14 things the baby books don't tell you

You don't realize this until you look back at your pregnancy, but those books you read (you know the ones) just really don't tell you everything they should. For example, here is a list of 14 things the baby books fail to emphasize.

Buckle up.

14. You will not lose all the weight you gained during pregnancy right away.
In fact, if you're like me, you will not even lose it after 4 months! So seriously...don't expect to fit in those skinny jeans again anytime soon. Wait...I don't even have skinny jeans. So no problem! :-) But all in all, don't expect to lose that baby weight overnight. You may lose a little at first, but it might plateau. It might take awhile. Your belly will probably feel like a saggy pillow. So don't be sad. I feel that way, too.

13. You will sweat like a pig on a spit.
If you are one of the lucky ones (like me), you will gain a lot of excess water weight and will bloat so much you will look like the Michelin man. Your feet probably look like hot air balloons. Your face like a basketball. One of the things you don't realize, though, is that after you give birth, that water has to go somewhere...and not just through your pee. You will sweat it out...everywhere. You will sweat while moving, while breastfeeding, while sitting still. You will sweat during the day. And, mostly, you will sweat at night and probably wake up with a wet pillow. Sexy, huh?

12. You really do need to sleep while the baby is sleeping.
This is one thing I seriously wish I did more of - sleeping while the baby is sleeping. You're not going to miss anything. The laundry and dishes are not going anywhere. So just sleep while you can. Because before you know it, the week/weekend/month/month(s)/etc will be over and you will wish you would have taken even just one more nap. So take that nap. TAKE IT NOW!

11. You will learn to eat faster than a ninja.
Once the baby is born, you will learn to eat your meals so quickly that you'll actually wonder if you even ate at all. You will inhale things so quickly just because you know that at any second you will be interrupted and may not be able to finish your dinner. And, actually...it's quite impressive how quickly you learn to scarf down your meals and you don't even get sick!

10. Sitting will hurt for weeks.
This is something that is obvious, when you think about it. But it's something I never even thought about. If you give birth vaginally, it will hurt to sit for weeks. It will be so uncomfortable that it would make you wish you had pregnancy hemorrhoids again. The pain and discomfort obviously goes away, but for some reason I was not prepared for that at all.

9. You will lose all inhibition.
If you are in the hospital for two days, five days (like myself), or longer (hopefully not), you will have SO many doctors and nurses coming in and switching shifts at all times. And because of that, you will have so many different people coming in to check out your nether regions. The first day it will be a little awkward to have different people coming in to check you out. But you will learn quickly to just get ready for it the second you hear the door open. And once that door opens? Yep, you guessed it. Your inhibition sneaks out through the opening. Bye, bye. Gone forever.

8. You will have conversations that you never would have imagined having.
You will talk about your birth story. You will talk about breastfeeding. You will talk about your baby's bowel movements. Your baby's lack of bowel movements. You will talk about other bodily functions. You will talk about everything. All someone needs to do is ask and you will tell them. After all, you have no inhibition anymore. Remember?

7. You will feel like you live in a permanent pig sty.
Cleaning will be at the very bottom of your to-do list once you have a baby. During my maternity leave, I felt constantly out of sorts because our place was always a mess. And it actually still needs a good cleaning and makeover. But when it comes down to it, clean what you need to, but don't make it a top priority. When all is said and done, I can guarantee that you won't look back and say "Man...I wish I would have cleaned more."

6. There will be days when you get home from work and realize you never even brushed your teeth yet.
Because you have what seems like a million things to do, personal hygiene sometimes flies out the window. When I wake up in the morning, I have to not only get myself ready, but I have to get my baby ready to go - get him cleaned, changed, fed, burped, bottles ready, changed again, etc. I have to also get the dog ready for the day - fed, taken out, etc. So by the time it comes to leave, brushing my teeth sometimes doesn't even cross my mind. I hate to admit it, but I probably do this twice a week. Don't worry, though...I always brush them as soon as I can.

5. You will pee whenever you sneeze.
Get used to it.

4. You need to discuss having a budget.
Whether a single parent or a two-parent family, you will need to seriously think about a budget. We didn't, and it's been pretty stressful actually. Because I was out of work for 3 months (2 of which were unpaid), we obviously had a lot less money than usual. And, as most first time parents can probably agree, the last thing you want to do every day is cook a home-cooked meal. So you get takeout. A lot. And you spend more money than you should. And you get behind. It can get messy. 2012 is budget year for us...but it's something that the baby books don't stress enough. Work out a budget ahead of time. Just do it. It's then one less thing to worry about.

3. You will feel inferior.
Let's face it. When you have a baby, all of a sudden it seems like EVERYONE AROUND YOU is having a baby, too. And you think to yourself that it's actually kind of ridiculous that so many people are having babies. But then...once everyone has those babies, you will start to notice that a lot of people tend to brag about their babies like you wouldn't believe. You will hear things like "My baby started rolling over after one week" and "My baby started sleeping through the night after 2 weeks" and "My baby started to crawl after 2 months" and "My baby started to talk after I gave birth." Okay...maybe not that last one. But you get the picture. Be prepared for mothers to start spouting off all the amazing and shocking and wonderful things their children can do. It's not a terrible thing. In fact, it shows how proud they are about their babies. But be prepared. It will make you feel inferior...especially if your baby didn't roll over after week 1 or sleep through the night after the second week or crawl during month 2 or talk after exiting your hoohah.

2. Breastfeeding is weird.
It's amazing. But weird. Especially the part when you realize that your breastmilk not only comes from out of the center of your nipples, but it comes from dozens of other parts of your nipples...and shoots in different directions. Yeah. Freakin' weird.

1. You will fall.
Fall. Not Fail. F-A-L-L. Fall. In love. With your baby. It might not happen right away. But at some point, it will hit you hard. You will be so in love, more than you ever thought possible. Every look, smell, sound. Every smile, every cry, every coo, every whine, every yawn. Baby hugs. Baby farts. Baby breath. You will fall in love with it all. You will not be able to get enough of your baby. You will be so very much in love.

And the baby books just don't tell you all of that.

what NOT to ask a pregnant woman

Looking back on my pregnancy, it's interesting to me how much people LOVE pregnant women. I'm not kidding. When people find out you're pregnant it's seriously the most awesome thing in the world to them. People always have such happy things to say when you're pregnant...and they also have a million questions for you as well.

Questions like "How are you feeling?" and "Do you know if you're having a boy or girl?" and "What are you going to name your baby?" are questions you should really get used to when you're pregnant because you will probably hear each of those questions at least a million times a day.

