The Ultrasound

The Best Laid Plans...

Yesterday was the 20 week ultrasound for my pregnancy. I was looking forward to it so much that I planned a luncheon for our family, and I arranged for little Jare-bear to go to a sitters (He's NOT fun to wrestle at the doctor's office.)  I dreamt of a relaxing, warm-fuzzy experience as a family, but we kept hitting these stumbling blocks!

The sitter called to let me know that her son had been throwing up all night, so No-Go on the sitter.
I went to check the kids out of school and the middle school secretary went to get Lauren and then... never came back. After hunting her down she exclaimed, "Oh my goodness! Are you ready to kill me? I totally forgot to get Lauren!"

Matt arrived late to lunch and spent 90% of the time on a business call. Jared was a tyrant, refusing to eat and wanting to climb on the tables. Grandma insisted on taking him home to put him down for a nap, but of course that meant she missed the ultrasound. sigh.

We waited in the lobby of the doctor's office for 50 minutes because the technician had been double booked by mistake. At this point, Matt was supposed to leave to catch a flight, and we're still waiting. He decided to take his chance and stay a little longer.

Finally, we all pack into the ultrasound room and get our first glimpse of this precious little one.

Cute Side Profile

As I lay there, I kept thinking, 

"All of the frustrations of the day will be NOTHING 

if this baby is healthy! Please be healthy. Please be Healthy!" 

We explain to the technician that poor Lauren has been told twice at these ultrasounds that she was getting a sister, only to end up with four brothers. So we ask, 

"Please... if you can't see anything, then just say you can't see. Don't guess."

The kids were begging to know the gender of the baby so the technician looks right away. 

1st gender check: The baby was sitting with it's leg crossed and tucked tightly.

Arms and hands - looking good.

Proportions - good.

Size - healthy average.

2nd gender check: still can't see.

No club foot - great.

Head measurements - good.

Brain - looking good.

No signs of Down Syndrome - whew!

Lips? - no cleft palate - happy day!

3rd gender check: Nope... not a clue!

Fluids - good.

Blood flow - great.

No sign of spina bifida - Yay!

All four chambers of the heart - beating beautifully

kidneys - good.

stomach - good

.

No vitals left to inspect... but ALL HEALTHY!!! :D

Prayers of Thanksgiving!

4th gender check: legs still crossed!

Gabe cries out in torment: "Make it move it's legs!!!"

The technician starts rattling my stomach...

nothing...

more rattling...

One leg moves, but the other foot is still in the way...

even more rattling...

This kid is either very shy or very stubborn...

rattle... rattle... rattle...

The foot moves just a tiny bit up...

looking... 

looking...

"Well, I'm about 90% percent sure of what it is," says the tech.

"but I can't be more certain with that foot still there."

We're on pins and needles...

Matt and I say in unison, "90% certain that it's a what?"

ultrasound continued link...