Unexpected ultrasound!

Today was our latest doctor's appointment. Last night and when I first got up this morning I wasn't really nervous at all, but on the way there I started getting more and more worked up. For some reason this felt like this was a really important appointment; maybe it was because it was the first time meeting the doctor, I don't know. I was nervous about getting in there and not seeing a heartbeat, or something else being wrong. I kept taking deep breaths in the car to calm myself down, but when we pulled into the parking space I just stated crying from nerves (or hormones, I suppose.) I finally calmed down, had another (quiet) mini freakout in the waiting room after dealing with some unpleasant billing realities, and at last thought I had it all pulled together. But when the doctor finally came in, he introduced himself and shook Stewart's hand very professionally, and then came over and shook my hand and gave me this huge grin that to me said "Congratulations! Yay! You're pregnant! Isn't this exciting??" (I know, that's a lot just from one smile, huh?) Anyway, it just sent my nerves/emotions into overdrive and I started crying AGAIN! I just admitted that I was nervous and excited, and he spent the next 20 minutes reassuring me, answering all my questions, etc. I really liked him and the way he interacted with both of us. When I asked a question about over-the-counter vs. prescription prenatal vitamins, he gave his opinion and then even asked for Stewart's input, as a soon-to-be-pharmacist. Overall I felt very comfortable with him and was very pleased (thanks to my friends for the recommendation!) He decided to do an ultrasound, instead of using the doppler like the nurse had told me. Not sure why, but I wasn't going to argue! I have a feeling it was because I had been so nervous, and he knew that seeing the baby would help calm my nerves. And he was right! It was SO cool to see how much he/she has grown! We could see so many details: both brain hemispheres, spine, fingers, facial features. Plus a couple times the baby moved around a lot, and it was awesome to watch the arms and legs moving all around in there! The measurements and heartbeat all looked/sounded good. It's still way too early to make any judgements on the sex of the baby, but the doctor said it was fun to try, so he took a stab at it. At first he said he thought he saw boy parts, but then he changed his mind and said girl. By the end he said he would wager about 60% in favor of girl. But again, it is still waaay too early to put any real stock in that prediction. Around 18 weeks is when we should be able to find out for sure.

So I bet you're ready to see the baby, huh? We were able to see so many great angles and shots while watching on the monitor, although he didn't really catch still images of some of the best shots. Hey, that's why he's a doctor, not a photographer, right? Anyway, here are my two favorites.

In this one you can see the head on the left with one hand up by the head (and if you look closely you can see the fingers on that hand.) I know the head still looks gigantic, but apparently that is normal at this stage.


And this one is a shot of one leg, with the foot on the left hand side. I think that looks like a mighty long leg, so we might have a dancer or basketball player on our hands!


Oh, I almost forgot! I guess my weight worries were unfounded. I've only gained 3 lbs since I first went in May, and the doctor said that's right on track, definitely not gaining too fast. Whew!