But there are other things people may say to you or ask you that may catch you by surprise. The following is a list of those questions and my reactions to them:

Question/Statement:
"So...is this pregnancy a good thing?"

• How I would have responded if I was mean: No. Absolutely not. It's awful......OF COURSE IT'S A GOOD THING!!!
• My actual response: I seriously have been asked this before by one of the ultrasound technicians at the hospital. I didn't really understand what she was asking at first, but then I realized that she actually probably sees a lot of patients who are NOT happy about having a baby. That makes me a little sad.

Question/Statement:
"Maybe you're having twins!?"

• How I would have responded if I was mean: Well...maybe you should not call me "fat"? Because that's pretty much what you're saying, right? That I look fat enough to be having twins? Nope. That's not twins. That's just one HUGE little butterball and a lot of extra maternal storage tissue, thankyouverymuch.
• My actual response: Nope...just one baby. Not sure if I could handle two.

Question/Statement:
"You look really swollen!"

• How I would have responded if I was mean: Really? Are you sure I'm really swollen? I mean, I didn't notice any swelling when I put on my shoes this morning and could barely squeeze my entire foot into the shoe. And I don't notice any swelling when I stretch my legs and feet and can feel the tightness and strain due to all the bloating. And I certainly don't notice any swelling whenever I cross my legs and see a huge gash from where my leg was resting. And I definitely don't notice any swelling when I look in the mirror. I mean...are you sure I'm really swollen?
• My actual response: Yeah...it totally sucks. My ankles are non-existent now.

Question/Statement:
"You're pregnant? WHAT!? I couldn't even tell!"

• How I would have responded if I was mean: This is pretty much the same as calling me fat. Why? I'll tell you. Firstly, I definitely look pregnant. I mean, I don't normally carry around a belly the size of a watermelon. So, secondly, by saying you can't tell that I'm pregnant, while very nice as a gesture, is pretty much just the same as saying "You look really pregnant, but I'm going to be nice and say that you don't look pregnant at all."
• My actual response: Yep! It's really exciting! Weird...and different. But really exciting!!

Question/Statement:
"Are you really going to eat that whole sandwich/pizza/ice cream?"

• How I would have responded if I was mean: This is pretty much the same as calling me fat, too...and my answer will probably always be "Yes I'm going to eat the whole thing. Do you have a PROBLEM with that?"
• My actual response: Yes I'm going to eat the whole thing. Do you have a PROBLEM with that?

Question/Statement:
"You better enjoy your sleep while you can!"

• How I would have responded if I was mean: Really? And you think I'm enjoying sleep now? With a ginormous belly that prevents me from sleeping in pretty much every position and a bladder that screams to be emptied every hour on the hour? Yeah. Not so much. But thanks for pointing out that I have to look forward to MORE sleeplessness.
• My actual response: Yeah. I'm not sure how that will be, but I'm sure I will not be getting much sleep for awhile.
  

Question/Statement:
"Enjoy your freedom while you can. You know...you can't do _____ with a baby."

• How I would have responded if I was mean: Like heck we can't! We are taking this baby anywhere we want to and doing anything we want to. We will be forming this young little child to our lives, not the other way around. But, once again, thanks for trying to point out something negative about having a child. I really like that. A lot.
• My actual response: Like heck we can't! We are taking this baby anywhere we want to and doing anything we want to. We will be forming this young little child to our lives, not the other way around.
  

Question/Statement:
"Can I touch/rub/kiss your belly?"

• How I would have responded on a bad day: Can I touch/rub/kiss yours? Unless I know you really well and you and me are "tight" like that...don't ask. And speaking of the belly, try not to look at it too much either. I know it's huge. I know it's sticking out there. But when the first thing people do is look straight at my belly fat BEFORE they look at me or say "hi", it's just kind of not cool. I know it's exciting there's a little dude chilling out in my uterus, but my face is up here.
• My actual response: Umm...I would prefer if you didn't. Baby's sleeping right now. :-)
  

Question/Statement:
"How are you feeling?"**

• How I would have responded on a bad day: I'm feeling fine. Well, actually...no I'm not, now that I'm thinking about it. Remember when you told me before how fat I was (when you asked if I was having twins/knew I was so swollen/eating the entire refrigerator/etc.)? Well, yeah...I'm feeling fat. HUGE, actually. And it hurts. I know it's "for a good cause" and I'm "not fat [I'm] pregnant". But it really does hurt. Mostly my knees, actually. So much so that my knees spasm in pain every time I get up or down from a chair/car/bed/floor. And it also hurts because my feet can barely fit into my shoes. Which means: "Yes...I am VERY swollen." And speaking of swelling, did you know that in order to keep swelling down I actually have drink MORE water than normal? This seems kind of ironic since swelling is water retention. But yeah, I'm supposed to drink craploads of water to help keep the swelling from getting worse. Which...yep! You guessed it! Makes me have to pee every hour! It's super fun. Especially when I want to get a good night's sleep but I know that I can't because of how I'm so large, swollen, and filled with pee waiting to explode if I don't get up a million times each night. But the constant peeing is actually not that big of a deal compared to all the gas, acid reflux, hemorrhoids, and stretch marks. I mean, did you know that drinking WATER can give a pregnant lady gas? Yeah...water. And salad can, too. And actually anything that a pregnant lady digests gets turned into gas. An.Y.Thing. And because of all the pressure in the abdomen, bowel movements become less regular and there is so much less space for things, so acid reflux and hemmorhoids are born. And you don't even want me to go into more detail than that. Trust me. So, speaking of gas and hemmorhoids and acid reflux...do you still want to rub my belly and tell me to enjoy sleep and doing things while I can? Yeah. Didn't think so.
• My actual response: I'm feeling fine.

** "How are you feeling?" is actually totally a decent question to ask. I am just being a beotch.

sweet and freaky dreams

I was at my parent's house, just sitting around and relaxing, enjoying the peace and quiet. Out of nowhere, I jumped up and realized that I had no idea where my baby was.

So I decided to head over to my aunt and uncle's house in Phoenix and knocked on the door when I arrived there. A young girl answered my call, a girl who I had never seen before. And she looked confused when I asked her where my baby was. Out in the hallway, another little girl came out carrying Lucy. So I asked her where my baby was. They both stared at me with blank faces and I got so frustrated that I could scream.

