« June 2006 | Main | August 2006 »
The whole family (14 of us to be exact) gathered at the 3D ultrasound place for the big reveal! When we finally got the "shot", everyone cheered. The entire family is so excited for the arrival of our son, and I will upload the one great 3D photo we got today. The photo you see above is from the doctors office last week. Well, lots of family are still here - I'll be back later this evening, or tomorrow for a better update of the event!
Your mini-gymnast weighs about 8 1/2 ounces, and measures 6 inches, head to bottom (Baby Vossler is actually about 9 inches!) — the length of a small zucchini. The motor neurons between the muscles and the brain are connecting, giving him control over his movements, so he kicks, rolls, and stretches whenever he feels like it. His arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of his body now. His kidneys continue to make urine, and the hair on his scalp is sprouting. This is a crucial time for sensory development: Your baby's brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. His gums have tooth buds, and throughout his body, rubbery cartilage is turning into bone. Myelin, a protective substance, envelops the spinal cord.
Our ultrasound appointment on Friday was absolutely wonderful. I can't believe I only get one this entire pregnancy! It's a terrible thing to do do a mother. Trei and I arrived 15 minutes early...I had drank my 32 ounces of fluid (24 ounces of water and 12 ounces of orange soda - wanted to make sure that baby was moving!). The 15 minute wait for my appointment was sheer torture. I had to pee soooooo bad!!! They finally called my name, and I got changed into a gown and waited for the tech. 2 minutes later she had joined Trei and I and had begun the exam. Luckily for me, she checked out my placenta....and let me relieve myself. I had thought I had to lay there the whole time with a full bladder. Thankfully, it was only for 30 seconds.
I walked back into the room and laid down for the "real ultrasound"...feeling MUCH better I might add. She squirted gel all over my tummy and laid the wand on my growing stomach. Immediately we could see the baby. We got a beautiful profile shot, I was amazed. About a minute later the baby rolled over and gave us the most beautiful shot of their "privates". I had studied lots of pictures wanting to make sure I'd know what to look for. But nothing prepared me for seeing it on the screen and knowing it's gender before the tech ever had to point it out....Now Trei....Trei needed some direction! Ha ha ha. I immediately began crying. It was so overwhelming that I couldn't help it. Watching Trei's face, seeing my baby - I was a blubbering mess (which I didn't expect!). My stomach would shake everytime I would try and catch my breath in between sobs. This in turn caused the whole screen to shake and the baby to move around even more. Once I was able to compose myself, Trei and I just sat there in awe. We finally "knew" whether we were having a son or a daughter. I can't really explain how amazing it was!
Head to bottom, your baby is approximately 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a large sweet potato) and she weighs almost 7 ounces. Although she's enveloped by the familiar sound of your beating heart and rushing blood, she's conscious of noises from the outside world, too . They filter through the bones forming in her ear and to her developing brain. Her sense of sight is evolving as well; the retinas are more sensitive to light, and if you bask under a hot sun, she'll perceive a red glow. She's busy flexing her arms and legs — movements that you'll likely start noticing more and more. Other skills she's showing off: yawning, swallowing, sucking, hiccuping, and making faces. Her blood vessels are visible through her thin skin and her ears are now in position and stand out from her head. Myelin (a protective covering) is beginning to form around her nerves, a process that will continue for a year after she's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and Fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If your baby is a boy, his genitals are noticeable, though he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.
Just 3 more days until the BIG ultrasound. Hopefully Baby Vossler is spread eagle with some goods to show :)
