J/k

Dear Spanky Lulu,

Don’t move.  Stay right where you are.

Thanks!

The butt-up thing wasn’t really generating the kind of movement the midwife was expecting and in fact, Spanky had stopped moving around with the same frequency as she had been.  So we went back and forth about this for most of the week and Audra decided it would be best for us to just have an ultrasound to see what was going on.  And to see if there was some reason why the baby wouldn’t turn.  I wasn’t thrilled about this for a few reasons — I have absolutely no interest in hearing the size/weight of the baby at this point.  And the ultrasound would definitely confirm that.  I was also worried that having an ultrasound this late would generate a whole mess of information better left unknown for the next month.  Not to mention the fact that we decided on a home birth to avoid unnecessary medical intervention and it was possible that the findings of the ultrasound would necessitate a hospital birth.

So we went anyway and the doctor immediately confirmed that the baby’s head is down.  And what we were feeling and seeing as distinct, round lumps at the top my stomach were, in fact, hips and knees.  Spanky is on her side along my right side, with her spine facing outwards.  Then her hips stick out right at the top of my stomach, under my ribs.

I will say, however, that ultrasounds this late are not cute.  In fact, the baby looks like a freakish cross between an alien and a deep-sea creature.  Appearances aside, everything is fine.  Measurements check out and the heart, brain, stomach, etc…are all doing what they are supposed to.  And most importantly, Spanky is right where she is supposed to be.  We managed to escape without learning the size of the baby and we also didn’t confirm the gender.  So after a long week, we’re all glad that everything is fine and we really hope that the next 4 weeks will be uneventful.

Spanky is too big for a proper in-utero photo shoot.  But I leave you with this.  Yeah, that’s her eye.   Not cute at all.

And finally, Audra said I don’t have to lay with my butt up anymore.  Thank god.

Spanky Lulu fails to play nice

This week’s ultrasound was chock-full of shenanigans.

First, I swear, I went to the bathroom immediately before the ultrasound.  Like they called my name while I was in the bathroom.  But I get into the room, get squirted with the goo stuff (which they keep in a warming cup holder thing and feels quite nice) and the doctor started poking around.  She was talking about the hemispheres of the brain and all of the stuff that is really important, but far less interesting than the gender money shot.  Anyway, the doctor was like, “You need to empty your bladder before we can continue.”  Then she showed Jason and I how she could watch it filling up on the screen.  So I had to get dressed, all cleaned up and go to the bathroom.  Upon returning, we had to get set up all over again.  More goo.  And I feared that if the doctor didn’t hurry, my bladder would just fill up all over again!

Then the doctor comes back and finishes looking at all that important stuff.  And then asked us if we wanted to know the sex of the baby.  Yes, please, we say.  But Spanky Lulu was sitting with her arms and legs crossed.  And she refused to move.  So I did all sorts of acrobatics on the table and the doctor kept poking me with the ultrasound wand.  Nothing.  Spanky Lulu would occasionally turn her head to the side and look at us defiantly.  So finally, after several minutes, she quickly uncrossed her legs.  The doctor said she was a girl.  Then, she re-crossed both her arms and legs and turned around to face my back.  She curled up in a ball and completely hid herself.  Spanky Lulu might be a little bit petulant…already.  I think we are going to have our hands full.

So we made this bet.  I was convinced Spanky Lou was a Lou, while Jason believed her to be a Lulu.  We had no basis for this and Jason, himself, even said that he was going with a girl just to be contrary.  So anyway, we made a bet.  Whoever guessed the wrong gender would be responsible for changing the diapers during Spanky’s first year.  All of them.  Well I am sure it comes as no surprise that I don’t lose very graciously.  But Jason, being a far better person than I, offered to help out with the diaper changing!  Thank god.

So because of all of the wacky hijinks that ensued during the ultrasound we have virtually no pictures.  Here is the one picture we did get.  At first, I was concerned that Spanky Lulu didn’t have any arms or legs.  But they were just folded up…

Inquiring minds…

Spanky Lou Lulu is, in fact, a she.

More info to come later!  But all is well.

Alien Baby Photo Shoot

So we had an ultrasound today. It was pretty exciting. We got to see lots of the baby.  Everything looks fine!

I have to say, the baby does look a bit like an alien…

Bladder overtakes baby

Waving?

Wide shot

If you look really close

Here is the first picture from the 7 week ultrasound. I put an arrow on the picture, because the speck is so small and indistinguishable. But the nurse swore we were looking at something more exciting than my bladder.