So I went back to my parent's house and decided to wait for my sister to come home. In the meantime, I searched the house high and low thinking that possibly I was just a terrible mother and left my baby in the bedrooms or something. But I was relieved when I heard my sister walk into the house. She was carrying our car seat and I immediately felt relieved.

But as I looked into the car seat, all I saw was our dog, Lucy, again.

Crazy dream, huh?

It's not as crazy as the dream I had where our baby ripped itself out of my stomach and was already dressed in clothes. And on one hand, this dream freaked me out because I literally couldn't find our child anywhere. But on the other hand, it made me realize that we actually already have a baby.

A little beagle baby.

Yes, I know she's a dog. She's an animal. A creature bred for hunting small game. A being that is pretty much content just eating, sleeping, peeing, and pooping.

But she's still our special little girl.

how to: freak out a pregnant woman REALLY bad

Place a fetal doppler monitor on her pregnant belly and proceed...for 5 minutes...to NOT find the baby's heartbeat.

Yeah. That will REALLY freak her out.

I'll explain...

As mentioned yesterday, the baby ended up moving just fine in the end and had a good, strong heartbeat as usual. So they ended up letting me go and just making sure I called back/came in again if I noticed anything crazy like bleeding, contractions, loss of fetal movement, sharp pains, water breaking, etc. etc. I haven't experienced any of that stuff, so it turns out our little guy is quite the trooper.

Phew!

Crisis averted.

This morning I had a checkup with my normal obstetrician's office (since my appointments are weekly now). Usually these appointments are super quick and consist of checking up on usually only 5 things:

1. My weight


2. My urine


3. My blood pressure


4. The baby's estimated growth via measuring the fundal height, and


5. The baby's heartbeat.

So at my appointment this morning:

1. My weight - My weight was down by 4 pounds. Not sure how I did that in 1 week. Maybe it's from trying to eat better and sweating a lot? Or maybe it's because my appointment was in the morning and not in the afternoon after I've already drinken over a gallon of water? Who knows?


2. My urine - My urine was plentiful. Actually, I never really get the results of the urine tests and usually attribute this to things being okay in the pee department.


3. My blood pressure - For the first time in this pregnancy, my blood pressure was actually high. I told them that my appointments are usually always in the afternoon after a day of working at a computer and that this morning I had been running around getting ready for the day and heading over to the appointment and not really having time to just chill out. The doctor said that blood pressure normally rises a little toward the end of pregnancy, but to be safe, they drew some blood to do some labwork and to see if there is any possibility that the blood pressure is related to preeclampsia. I am really hoping this is NOT the case...so keep your fingers and toes crossed.


4. The baby's estimated growth - The fundal height check was so uneventful that I don't even remember that part of the appointment because...


5. The baby's heartbeat - The doctor put the heartbeat doppler monitor over my belly and literally for about 5 minutes they could NOT find the baby's heartbeat. Can you imagine how scary that is? I was thinking in my head the whole time "Oh My Dear LORD what is going on now?" and "Why can't we hear the heartbeat?" and "Come on little baby, where are you?" So stressful not being able to hear it. Then little heartbeat ended up being found hiding and kind of quiet and the heartbeat counts were just fine. But, MAN! Talk about a stressful 5 minutes!!

I'm thinking, in hindsight, that little Baby McG was hiding from the monitor as a way of getting me back for falling the other day. Kind of like him saying "You want to fall on ME, mommy? Oh YEAH? Well I'll just hide my heartbeat from you to freak you out. How do you like them apples?"

Very funny, baby. Very funny.

Not laughing, though. We've grown kind of attached to you now so you better be okay in there!

Stay tuned...

how to: freak out your family REALLY bad

Just become 37 weeks pregnant and fall down some stairs.

Yeah.

That'll do it.

I'm actually being sarcastic and kidding. Don't do it. It is really scary.

Okay. Here's the explanation...

For the past (I don't even know how many) weeks, Joe has been refinishing our little baby's crib with the help of my parents and their garage. And since it was pretty much finished this past weekend, I was itching (BADLY!) to get the finished product back to our own home so that we could get it all set up and pretty.

Because I was so antsy about getting it all ready to go, Joe started to help me get the back of our truck ready for all the fun crib pieces. He went inside and grabbed the first (heaviest) piece of the crib and started to carry it outside to the truck. I was a little slower than him and was heading downstairs to where the crib pieces were lined up and ready to go and seriously just completely lost my balance, skipped over the last two steps on accident, and fell onto the tile at the bottom of the stairs.

The brunt of my weight actually fell on my knees when my knees hit the tile first...but with all of the momentum from my gargantuan body, I kept going forward and landed on my hands and belly.

I immediately took the weight off my hands and belly and just rolled over to my side. My mom came right away from the kitchen. Joe flew back in from where he was outside with the crib piece he was carrying. And my dad came in from grilling out back. They were on me so fast and I was actually kind of just in shock and started to sweat a lot and just kind of laid there.

I didn't really know what to do because the force really did primarily fall on my knees. So I figured we should just eat dinner and then keep an eye on the baby's movement. After dinner, though...to be safe...I called my OB's office and, since it was a Sunday, they said the doctor on-call would call me back. He called about 15 minutes later and basically said what I already knew: to keep an eye on the fetal movement and to call/come in if it significantly decreases or completely stops. He gave me the goal of 5 moves/kicks per hour and I ended up feeling 5 kicks within the first 45 minutes, so I figured everything was okay.

It was still wicked scary, though.

And as I said before, I was actually kind of kidding before about saying to "just become 37 weeks pregnant and fall down some stairs" to freak out your family really bad. Don't do it. It was really scary. Kind of embarrassing. But scary.

I have been really paying attention to any and all movements in my abdomen ever since then. I mean, even though babies are SOOOOO well protected in the womb, I have still been hypervigilant since last night. So much so, that this morning (after feeling only about 3 kicks in 2 hours) I decided to call the doctor's office again. I even had a good breakfast, lots of cold water, and even some apple juice...so I thought that only 3 kicks in 2 hours was way too low of activity.

They recommended that I go to the hospital where I was delivering just to get monitored and checked out.

They got me in RIGHT away and immediately hooked me up to a fetal heart monitor. And then the most beautiful sound in the world started being broadcast in the room - the little heartbeat. From then on I knew it was definitely going to be okay and after I had some ice water he actually moved probably about 10 times in 1 hour.

So annoying that he couldn't have done that this morning BEFORE I called.

