymnast or a really great yoga instructor with this serious flexibility she's got going on! :) Here are just a few of the images that we got yesterday:

I think she is so cute here! I don't know what the bubble is in front of her face though...

Here's another one. So precious! Her cheeks already look good and pinchable!

This one is one of my favorites. It was getting towards the end of the ultrasound and she had been giving us fits the entire time and the tech pointed out that she had her tongue sticking out. I said, "she's mocking us!!!" Figures... she is our child. :)

This one is a good example of her ridiculous flexibility already. I mean, there's no way I'd be getting my face, foot and hand all in one shot! Doesn't she look uncomfortable??

And again, she's trying to be shy for the camera. Her cute little hand and foot are helping to block her face. I just cannot get over how detailed her fingers and toes are! These 3D ultrasounds are just simply amazing!!

We finally got our changing table and Joe just put it all together this morning as well as our swing that I received as a birthday present. The slipcover for the recliner also came in today and I think things are really moving right along. I hope to get the room kind of set up tonight and get some pictures taken. Then all we really have left to do is get some things to hang on the wall and get the valances hung. I am really loving her room! I hope she loves it too. It's amazing that I've managed to get any work done today because I just keep looking at these pictures over and over again because they are so amazing to me. I can't believe in only 9 short weeks (give or take) she's going to be here and changing our lives completely! I honestly cannot wait!!!

New Nugget Pics!!

We went back to the doctor today for my 24 week visit and to get one more ultrasound. I got to have this additional ultrasound because Nugget wasn't cooperating last time and the tech couldn't get a good image of her heart. So I had to go back today so that we could look at her heart. Of course she didn't cooperate again today but we were more determined to force her to show us the goods. :) After a lot of poking and moving into awkward positions, we were finally able to get the shots we needed. I also got some new shots of Nugget to share:




Here's a side shot. She has her knee bent and her fist up to her mouth. She kept putting her arms up in front of her face. I don't know if she was being shy or what, but Joe was convinced she was just "raising the roof" and dancing. Sometimes it feels like that with the way she moves around! :)




Another side shot. Her elbow and knee are touching.



This time she's looking straight at the camera.


One last side shot. You can see her little ear on the side of her head. Gosh, I just think she's so precious already and these aren't even the greatest pictures! I can't wait to get the 3D ones!!!!

Unfortunately, I didn't actually get to see the doctor today. There are 4 doctors in my practice and my OB wanted me to start rotating and seeing the other doctors with today's visit so that I would get to meet them all in case they happen to be on call when I go into labor. I was supposed to see the one female doctor today but she had been called to the hospital earlier in the day and was about an hour and a half behind on seeing patients and I honestly didn't want to wait that long. So I've rescheduled for Monday morning. So we'll get our checkup then on weight and blood pressure, etc.

Seeing Nugget again today was just so exciting and makes me even more ready to meet her in September! I won't have another ultrasound again until July 26th which is when my 3D ultrasound takes place. This is the longest I will have had to go between ultrasounds since I found out I was pregnant! I don't know what I'll do!! :) But I'm glad to know that Nugget is still growing well and everything looks good!

It REALLY is a Girl!

We went back to the doctor today for our fourth ultrasound. This time was specifically to determine the gender of Nugget. I have been on pins and needles just eagerly waiting to find out. The last time the tech told us that she was 80% certain Nugget was a girl. Today when we got into the room she immediately told me not to remind her of what she told us last time, because she wanted to see if it was the same this time. She moved the sensor around for a few minutes and then said, well I hope I told you it was a girl last time. I said you did! So then we got down to business and she started showing us all different little things we could see of Nugget.

Here is a full shot of Nugget. She was kind of curled up and so it was hard to get a good full shot of her and so this shot (to me anyways) is kind of confusing. About all I can make out for sure is the head and then her little fist right near her head. The rest of it, I'm not sure is an arm or a leg or what! :)



Next, we got to see an up close and personal shot of her foot! The tech measured and her foot is 1.3 inches long right now. How tiny!!! Joe says she's going to be an excellent soccer player. Then again, he also said she's going to be a pharmacist... so apparently she's going to be a lot of things! :)



Finally, we got another shot of her face looking towards us. I personally think she already looks just like me, but Joe really disagrees. What does he know anyways! ;)





The tech this time was unable to get a good shot of her heart and so because of that I get to go back again in another 4 weeks for another ultrasound! Hooray! I have really been so incredibly blessed to have had this many ultrasounds without there being something wrong with Nugget. We go back June 11th and this will be my 5th ultrasound. The tech was also able to tell us that Nugget is currently weighing in at a hefty 13 oz. which is the 50th percentile. So she's perfectly average. I'm totally and completely happy with that! :)

As for my check-up with the doctor, everything went swimmingly. I have gained 2 pound since my last visit, so only 5 pounds overall which I am absolutely thrilled with! The doctor said I was right on track and he was thrilled with my progress. My blood pressure was 126/80 and the doctor said that was fine because I'm usually on the high side of normal, but he was still going to keep an eye on it. We also got to listen to the heartbeat again and it's just so awesome and amazing to hear that heart beating so fast and strong. Nugget is doing so great in there!

