Time to spray the house down with pepto bismol..

b/c it's a GIRL!!

Aaron came with me to my 18 wk appt (which included a sonogram) this past Friday. After a mere 20 minutes in the waiting room (and trust me...that wasn't long at all) the sonographer called us back. My bare belly and some jelly goop and we were ready to watch. Aaron perched on the loveseat there in the room and craned to see the little 13inch screen, but managed. And I tried desperately to sit up on my elbows to see. I could see the baby, and knew what I was looking at (when the sonographer announced it out loud). When she asked if we wanted to find out, as in find out boy or girl, Aaron said yes before I did, but I did want to know. And with a few quick movements of the "wand" she located the "part" and annouced to expect a girl. "Three lines, that's a little girl in there". That's when my eyes brimmed up a little...I mean really..I couldn't help it. Aaron still was just mezmorized by the screen, but he did smile at me. I kept asking him "you hear that Bud?" "you see that Bud?", as confirmation to myself that he was watching, absorbing, and to help remind him to breathe.

She looks "perfectly healthy, and developing on schedule": fingers/toes, thigh bones, ethopian bulging belly (doesn't look normal to me, but if the doctor says it is), head, neck, it's all there. Oh...yes..important..."beautiful" heart, and "healthy" 3-cord (the umbilical). Towards the end of the sonogram Little Miss was face forward, occassionally I'd see her adjust her little shoulders on the screen, or tilt her head a bit. The sonographer wanted to get us a classic profile, but Little Miss did NOT want to move, so the sonographer jabbed me in the belly a bit to try to get her to move...and move she did! Her whole tiny body shook with fury, legs flailed, arms waved, and her hands that had been delicate balled into mini fists that she threw right back at the wand that was annoying her. This was amazing to me that she was moving this much, b/c I could see it, but I still can't feel her that well yet. But she did flip for us. She wasn't happy about it, but she did it.

"Gotcha" the sonographer happily annouced as she was able to snap the profile picture. And it was the next thing that she said that made the tears that had been sitting in my eyes fall down the sides of my face. "Looks like she's got Momma's nose" That was it for me. Not only is she a "she", but she's ok, healthy, developing just as she's supposed to, and she's mine-not that I doubted it, but just a feeling of "mine". Well, *ahem* ours.

The brief visit with the doctor afterwards went well too. Dr. Wheeler is a sweet little old thing. And I do mean little and old. He reminded us both of Mr. Magoo, and he shuffles when he walks, but I'd still be more than happy with him being on the catching end when I deliver. He has a very comfortable air about him. He measured my belly....19cm (normal), and complimented that my 10lb gain (uuggghhh) was "impressive" b/c I could have gained much more by now. He assured me that my leaking (yes, gross) was normal-that some women get it earlier than this, and some not until the baby arrives...and he checked to make sure things felt ok by my ribs, where I"ve been having some discomfort. The rib thing he says is due to my back...I've got this extra lump in front that is pulling me forward, and it's giving way to pinch nerves that shoot into my rib cage (no,it's not fun), but he ok'd otc pain killers if it gets "really bothersome". I think that actually I"ll be hitting up Dr. Beane (the chiropractor) for some added relief to the back.

Out in the car Aaron got on the phone to his Mom and I turned on my phone to call my parents. He was actually calling his Mom b/c there were having a problem client and he wanted to see how it was going, but I could hear parts of her on the other end "so??", oh yeah, it's a girl. "WHAT?! Are you serious??" and about that time the ringing had stopped at my parents house when my Mom picked up the phone. "That's wonderful!" and yelling to Dad in the background "It's a girl! We've got a girl!".

I think I enjoyed the call to my Granny most...she asks "So, did you find out anything?"

Yes, we did...there is a baby in there.

"and what else?"

Oh, there are two legs, and two arms--

"Um...*quietly* is it a girl?"

Yes, it's a girl!

"OOOOH Good!!! I wanted you to have a girl!!!"

It's exciting. Exciting b/c for the first "real" time to me, it feels really real.

What else is real and exciting...the recent "melon thumps" I've been getting at night. Little pops, like a kernel of corn busting open...not too many just maybe 2 a night...but very neat nonetheless.

Now comes the arduous task of naming Little Miss. Aaron commented to me just yesterday that "you are the best person at talking yourself out of something you like, find something you like, and name her that" Easier said than done.

Ok..this turned into a very looong post. So I'll wrap it up! We are so happy and thankful that all is going well, and we hope that everything in your worlds is happy too!

Happy Thanksgiving!

-Aaron, Suzy, and Little Miss G.