From the Peanut Gallery- Week 12: The Lime

What I want to know is, how can I NOT feel that thing moving around in there?  A LIME?  Really?  You'd think that if you had a lime rolling around in your abdomen, you'd be able to feel it.  But alas, no.

Q: How are you feeling?
A: Well, the magic switch was not flipped at the 12 week mark, as I hoped that it would.  But towards the end of this week, things may have started to look up a little.  Now after the last false alarm, I'm not saying anything for certain.  But there is a chance that the morning sickness is beginning to let up.  Let's put it this way.  There have been two or three days (not in a row, though) where I have kept all meals, snacks, and drinks down.  It's a step in the right direction.

Q: Now that baby is the size of a lime, are you starting to show yet?
A: Yes!  But only a tiny bit.  Not in the big, round belly kind of way.  I had to ask friends for their opinions.  You see, when you don't start out with a flat stomach to begin with, it's hard to tell whether what you're seeing is baby, or just your normal self.  When I asked a few friends over the weekend if the little bump was new, I got emphatic confirmations.  Also, J has been taking photos each week to document the belly growth.  When we reviewed the last several weeks last night, there is a noticeable difference this week.  Yay!

Q: So how are your clothes working out for you?
A: Currently, not so well.  I'm in an in-between stage that I don't love.  At the beginning of the week, my choices were limited to yoga pants or dresses.  The dresses are fine for work (if I shave my legs regularly...but let's face it.  We all have those days where the legs are less than smooth.).  And the yoga pants are fine for home.  But as I was quickly running out of options, I broke down and hauled out the maternity pants.  I had bought a few pairs on super sale several weeks ago, for when I was ready.  Turns out, now I'm ready(ish).  They are still a little big, but they feel OH. SO. GOOD.

Q: How did this week's appointments go?
A: Well, in a word- AH-MAZING.

We had our regular monthly OB appointment last Thursday.  It was so quick!  First, pee in a cup.  Second, weight check (to which the nurse replied "SO...either you've been eating really, really well, or you've been really, really sick."  I was sad to report that it was option B.).  Third, see the doc.  She came in in a whirlwind, looked for baby's heartbeat with the doppler (which she warned us she may not be able to find this early, but she did...and it was the most beautiful sound I've ever heard), and asked us if we had any questions.  Since Fifth Disease is going around my school, and I know I was directly exposed, we asked if we should worry.  So she sent me for some blood work and sent us on our merry way for the next four weeks!

The next appointment was this past Monday with the perinatologist for our First Trimester Screening.  This is basically just an early screen to see if baby has any obvious markers that would show a risk for genetic disorders such as Down's Syndrome.  Now truthfully, I wasn't even a little bit worried about baby having any of these issues.  I just wasn't.  The real reason I agreed to the test is because it involves a lengthy ultrasound, and I wanted another peek at the peanut.

Here is the best shot.

Looks like a real, actual baby, no?

Baby was very still at first.  J and I were a little disappointed, because we were expecting to see a lot of movement.  But the doc said "Looks like baby is taking a little nap.  Let's see if we can wake him up."  So the doc started pushing on my belly.  Not hard, just kind of bouncing my uterus up and down.  (I know, that's a really weird thing to say.  Sorry.)  It totally worked.  Baby woke up, and started moving and grooving all over the place.  I almost felt a little bad that we had disturbed my peanut, but the cool factor that came with all that movement made it SO worth it.  At one point, baby needed a BIG STRETCH.  Just like mommy does when she wakes up.  It was so cute.

Oh, and everything looked perfect.  I guess that's the really important part, right?  We'll get the full report, which includes blood work, in a week or so.  But the doc didn't have any reason to be concerned at this point.

Okay, okay...the news you've probably been waiting for through this whole, long post...

Q: Could the doc tell the sex of the baby?
A: Well, there is some debate on whether or not gender can be accurately determined by ultrasound this early on.  BUT, the results are pointing toward the fact that yes, although the genitals have not completely formed yet, there is enough of a difference between boy and girl that a determination can be made.

That being said, we won't be 100% sure until our next ultrasound in October.

However, doc used the word "very convinced" when he told us...

It's a BOY!

So much for my intuition, right?  Hey, I'm a first time mom.  What the hell do I know? ;) 

Until next week!