Anyway...they kept me there for a few hours just to make sure it all stayed the same and then they let me go because there was no other trauma, bleeding, contractions, etc. It was almost a waste of a day, but I'm glad that it's all okay and hearing that heartbeat and feeling more regular movements again made me feel so much better.

To Joe, Mom, and Dad:
I am so sorry for freaking you guys out yesterday. But I'm really glad that you all were there and cared so much to help me. :-) I love you. And just know that Baby McG is a-okay and that I will try to remember to walk sideways from now on since I can't see my feet when I walk straight.

To all you pregnant ladies:
Please be careful on stairs. Actually...be careful everywhere. Your ligaments are loose and stretched out and you are predisposed to balance issues just because the state of being pregnant. So be careful where you step. Especially if you can't see your feet. Always look where you're going and go slowly. Who cares if it takes you an hour to walk 10 feet? Do what you gotta do.

To everyone else:
Be like Joe, my mom, and my dad and just be there for your pregnant wives/friends/family members. It's so nice knowing that, even when we are weak and spazzy and uncoordinated, you are there to help and support us.

:-)

perspective

My mom: Not pictured. Taking the photograph.

Joe: Staring straight at the camera. He thinks this picture is just of him.

Me: Staring away from the camera. Yes, this action was deliberate. My un-pregnant face is just fine, but I don't like my pregnant face. Way too chunky. So that is why I am staring away from the camera. Immature? Sure, whatever.

My dad: Thinking to himself. "Why is she being so immature and looking away from the camera?"

Perspective: When this picture was taken, I didn't really know what it was going to look like and actually forgot about it until I downloaded the photos. But looking at this picture really put things in perspective for me. Those of you who know me know that I have big knockers. REALLY big knockers. And I'm not just saying that. In my opinion, they are actually ridiculously big. But the part of this photograph that really put things in perspective for me is the belly. You can't see the whole thing...but the part of the belly that you CAN see makes my knockers look small. So you know that means? This belly is freakin' HUGE! I mean, anything that makes my knockers look small is pretty ginormous.

That is all.

38 days to go. Wait............WHAT?!?!?

Week:
35 5/7. More than halfway through week 35 already, actually. Just a couple more days and the 35th week will be over. So weird that there are less than 6 weeks left. So. Weird.

Size of Baby:
According to the interweb, books, blogs, you name it…the baby should be around 5 ½ pounds now. BabyCenter, in particular, states that at 35 weeks the baby should weigh about as much as a honeydew melon (which is around 5 ¼ pounds). Well, let’s just pretend you read our blog from last week. That means that you know that our ultrasound from last week showed that our baby was already at approximately 5 ¼ pounds. I know those things are just “estimates”, but I have a feeling that he’s going to be a little porker.

Size of Mom:
So rude. Why would you even ask that? Bank this in your list of things NOT to ask of a pregnant lady. :-) Let’s just say that I’ve gained way more than I should have and already voided out all of the weight I lost last year. Yeah…let’s just leave it at that. Kinda making me sick just thinking about it (but yet I still want dinner).

Fetal Movement:
I have heard and read that around this time the baby starts to move less and less. But I have noticed that, while he’s not quite rolling and somersaulting anymore, he’s definitely still moving. He’s most active after meals (see…a little porker!) and will usually always squirm if I drink some cold ice water. But he’s definitely still moving in there. Sometimes I will even feel a hand punch towards the bottom of my belly and a foot kick up top all at the same time. He’s probably ready to have more room so that he can more easily move his ginormous head. :-) But he’s definitely still kickin’ that’s for sure. I remember that at one of my appointments they said that you should always be able to feel 10 movements within a 2 hour time frame. With that in mind (and believe me, I’ve counted), our little one makes at least 10 movements within a 1 hour time frame. So freakin’ cute, eh?

Sleep:
I’m starting to realize that I don’t know what that word even means. I mean, I actually fall asleep really easily (which probably annoys Joe a little), but because of the canteloupe in my abdomen, it gets pretty uncomfortable pretty easily. Plus, I have to get up at least 4 to 5 times every night to get rid of the fluid in my ever-shrinking bladder. So all in all I probably only get about 4 hours of actual sleep. And I know it’s only going to get worse, especially when the baby arrives and I can probably only sleep for 2 minutes. But then eventually it will get better again. So I’ll just shut my yapper. :-)

Cravings:
None. Seriously. Not at all. I love eating salads and could probably eat salad for every meal, but I loved salads before becoming pregnant…so I wouldn’t really call salad a “craving”. A few weeks ago, though, I discovered that Haagen Dazs (stereotypical, I know) makes a chocolate ice cream with chunks/swirls of peanut butter. I don’t “crave” it, per se, but that’s the closest I’ve come to craving anything during this entire pregnancy. I like to think that means I’m getting a little bit of everything I should be.

Symptoms:
***BRIEF COMPLAINING ALERT***
Skip to the next section if you are sensitive to complaints and references to bodily functions.

• Bloating – retaining an unbelievable amount of water.
• Edema – The swelling (aka. “cankles”) associated with water retention.
• Aches – Back aches and knee aches (from all the weight my poor legs now support).
• Urination Issues – Extremely excessive urination, also had a UTI that I had to take meds for so as not to go into preterm labor (apparently infections can do that).
• Carpal tunnel syndrome – This freakin’ HURTS! I used to think it was a joke and that people who had “carpal tunnel syndrome” were just whiners. But it’s the real deal. And it’s stupid.
• Gas – The most uncomfortable gas I have ever experienced in my life. Sorry if that is crude, but it’s just plain TRUE. Nobody has gas like a pregnant lady. Nobody.
• Memory Issues – What was I just talking about? Yeah. Really bad. On that note...I feel like I'm forgetting some symptoms. Joe? Am I missing any?
  
  

What The Doctor Says:
Nothing. You may think that this means I have a terrible doctor. I like to think it’s because my pregnancy has been pretty low key. Which is a GOOD thing. As of next week, however, I will be going for weekly appointments until the big day arrives, so will definitely keep you posted of any news from the doctor front.

I Am Missing:
Feeling normal. Being a normal, healthy weight. Seeing my feet. Seeing my feet look their normal size. Seeing my boobs look their normal size (bras are flippin' EXPENSIVE!). Being able to get up on my own without help. Sleeping through the night. Being able to shave my legs comfortably.