I am still feeling great and can't find one thing to complain about pregnancy so far. I've been sleeping better once I got a good pillow to sleep with and the tiredness is almost completely gone. I just wish I wasn't wearing a path to the bathroom so much! :) Oh well, I know that'll just get worse as time goes on, so I'm just getting used to it now!

So overall things are just going so wonderfully and I am ecstatic that we finally know for sure that Nugget is really a Nuggette. :) We are going to go on Sunday to start registering for things and I can't wait!!! Thanks again for all of your prayers and support, we are so excited to share this journey with y'all!!

Third Ultrasound - It's a Girl! Well.... maybe...

So I went back to the doctor on Friday for my third ultrasound. Apparently I technically wasn't supposed to have a third ultrasound at this point, but I thought I was - so I had managed to weasel myself an appointment. :) I told the technician how we were really hoping to find out the gender this time so when she found out I wasn't supposed to have an ultrasound, she knew how eager we were and went ahead and did the ultrasound to see if we could find out. Well she poked and prodded and did her best but Nugget was just NOT cooperating like we wanted. The tech said she's about 80% sure that it's a girl but because Nugget wouldn't uncross her legs, she couldn't say for certain. She showed us on the ultrasound where she had her legs crossed at the ankles and I take that to mean, if she is a girl, she's already a true Southern lady and is being modest and keeping those legs crossed!! :) We go back on May 14th for our fourth (and last - for a while anyways) ultrasound and the tech said she should be able to confirm it for us then. Here are two shots of the ultrasound we got to see this time around:


This one is a side shot. You can see her kicking her little leg up in the air. Both the tech and the doctor said she was kicking and moving a lot and so it shouldn't be long now before I'm able to feel her moving. Yay!



This angle we got her looking right at the "camera". So that's her cute little face looking right at us! :)

We finally went out this weekend and started shopping around for cribs, strollers, highchairs, etc. and really started getting into planning the nursery in my mind. This is SO much fun and I have SO many ideas. I can't wait until we can confirm the gender 100% and then I can begin planning like crazy! I am so excited about this entire process and I think this is the first time in my life that I have ever looked forward to going to the doctor every month!

Second Ultrasound

Well today was my second ultrasound and I could not have been more excited. I couldn't wait to see how much my baby had grown and developed in only 4 short weeks! I was nervous again for the same reasons I was the first time. I just worried that something would be wrong. I can tell I'm going to worry for awhile! :) I think once I can feel him or her moving that will go a long way to helping me relax. So Joe got to go with me this time and he too was just blown away by what we saw!



I can't believe how much he/she has grown! The head is on the left and you can kind of see the two arms - one is off to the right and one is almost right in the middle of the ultrasound. He/she was kicking his/her legs all around and that was just so amazing! I couldn't believe that the baby is moving so much already! It was so exciting and I am so glad that Joe was able to be there this time to get to experience it.

We got to go and meet with my doctor for the first time following the ultrasound and thankfully he says that everything looks great. My bloodwork was right on and my blood pressure is perfect. I go back for my next ultrasound and to see him again in 4 weeks - April 16th. I can't wait! This is just such an exciting time for us and I am having a hard time containing my giddiness! :)

Thank you so much for your prayers and happy wishes... we appreciate them more than you know!

Baby's First Picture...

On February 19th, I got to go for my very first ultrasound to confirm my pregnancy. I was so excited! Joe was unable to go because he had a test at school that he couldn't get out of. I was so nervous! I think because I wasn't having any real "symptoms" I was nervous that the pregnancy tests I had taken (3 at this point) were all a big mistake. I have no idea if that's common or what, but I was so scared that they would do the ultrasound and find nothing there. So mom went with me and I was laying there on the table and the ultrasound tech turns the screen towards us and this is what we see:

Well not exactly that since ours was real time, but you get the idea! ;) See the baby's heartbeat for the first time was just breathtaking. I can't even begin to describe the emotions that came over me as I saw my baby for the first time. Just unbelievable. It just reconfirmed for me that God is so good and we are so very blessed. I am so glad that I have this opportunity to put all of this down for all time so that I will never forget this feeling and the memories of seeing my baby for the very first time. I was just simply awestruck.