19 weeks! Miss or Mister? Prince or Princess? He or She?!? Baby Hals is a...

October 17th - 19 weeks! Anatomy scan and...gender reveal!!!!

Today was one of my favorite days of my pregnancy so far! After the free-cell DNA test / gender snafu (doc claimed my 13 week blood test accidentally hadn't happened, so they took blood for a free-cell DNA test (which would tell me gender within two weeks!), but the 13 week test results came in after all (just late), so they cancelled the free-cell DNA test mid-test without telling me, so after a two week wait...no gender news = huge bummer) I think I had kinda squished my excitement to know my baby's gender and thus, a large part about my baby's identity into a little box because it was easier that way. We were moving, I didn't have a doctor's office and was having trouble getting in with one, had no idea when we would get an appointment for the anatomy scan...yep, squishing my excitement/desperate desire to know my baby's gender into a box was just easier.

 

But! In the past three days all kinds of big things have happened that we have been working towards for weeks! We moved into our townhome - and as I was signing the final papers with the movers I got a phone call from the doctor's office I really wanted to use! They could see me the next day! (yesterday!) At the appointment things were great - my blood pressure was awesome, my weight gain was right on target (phew!), and my baby maker was measuring to size! Hooray! AND THEN! I told my doc about all the gender drama and asked if there was any way they could squeeze me in sooner rather than later - and they did! Before I left the office I had an appointment for the following morning!

 

I wasn't sure what to expect, but any chance to see Baby Hals is an exciting one - and I was absolutely blown away by this ultrasound! Our baby looked like...a real BABY! Not a blob or a skinny skeleton baby with spindly limbs - but my goodness - a real baby! What a difference 6 weeks can make!

Baby Hals at 13 weeks - quite a cutie!

Baby Hals at 19 weeks!

Baby Hals waving hello - baby's arms and fingers were so much more defined this time!

Baby Hals sucking on the thumb! So cute! We could actually see the baby suckle and swallow!

So...these pictures may not truly do it all justice but Daniel and I were both immediately floored by how much more developed Baby Hals had become in just six weeks! The limbs were so much more defined - especially the fingers, the body had filled out a bit, the profile was more distinctive - and seriously - seeing the baby suckle and swallow was just so so amazing! The technician (who was awesome!...I have loved everyone in this doctor's office and am so excited to have found somewhere good!!!) said the baby was in perfect position and that she was going to take the opportunity to use the "4D (3D in real time)" wand - she warned us that at 19 weeks the baby might look a bit elfish and that the best 4D face pics are usually in another two months once the fat has come in and padded the cheecks, but that she would take a peek anyway - and we were so glad she did! So cool!!!

This one still makes me think of *face palm* "Oh boy, you guys are going to take a lot of pictures...you're THOSE parents..."

What a sleepy sweetie!

Such a cutie! It was so exciting! At that point the technician did some of the formal checks that are part of the anatomy scan - and I was absolutely amazed at what they can do! They were able to do cross sections of the chest and actually count the chambers of the heart! We could see them pumping! She pointed out the baby's aortic arch, bladder, kidneys, stomach, hemispheres of the brain, cerebellum - it was really just amazing! And even more exciting - each of these major, critical, precious things looked great! They all were functioning, measuring to size, looked like they should, etc! How unbelievably amazing and awesome! She also checked size by measuring head, belly, arm, and leg...and my child's head, arm, and leg measured a few days ahead of due date and the belly a few days or two behind due date (wonderfully normal range)...but sounds like we have a lanky, tall, big headed, slender kiddo! :) Heartrate was a wonderfully strong 157 per minute. Amniotic fluid levels were great (which is another indicator of healthy functions), everything was deemed perfectly normal! We were so excited and grateful!

And then for the gender question!...Back story - at sixteen weeks, Daniel's dad (Gary) snuck me into the ER and tried to do a quick ultrasound to see if he could determine gender. The ER ultrasound machine was...let's say less than spectacular. So things were grainy, difficult to see, but Gary hazarded a guess and stamped it with 80% confidence. We were seeing my parents that night for dinner and decided to share - It's (probably) a boy!!!! It was fun and exciting! And we were supposed to be able to support it within the next three business days with the free-cell DNA test results - so isn't it more fun to tell in person? It was fun and even though it wasn't for 100% certain, we enjoyed talking about fun boy things and I showed my family the things I had in mind for a nursery if it was a boy. On the drive from SC to Maryland Daniel and I started chatting through our list of names again. And for the past few weeks I have tentatively imagined a boy, toyed with boys names, etc. And was super excited about it!

But! Fast forward three weeks to ultrasound day! And...the technician transitions from the anatomy check to the gender check and says - do you see this image and know what it means? It's a GIRL!!!!

While we hadn't fully committed to Gary's guess (and in his defense it was early and the equipment was quite crummy), it made the technician's proclamation that much more surprising! We happily laughed and told her the guess story and she assured us - this was a textbook picture with three perfect little lines that clearly translated as "girl." She also said that in her 21 years she has a 100% accurate guessing record and that she would "paint the room" on the textbook nature of the shot she got. So.... Oh my goodness, Baby Hals is a GIRL!!!!

I was so excited that she decided to do one more round of 4D pics...so I could see the face of...my daughter! It looked that much softer and sweeter to know whether it was the face of my he or she. This appointment was by far my favorite so far - and Daniel's too. He also marveled at how much more baby-like our baby looked! As we were leaving the doctor's office Daniel also said "well, I guess that's why none of the boys names we've discussed seemed right!" Ironically Pam and Gary had also mentioned with Daniel they couldn't agree on a girls name and with Emily they couldn't agree on a boys name...so well, there you go.

I immediately started calling the family - everyone was thrilled! And I gave my mother-in-law (Pam) the go ahead to get "bow making" lessons from one of her friends and said "bring on the bows!" And I didn't head home without swinging by Kohls to spend my Kohls cash on my first non-gender neutral purchase! I spent a good while marveling through the baby girl section and finally selected something cute and (yes, it was pink) adorable. :) YAY!

We honestly would have been thrilled with either gender - we cared so much more about just having a healthy baby! BUT! Knowing the baby's gender? SO FUN! I have already gotten to spend the rest of the day personifying my kiddo with "she" and "her" instead of "it" or "he/she" or just "baby"... how could that not help you feel closer to your baby?

Tonight we ate out at our new favorite Indian restaurant in the area and Daniel actually brought up names (what?!) AND identified his favorite (I think my jaw actually dropped)...which was on my top four list too! Sooo...not sure if it will stick...but for now we actually have a front runner! :) We'll see!

 

 

 

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