I Am Looking Forward To:
Holding our little baby and meeting him for the first time. Seeing Joe as a dad (he's going to be a GREAT one!). Being able to announce our baby and his name (since I seriously get the "what is your baby's name" question every single day). Seeing Lucy meet her little baby brother. Being a normal, healthy weight again. Seeing my feet again. Being able to get up on my own without help again. Not having heartburn or gas anymore. Sleeping through the night again.

Uhh......eventually, right?

"That boy's head is like Sputnik!"

Last week I started to feel a little "off." Other than my knees and back hurting from the seemingly neverending weight gain, nothing hurt out of the ordinary. But I still felt a little "off" and I really don't know any other way to put it. I was talking to Joe on one of my lunch breaks last Thursday and he said I should probably just give the doctor's office a call to make sure that if something WAS wrong that we get it taken care of and NOT risk the chance of having preterm labor.

Yeah. Definitely not ready for that yet!

So I called and was seen that afternoon.

At the appointment, it was confirmed that I have an infection (not going into details) and should take some antibiotics for a week. Turns out we had some good intuition because infections can cause uterine contractions which can lead to preterm labor. And, as I mentioned above...totally not ready for that yet.

At the appointment, it was also confirmed that our "baby seems to be measuring large." I must have been giving the doctor a completely stupefied, blank, and/or confused stared, because she immediately said "Which is definitely okay...but since your last ultrasound was back at 18 weeks, we should have another one done within the week just to make sure everything is okay." Even though she said it is still okay, I immediately started to think that maybe something was wrong with our baby. Joe ended up telling me that he was rather large and in charge being born at 9 1/2 pounds...but the doctor's statement still made us worry a little bit.

According to pregnancy websites and books that I've been thumbing through, at 33 weeks pregnant our Little Baby McG should be about the size of a pineapple and weigh anywhere between 4 and 5 1/2 pounds.

We went for the ultrasound today since both Joe and I had the day off and we watched as the ultrasound tech took some measurements of the head, stomach, heartbeat, arms, legs, and umbilical blood flow. The heartbeat and umbilical blood flow looked good. The arms, stomach, and legs measured between 33 and 34 weeks. Perfect! They also showed that estimated weight of Baby McG right now is about 5 lbs 4 oz...which is a little high on the 4 to 5 1/2 lb scale, but still within range for 33 weeks. The head, on the other hand, measured at about 35 weeks and a few days.

"Look at the size of that boy's heed!"

Apparently, our baby is already on track for being SUPER smart because he has a really big head already. I can live with that. But what I might not like too much is if it keeps growing faster than everything else...because that might hurt.

WICKED hurt.

All in all, the ultrasound tech and doctor said that our baby is currently measuring a little larger than average, but still within a good range. So it shouldn't change the due date at all. Which means that right now we are 6 weeks 4 days away...and counting. Well, as all you mothers know, that could turn out to be 4 weeks, or 8 weeks, or anywhere in between. But right now we're "on track" for our due date.

So it's all good in the heed...I mean, "hood."

:-)



"Look at the size of that boy's heed...I'm not kidding, that boy's head is like Sputnik; spherical but quite pointy at parts! Now that was offside, wasn't it? He'll be crying himself to sleep tonight, on his huge pillow."

Stuart MacKenzie (Mike Myers)

So I Married An Axe Murderer (1993)

why drinking water is super duper important

Feeling faint or dizzy?..........Check.

Nausea?..........Check.

Rapid heartbeat?..........Check.

Cool, moist, pale skin?..........Check.

Weakness?..........Check.

Fatigue?..........Check.

Heat exhaustion?..........Check?

Unfortunately, I had the opportunity to experience these symptoms while buying groceries for dinner after work today. Joe had to stay a little late at work to make up time from this morning because the Civic wouldn't start for me and he had to leave work for about 3o minutes to come to my rescue.

Awwwwwwwww! :-)

Anyway, since he was planning on making up his time at work, I suggested that I'd grab a few groceries on the way home so that I could make dinner when I got home. All was fine and dandy and the grocery store was very comfortable.

Until I got to the meat section.

I had just picked up some beef for Lucy (yes, we freakin' spoil the crap out of our dog) and was about to get some chicken for our dinner when I started to feel really faint, dizzy, nauseated, weak, and REALLY sweaty and clammy. I leaned over on the shopping cart for a minute and started to feel a little better, so I grabbed the chicken, grabbed some broccoli and headed for the checkout lines.

Everything was good again, but when I was standing in the line after unloading the groceries, I started to feel really faint, dizzy, nauseated, weak, sweaty, and clammy all over again. So I grabbed a bar of chocolate and a small bottle of OJ from the cooler near the checkout line thinking maybe I just needed a little sugar in my blood or something.

After I got through checkout and unloaded the groceries, I got in the car and blasted the AC and started to feel really short of breath and had a semi-rapid heartbeat. So I took deep, calm breaths, drank my OJ, had a few pieces of the chocolate bar I bought and just sat in the cool AC for a couple minutes.

Luckily we only live like 1 mile from the grocery store, so I got home just fine and Joe grabbed the groceries and from then on I’ve just relaxed and felt extremely fatigued, weak, and exhausted.

I decided to look up my symptoms and…while maybe you could call me a hypochondriac…my symptoms fit the list for heat exhaustion almost 100% to a “T”.

Scary stuff.

Here’s the kicker, though…

I drink at least 80 ounces of water a day in addition to any other fluids I take in. And that’s a LOT!! Probably more than most people, actually. But apparently today it was not enough. It’s very likely that being pregnant leaves me more susceptible to different things. And because a pregnant lady’s body temperature is usually higher anyway, perhaps heat exhaustion is easier to come by.

But the moral of the story is that drinking water…especially in the summer…especially in an Arizonan summer…is super DUPER important. I seriously hydrate myself all day every day. But today it was no match for the heat.

So be warned, my friends.

DRINK WATER.

It may not be the most tasty of beverages…but it’s a life saver.

dear holy Lord, whose legs are these?

After camping this past weekend, I was BEAT!

As in seriously, utterly, completely, and indubitably exhausted.

It was crazy.

And not only was I the most tired I've been in awhile, I was also the most dirty I've been in awhile. Which means that as soon as we were done unpacking from the trip, I was in the shower and cleaning up.

There's nothing like a good long shower after a weekend of camping!

But what totally surprised me was when I started shaving my legs and realized that the legs in front of me were not mine. They...in no way...resembled anything CLOSE to what my legs look like. I mean, it was like I was staring at tree trunks really. And there is NO WAY that those were my legs. I mean...really? Tree trunks? Seriously?

