All is well in utero!

As an expecting mom the best rhythm in the world has to be the rapid "woosh-woosh-woosh-woosh" of my baby's heartbeat. No matter which of the many moods I may find myself in during that hour at the doctor's office, that sound instantly brings a smile to my face. It offers a sigh of relief and a jolt of excitement all rolled into one. Beating strong at 141 beats per minute, right in the middle of the normal range for baby (120-160), gives me hope that our child will have a rather boring medical record like that of both it's parents. We'll soon find out for sure though. Today they took my blood (like 6 different viles of it) to test for "everything" as the nurse put it. One test they are doing what is commonly known as the triple screen test which is offered to expecting moms to screen for such birth defects as down syndrome, nueral tube defects, and trisomy 18 ( a defect caused by an extra chromosome #18 that results in mental retardation and major heart defects). It was my understanding that we will not know the results of the test until my next visit on April 19, 2006. I am definately looking forward to that date. It's six days after I turn 23 and they will be performing the second ultrasound. I will be close to twenty weeks at that time and we are hoping that the baby will reveal if it will be one to sit or stand to pee. Twenty weeks is the usual time that the professionals can determine the sex of the baby with the baby's cooperation of course. I have heard instances where the baby simply refuses to position itself to a point where it's bathing-suit parts can be identified and other times quite the opposite letting it all hang out. Everyone who asks me if it is a boy or a girl always follows with the question "what do you want it to be?" after I tell them I don't know the sex yet. I think that is a silly question. I have no other children and therefore no experience with boys or girls. I just want it to be here alive and well and happy...although I have felt like it is a boy since I first discovered I was pregnant. So if we are to be blessed with a little girl, a few mind adjustments will need to be made. Even if the baby decides to keep us in suspense regarding it's gender at least we'll have a few new pictures to share with everyone.
Pictures that look a bit more human than the first (left...Head is big ball on the right). The body should be a bit more proportionate to the head and the arms and legs will be easier to identify than in their nub form.
Quite an interesting journey I have embarked on and it's only just begun. There was a young lady, about my age, I would guess, with a big ol' belly in apparently excruciating pain. So much so that Matt wanted to tell the nurses to hurry up and get her in there before everyone else in the waiting room. She was definately in labor and when we'd make eye contact it seemed as if she was telling me...See what you have to look forward to...then a pain filled squeak would slip out of her mouth followed by a long inhale and a forceful exhale. I must say I didn't envy her but I did want to comfort her, to hold her hand and rub her back and say you are woman, let yourself roar. I hope the best for that young woman and her new baby. Today is the day that her life changed forever...well, no, I guess that was nine months ago when she heard the news "you're test was positive." I know that's when mine did.