21 Weeks

21 weeks down, 19 weeks to go!

Bebs: Baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. HER initial fluttering movements have turned into full-fledged kicks and nudges. In other developments, Bebs' eyebrows and lids are present now, and HER vagina has begun to form as well.

How's it looking in there?

Anatomy Ultrasound: Hubs and I went to the hospital on Friday for our "20 week anatomy ultrasound." In the car ride over, we discussed what we thought Bebs was. I thought Bebs was a boy from the beginning (I have no real reasoning why I thought that!) and Hubs thought she was a girl.

I was actually surprised at everything the ultrasound tech, her name was Tara, showed us. We got to see the two hemispheres of the baby's brain, four chambers of the heart, her two kidneys, bladder, etc. We saw two arms, two legs, two hands, two very feisty feet, and best of all, her face! The ultrasound took a lot longer than I thought, too. We were in there for about an hour!

As soon as I sat on the bed, ready to lay down for the ultrasound to begin, I knew in my heart it was a girl. Even when Tara asked if we wanted to know the sex, I could already tell that there wasn't a penis there and that we'd be hearing "It's a girl!" When Tara told us the news, I was excited, but also a bit sad. This entire pregnancy so far I had been picturing the little wiggly thing inside of me as a baby boy with dark hair and Jason's blue eyes. Hearing something different was a bit overwhelming. Thankfully Tara noticed my "bladder was full" and needed me to pee before she could finish the scan.

In the bathroom I let some tears flow. I can't explain what I was feeling. I think everything just sunk in that this baby is REAL and it is really happening and we will be responsible for a little person for the rest of our lives, and while that is awesome...it's also a little frightening for a first time parent.

Jason was just beaming ear to ear the entire ultrasound, which made me feel relaxed again and we got to enjoy seeing our daughter squirm around on the screen. Jason had asked Tara about coming in again for a 3D ultrasound, and Tara was nice enough to take a few pictures of Bebs' face with the 3D capabilities! I may be a little biased, but she is already the most beautiful girl ever.

Stubborn like her daddy, Bebs wouldn't roll over on her tummy for Tara to get a good look at her back. Finally she moved in the right way so Tara could get a quick picture. Everything with our baby is healthy and happy!

Dr. Kainz: We had our regular ob/gyn check-up with Dr. Kainz on Monday. He reviewed the scan and said that our baby looks great! It turns out I had gained 5 lbs since my initial weight, so I didn't have to see a nutritionist, either, which is awesome. (I'd like to point out that Jason and Dexter also gained 5 lbs!) At our appointment next month I will have to get the flu shot. I also asked Dr. Kainz if it was true I really had to sleep on my side. He said that when I get bigger, sleeping on my back could be a bit dangerous because my belly would push on all my organs and make it difficult to breathe. He suggested sleeping with a body pillow and using another pillow or Jason as a wedge on the other side so I wouldn't roll over. Jason followed this advice a little too closely and sleeps right up against me now, so I have about 3 inches of sleeping space!

Registering: For those of you who read my wedding planning blog, you know that I do not enjoy registering for things! Our wedding registry made me overwhelmed and stressed and I may have bawled my eyes out in Bed Bath and Beyond in the towel section.

However! Registering for baby was SO MUCH FUN! I was a little nervous that Hubs wouldn't want to register for anything overly girly or pink, so I kept trying to find the "gender neutral" option. Finally Jason asked me what I was doing; he wanted to register for "pink things for his princess!" So if you look at our registry on Babies R Us and see anything that is obnoxiously pink (like the pink whirlpool "spa" bathtub, for example) it's because Daddy picked it out. :)

Crib bedding we registered for! The blue creature *kind of* looks like a guinea pig! hehe