I know that looks are superficial and that pregnancy swelling is temporary, but I've felt about as glamorous as a piece of trash for the past 8 months so far and my feet and ankles seriously swell more and more by the day.

I mean, the shower was really nice and it felt great to clean up and relax.

And there's no way in h-e-double hockey stick that I'm going to go without showering or shaving.

But I'm thinking next time I'll just keep my eyes closed and hope for the best.

growing your baby

Joe and I went for our first prenatal education course this past weekend. It was a course called "Growing Your Baby" and was given at the hospital where we will be delivering little Baby McG. My impression, from the course title, was that it was going to be information about fetal development and the stages of growth from conception to delivery. Joe thought it was going to be about how the baby grows once he/she is already born and already a "baby."

Neither of us were right.

It was primarily about what to do during pregnancy, what not to do during pregnancy, and how to recognize and avoid preterm labor. Most of the course involved getting a million handouts that we had to read on our own and everything discussed we pretty much already knew. But the instructor was fun and we did learn a little about how to recognize and avoid preterm delivery...something we really hadn't even thought about.

One more thing, though...

Why is the act of having a baby called "delivery"?

I mean, it's not like anything is being delivered. It should be more aptly called Uterine Marathon or Fetal Extraction or something else that implies strenuous action and intense effort. You know what I mean?

Because calling it "delivery" just seems so passive...like all of a sudden the little baby will just appear and be "delivered."

Yeah...only in my best of dreams, I'm sure!

if you're reading this...

...then now you know that I was NOT rapture-ized either.

Which is a good thing, because I want to be around a little longer to make sure our little baby is okay.

On a boring note, I got an "A" in my Statistics and Measurements class which was no small feat because it was not the most exhilarating course thus far. But (as I'm sure Joe can agree) I worked my ever-expanding BUTT off on that class and I am really proud of myself. I honestly didn't think I could pull it off.

Other than that, not much has been going on that is truly newsworthy other than I have already pretty much gained ALL the weight I lost last year. I know it'll eventually come off again...but the pictures kind of make me upchuck a little. The belly part's cute, so I thought I'd share a picture for you all, but just ignore all the rest of the chunkiness.

Little Baby McG is doing just fine so far. I'm feeling him a lot more lately, too. And that is a good thing because every once in awhile he'll be really lazy and it's always comforting to feel him move again. Makes me realize he's doing okay.

Our monthly checkups have been going really really well so far, too. They have actually been pretty boring, if I must say so. All I do is go, weigh in (my FAVORITE!), get my blood pressure checked, and have my uterus measured. I usually have to wait in the waiting room for about 20-30 minutes, but once I'm in, I'm out again in like 5 minutes. So there haven't been many issues at all.

And that is a good GREAT thing!

This week, though, I have my glucose screening test...which I am actually a little nervous about. Joe has already warned me about this test (he's had to do it a few times over the years), so I'm already prepared for it to taste ridiculously sweet and strong. But that's not what I'm worried about. I'm worried about the results of the test, which will show if I have any level of blood sugar abnormalities. I'm over 25, obviously, and I am REALLY overweight. And those are two of the risk factors for gestational diabetes. But there are other risk factors, too, so I'll be hoping for the best. I just really want everything to be okay, so keep your fingers crossed for me.

On a happier note...

Jim and Bobbie, you should be so proud of your son! Joe has really been amazing throughout the whole experience so far. He is helpful, supportive, giving, calming, and just all around the best father-to-be ever. And I know he's been anticipating a big freak out and/or breakdown from me at some point (don't you just LOVE how movies portray females in pregnancy?) - and, I guess there's always the chance that it could still happen - but I really haven't had many mood swings at all so far. Just a couple that I can think of. But, more importantly, he's been so supportive at all times and ends up just doing something awesome like rubbing my shoulders or holding my hand. Sorry if this is embarrassing you, Joe...just want people to know that you freakin' rock!

:-)

And one more thing...

We are still not announcing our little one's name yet. Sorry. :-( But just don't ask. Joe and I want to keep it a special secret between the two of us for a little while longer.

Don't worry, though. You'll all know soon enough...I promise.

the name game

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."

William Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2)

---

"The Perfect Baby Name: A Proven Plan for Choosing a Name You'll Love" by Jeanine Cox is just one out of a multitude of books that surround the topic of selecting a name for your baby. Joe chose this book several months ago and it's actually a really neat book. It, of course, gives a list of girl names and boy names, but also adds the name meanings and potential nicknames. It's pretty neat to see the different nicknames associated with each name!

The book also recommends really thinking a lot about the name selection process and has different exercises for both mom and dad to complete to help combine the efforts of the name game. Different things are important to different people, and they have exercises for just about everyone.

1. Exercise 1 - Visualize your baby, what you think they will look like, what you think they will be like. Then visualize them growing into a child, a teenager, and adult and think of names for this person.
   
2. Exercise 2 - Choose names that you like that provide alliteration with your last name. For example, if your last name starts with an "S", selecting first names that also start with an "S" or a similar sound (like a soft "C").
   
3. Exercise 3 - Another exercise is to think of acronyms (initials) that you like and selecting the first and middle name so that the name spells the acronym you like.
   
4. Exercise 4 - Think of adjectives that describe characteristics that are most important to you (such as love and honesty), then look up these words in a thesaurus or in the baby name book to find names with those meanings.
5. Exercise 5 - Create a list of family names based on the relative(s) you have found the most inspiring or the relatives that have passed away, but who you want to be remembered.
6. Exercise 6 - Find out if a place that is important to you would be a good name for your child by answering some questions including (but not limited to) "Where did you meet your partner?", "Where were you when you conceived your child?", and "What do you think is the most beautiful place on earth?"
7. Exercise 7 - Select a list of names for your child that connects them with his or her heritage (such as Irish names, German names, etc.).
8. Exercise 8 - Choose the name types that you think may be most significant to you and select your favorite name from the corresponding list. The lists included were Biblical names, Nature names, New Age names, Shakespearean names, Musical names, Place names, and Surnames as First Names.
9. Exercise 9 - By following all of the exercises above, both mom and dad should have a list of their favorite names from each exercise. Now, combine both mom and dad's favorites into a new list of possible names.
10. Exercise 10 - Make the final cut from mom's list and dad's list and deliberate about what you want the final name to be, based on the selections from each list.
    

This book is actually very, very cool...and really promotes collaboration on the name selection process. Which is good. After all, both mom and dad created the child, right? :-) All in all, however, we didn't end up doing any of the exercises (what bad direction followers we are!), but we did look at the extensive list of girls and boys names, which provided MUCH entertainment for us. I was planning on listing a few of our "favorites" (meaning we wouldn't be caught dead naming our child by those names), but I don't want to unintentionally offend anyone. So I will refrain. But let's just say that there are some VERY interesting names in this book. Some of them you read three times and still say "What? Someone would actually call their child by this name?" The answer is "Yes, yes they would."

Most importantly, however, we have OFFICIALLY narrowed down our top name choice(s). And what's funny about it is that we didn't even use the book to come up with our choice(s)...they are names that we both just really like. Right now, we are not planning on announcing our baby's name quite yet, though.

"Why not?", is the question probably going through your head right now.

Well, you see...

We haven't actually "met" our baby yet, and his name is very personal to us. It's kind of like asking me what size bra I wear or what color my underwear are. Yes, everyone is super excited to know the answer, but it's very personal and because of our personalities being the way they are we don't quite feel comfortable announcing the answer to the world just yet. Plus, we want to be 100% sure that the name "fits" when we finally see his face. You know?

So you'll just have to sit tight for a few more months and, until then, we shall keep calling our little one "Baby McG". Don't worry, though. The wait will not be long and he will be here soon enough. :-)

chunky dunkiness

Baby McG is the size of a corn on the cob this week, and that corn on the cob has given me my first official stretch marks. I was hoping to avoid them altogether due to the fact that I'm pretty large and in charge to begin with. But no, they are there. And they aren't low, either. They are right in the middle in plain sight for my eyes to see every time I see my belly.

If I was a good blogger, I would post a picture of my chunky pregnant belly. Actually...if I was a good blogger, I would pose for those cute pictures of the mom standing sideways for a belly profile photo and put a new one up for every new week or month. But let me give you a mental image instead. Imagine a huge chunky dunky woman who is just getting huger and lumpier by the day. Add stretch marks. And add leg hair that literally grows so quickly that it needs to be shaved again after it was already just shaved.

See. There you have it.

Now do you REALLY want to see a photo of that?

Yeah...didn't think so.

Stay tuned. Up next...the name game!

faq's

Here are some answers to common and frequently asked questions:

Q: Do you know what you're having?
A: As far as the ultrasound technician is concerned, we're having a boy! You can take a look at this post to read about the details and see the "cute" little picture. On one hand, I guess there is never 100% certainty until the little bundle of joy makes it out into the daylight. But on the other hand we're definitely planning for a boy. :-)

Side note - Have you ever thought that certain people strike you as a "Girl" mom or a "Boy" mom? What I mean is, sometimes when I think of people I know who are parents, it sometimes seems that they really fit as the mother of girls or they really seem like a mother of boys. Does that even make sense? Does anyone else ever think that? If yes, then do you think of me as a "Girl" mom or a "Boy" mom?

Q: When are you due?
A: August. The absolute most GORGEOUS time of the year in Arizona, might I add. August 21st to be exact. But, as you all know, this is generally an estimate and little Baby McG will rear his little head whenever he sees fit.

Q: Have you thought of any names yet?
A: Yes. Yes we have. We are pretty certain of the names we like best, but will probably keep it under wraps until we are both comfortable letting the world know.

Q: Have you felt the baby kicking yet?
A: Kind of, but not really. There have been a few very light tiny flutters so far, but for the most part, he's been a little on the lazy side...kind of like his sister Lucy. I will definitely make it known when I feel him going crazy for the first "real" time, though. Until then, it's still hard to believe there's a little dude in my belly!

Q: How are you feeling?
A: Aside from my ever-fattening cankles (if you need to know what cankles are, click here), I am feeling fine! Although...I am kind of dreading how I might feel in the last trimester when I'm 5,000 pounds heavier and dripping sweat from the Arizona summer heat.

Q: Aren't you just the luckiest person to be married to Joe?
A: Why yes. Yes, I am. Thank you for asking! ;-)

life is amazing

baby fingers

baby leg (side view)

baby feet (bottom view)

baby spine (in fetal position)

well, i'll be a monkey's uncle!

I decided to look into some of those “old wives tales” to see if they could predict our baby’s boyness or girlness. There are TONS of old wives tales out there, so I just picked a handful. Some of these are really silly, but it’s kind of fun to see what the results are. Here ya go!

Morning sickness:
It’s a boy if you experienced little to no morning sickness. It’s a girl if you had morning sickness. According to this, it would be a boy. I had morning sickness, but it wasn’t really that bad. Never actually vomited…just felt queasy a lot.

• Points: Girl = 0, Boy = 1

Fetal Heart Rate:
It’s a boy if the heart rate is below 140 beats per minute. It’s a girl if the heart rate is 140 beats per minute or higher. According to this, it would be a girl. The heart rate has consistently been over 150 beats per minute.

• Points: Girl = 1, Boy = 1

Food Cravings:
It’s a boy if you crave sour and/or salty foods, and protein. It’s a girl if you crave sweet foods and fruit. I haven’t really craved much of anything. But according to this, it could be either because some things that I reach for are sweet, but some are definitely salty and protein. Points for both.

• Points: Girl = 2, Boy = 2

Hair and Nail Growth
It’s a boy if your hair and nail growth has become faster during pregnancy. It’s a girl if your hair and nail growth has not changed or slowed during pregnancy. According to this, it would be a boy. I think my hair grows as I’m shaving it!

• Points: Girl = 2, Boy = 3

Urine Color:
It’s a boy if your urine is bright yellow. It’s a girl if your urine is dull yellow. According to this, it would be a boy because I always see a toilet bowl full of pee that looks like bright lemon-lime Gatorade. And yes…I’m drinking at least 80 oz of water a day!

• Points: Girl = 2, Boy = 4

Age Test:
It’s a boy if you add your age and the number for the month you conceived and the total is an even number. It’s a girl if you add your age and the number for the month you conceived and the total is an odd number. According to this test, my number was odd…which would make it a girl.

• Points: Girl = 3, Boy = 4

Needle and Thread Test:
It’s a boy if you dangle a needle and thread above your palm and/or belly and it moves from side to side (in lines). It’s a girl if you dangle a needle and thread above your palm and/or belly and it moves in circles. According to this, it’s a boy because the needle moved in lines, from side to side. However,..some of the websites that I found said that it's the opposite - it’s a boy if it moves in circles and a girl if it moves from side to side. So according to these others then, it would be a girl. Points for both.

• Points: Girl = 4, Boy = 5

Chinese Gender Calendar:
I looked up a couple different Chinese gender prediction calendars online. They asked about maternal age, due date, conception date, etc. By entering the same exact information each time, a couple of the calculators predicted boy…but a couple of them predicted girl. So…points on both sides.

• Points: Girl = 5, Boy = 6

Statistically (in the U.S.), there are more females than males. But according to these old wives tales, there's a better chance that we're having a boy.

Take a look HERE to see if they were right!

baffled

As if you didn't already know...I'm pregnant.

I know I'm pregnant. I do. It was confirmed with the home pregnancy test, the doctor's pregnancy test, and the ultrasound pictures. And it is confirmed yet again every time I have a checkup and the doctor listens for the heartbeat.

So yeah...definitely, absolutely, 100% pregnant.

But as I just sit and THINK about this, it's just so weird to me. It's definitely amazing and just ONE of life's miraculous events. But it's SO WEIRD!! I mean...I can't feel the baby yet and I definitely can't hear it yet or hold it yet. So the fact that there is this little tiny being (that I can't see, hear or feel) floating around in my chunkiness right now is SO WEIRD to me!

Amazing.

But weird.

what are the odds?

Lucy McG
A couple weeks ago, we noticed som crazy gross discharge from Lucy's eyes. Totally an eye infection of some sort. We've had her on eye ointment for almost two weeks now and it's definitely gotten a lot better. Also...and on an awesome note, Lucy has been off of doxycycline for about 3 weeks now because her titer results were so low. YAY!! And she just went in for some additional bloodwork yesterday. So sometime this week we should find out if we can keep her off the doxycycline, or if taking her off of it cause the tick fever to grow again. Keeping fingers crossed for the latter!


Material Things
The Civic decided to start smoking on my way home from work on Thursday night. Awesome...NOT! Joe came and met me where I parked alongside the 51 Northbound and took a look and saw that the upper radiator hose had completely burst. Yikes! Called AAA and had it towed to our regular auto mechanics. They are REALLY GOOD...but they are also really expensive. Because the hoses hadn't been replaced in goodness knows how long (definitely before I got the car in 07), they recommended replacing all hoses and the thermostat. So, coupled with Lucy's tests from Friday and the car repairs...pretty much half of the paychecks that just went into our accounts this week is already gone.

This got me thinking.

The Civic is definitely very reliable (despite the hose bursting) and gets GREAT mileage. But once I start becoming even more grossly heavy than I am now, there is no way I will want to get in and out of a car whose seats only sit about 6 inches off the ground. So I think we might be getting a new car some time this year. Maybe not BRAND new because I am not quite sure we could afford something like that, especially since we're also hoping to look for a home in the next couple years. But new for us. I'm not going to hold my breath for these specific cars, but I'm thinking a Volvo V70 (or V50 or XC70) or a Subaru Forester. I've really liked all those styles for some time now.

Anyway...what do you think? :-)


Baby McG
I had another appointment last week and actually met the doctor who will be delivering Baby McG. She's really nice!! She's very small, about 300 pounds lighter than me (ok, that's actually not possible...but you get the point). But she seems really good, made sure all my questions were answered and that I felt comfortable, and she has some really awesome experience (I googled her!). So I think mom and baby are in good hands. :-)

My official results from the ultrasound and bloodwork came back. The initial ratio they gave us has changed. They originally said that, based on my age and initial glance at the ultrasounds, we have a 1 out of about 630 chance of a chromosomal abnormality. Not bad odds, right? Well, after looking at my age, the ultrasound images and the bloodwork, that ratio has changed to about 1 and 10,000. Amazing!!! After explaining all of that, she put this really small handheld thingie across my abdomen and played the baby's heartbeat for me. So precious! It rang about about 160...so all is good in the hood. There were no new ultrasounds this week, so no new pictures or news about the baby's sex (you'll all just have to be patient). But I will say that I do have a feeling about what I think the baby might be. However, there's really no logical reason for thinking it and, really, there's approximately a 50% chance that I'm right or wrong, right? So for now, I'll just say that it's a boy...


...or a girl.

Stay tuned! :-)

all things nuchal

At my first OB appointment a few weeks ago, they advised me to contact The Fetal & Women's Center of Arizona to set up an appointment for once I was between weeks 11 and 12. They said that this organization has the best ultrasound technology available. So I ended up scheduling the appointment for yesterday because right now I am somewhere at the end of week 11, beginning of week 12.

Originally, I thought the appointment was just to check growth and get some cute little ultrasound pictures. But we discovered yesterday that the scanning was actually to test the baby's nuchal translucency. Nuchal translucency screening tests for all types of chromosomal abnormalities (mainly Down Syndrome) and congenital heart defects. Nuchal translucency refers to the fluid-filled space at the back of the baby's neck. The reason they look at this space in particular is because they have found that fetuses that have a high amount of fluid in this space at the back of the neck have more likelihood of having a chromosomal abnormality, such as Down Syndrome. The primary things that are taken into consideration when testing for these birth defects are (1) the mother's age, (2) the amount of nuchal translucency in the fetus, and (3) bloodwork.

The ultrasound scan lasted for almost 50 minutes...yeah, 50 minutes...because little Baby McG was being a little turd and would pretty much show nothing but his/her backside. The tech was getting a little frustrated, too, especially after about 30 minutes of not even being able to take a measurement. So she had me try to cough to get the little butthead to move a little. Yeah...no luck. Either the baby was being stubborn or was being extremely lazy and just didn't want to move. Yeah...this kid is TOTALLY related to Joe, huh? :-)

Anyway, she went from a scan on the belly, to an internal scan, to another scan on the belly. Finally, she was able to get some measurements before leaving to show the results to the doctor. The doctor came back to tell us about what they were looking for and what they found in the initial look at the scan. All I have to say is that next time, Baby McG better be a little more cooperative. Otherwise, I have a feeling we'll have to lay down the law pretty good with this kid.

As far as the results go, based on my age alone the chance of any chromosomal abnormality is about 1:630 (or 0.15%). After the complete results of the scan and bloodwork are in (sometime next week), they will update that number showing either a higher risk or a lower risk of birth defects. Based on their initial measurements during the scan, however, they said that everything looked completely normal.

Phew! :-)

Here are some updated photos of the little one. A lot of them confuse me as to what I'm actually looking at, so I tried to pick some of the most distinguishable photos. Enjoy!

Baby McG's backside:

Baby McG's left side:

Baby McG's right side profile: