Echogenic ultrasound

This ultrasound was so different. It reminded me a lot of the ultrasounds I recieved with Miles.

We invited 2 sets of our parents and had a packed room! The policy was that everyone could come back at the start and that even Miles was welcome to hang out while we did the whole scan. 

Seems like it is my lot in life to have every appt be around 45 minutes to an hour late, and this ultrasound was no different. My appointment was at 3:30 and we didn't see the tech until about 4:20. At least this time we waited in an exam room with the whole family, so we got to hang out and chat while we waited. 

Carl and I had decided that we didn't want to know the sex of the baby and our parents were joking that they wanted to know and there were 4 of them, so we were out numbered. We needed to find out and they told the tech that, jokingly, when she asked. 

We got set up and as soon as the probe touched my belly, we saw the baby was sitting with the legs by his/her ears. Effectively my baby was mooning us and telling us that it didn't matter if we wanted to know the sex or not, he/she was going to show us. Carl and I had gone back and forth all weekend about finding out and had decided that if the baby wanted us to know or if the tech slipped and we saw, then it must just be God's will. So, after a quick glimpse, the whole room knew and the tech asked if we wanted her to double check. We said sure (because how could she even finish the scan of the baby and the heart when his/her little bum was on top of everything). 

After all of that, the tech quickly found that we are having another boy! 

It was so fun to have 2 sets of grandparents in the room with us when my baby decided to let us know that, although Miles has been calling my belly baby sister, we now had to make sure he started calling it baby brother. Carl and I are excited. Seems like it would have been nice to have a boy and a girl, but I love knowing that Miles is going to have a friend for life. He will forever have a little brother who he can grow and share all of life with. 

Also, as my mom pointed out, my mom's side of the family doesn't have many boys. Boys are precious and I am the only one so far to have 2 of them. That makes me lucky and that makes this little boy so loved already. 

Our little boy is doing so well and is growing great. His echogenic focus should go away on its own and his heart is pumping blood great. We really have nothing to worry about and are just so glad that he is healthy. 

Ultrasound

We just had our 20 week ultrasound and it wasn't quite what I was expecting. I prayed last night that God would help it to go smoothly and would help to stop my worries and fears. Well, He did.... Just not in the way I was expecting.

Miles went to bed a little late the night before and slept in an extra hour. Now, if you know me well you would know that I am so weird about being late, so an extra hour of not being able to get ready or eat or do normal morning things already gave me stress.....BUT it turned out so well. I drank my juice and water and got ready for the whole "full bladder" thing that the airforce doctors demand for some unseen reason. I got Miles ready and myself ready, made breakfast, and got out of the house in perfect time to meet my mother-in-law outside of the gate and drive to the hospital. 

I think I will quickly mention that I had TONS of stress over all of this. I had to have someone who could sit with Miles while I had the beginning of my ultrasound. And between worrying if my mother-in-law could come (which we didn't even intend her to watch Miles when we invited her... We just wanted her to get the chance to see the baby too) and if Carl would be able to switch patients around so he could come I felt like a crazy woman who wanted to call and invite the whole world just incase no one came.  Then there was the worrying that the whole thing would be rescheduled if my bladder wasn't full enough and we'd have to do it again. It was a super stressful few days before the appointment. I felt so stressed that I wasn't even half as excited for this ultrasound as I should have been. 

Turns out we were perfectly 15 min early, the exact time they tell you to come in at. I felt nervous for the ultrasound but was mostly worried that Miles would be a horrible kid while my mother-in-law watched him. I was worried about him being naughty with no mom or dad around to make him be the quiet, sweet boy he usually is. 

I got to the counter and the behind-the-desk lady said I could go into the small waitingroom back in the radiology department but my son and family had to wait out here. Welcome to mommy stress. I sat Miles down and told him that mommy was going to see pictures of baby brother or sister and that he could play his games with grandma (we had discussed this at least 5 times that morning, so he was mostly used to the idea). He cried while I walked away and although I knew he would be fine and that grandma was more than qualified to handle whatever he did, I still felt a bit of guilt and worry. 

I followed what directions I thought I remembered the desk lady saying and found a "waiting room" that consisted of 6 chairs. The room was smaller than my bathroom. 4 people were sitting, knees almost touching, and another man was standing.... This should have been a sign. I should have seen this as a bad thing and realized how busy they must have been; instead I figured that they must be waiting for x-rays or ct scans (both of which were located next to this waiting room). 

I ended up waiting for an hour.  That was 45 min past my appt time. The whole time I was sitting there I wondered if I followed the wrong directions, if Miles was even behaving or was screaming and being naughty( not that he ever does that, but there is a first time for everything), and if Carl was even going to make this appt since he only had an hour off and 45 min of it was wasted with me not even getting my ultrasound. I was furious, sad, nervous, and so many other emotions. I felt like screaming at someone and at the same time felt like crying for days (yeah, we can chalk those feelings up to pregnancy hormones). 

Eventually I get called back and was informed that 2 techs didn't come to work for some reason and that they were really behind. Thank goodness the tech I had was super nice, so I didn't bite her head off or cry on her shoulder. She brought me in and took a quick picture and then let me use the restroom. Remember me mentioning the whole full bladder thing? Yeah... Waiting an extra 45 min was not a great thing to do to a pregnant woman with a full bladder. 

Baby was a such a trooper. I think the baby slept the whole time and the tech got all the pictures in 20 minutes. When we did the ultrasound for miles, he moved all over... We have one good picture of his profile. He just didn't want to show us the side of his face. This baby held really still and I got to see a bunch of the baby's face, while the tech moved around the wand and found whatever mysterious thing she was searching for. It was sweet. 

The tech finally let the family come back (why the family can't be there the whole time, I'll never understand) and Miles started crying. He seems to do that everytime he sees me after I'm gone. I'm convinced it is to make me feel so guilty I never leave him again. He stops crying after a minute or two and the tech shows us the baby again. Carl sees the baby for a minute and then has to rush upstairs for his next patient (he was already 10 minutes late!). The tech takes that as a sign that we are all finished looking at the baby and wraps up.

My supposed to be 45 minute appointment, filled with great pictures and memories, with my family looking at our little miracle, and Carl and I getting to see our baby for the last time was not any of that. It was short, rushed, and not at all what I wanted. I feel cheated. With the ultrasound of Miles, Carl was in the room the whole time and we got to be in awe of the little baby I was growing. We had a long time to just bask in glow of seeing our baby move, suck his thumb, and kick. It was amazing. It felt like we were seeing a miracle in real time. This ultrasound felt like the tech was late and hurried and us seeing the baby wasn't even a consideration. The tech was there to take the pictures of the baby's heart, head, organs, and to measure my fluid. It wasn't about seeing my miracle. It was about hurrying to get the pictures taken so the next patient could be brought in. 

I feel cheated. 

After our appointment was finished, Miles and I waited for Carl to finish his late appointment and we all ate lunch. I came home, uploaded the pictures the tech gave me to my computer, and felt so tired. After all the stress and worry, it was over and now I got to play the waiting game to hear from my doc how my baby was doing. 

I didn't have to wait long. 

Here are two pics that the tech took of little peanut: 

My doctor called that evening and said that our baby was growing well. Baby Bryce was doing good.............. But this baby has an echogenic focus. Just like Miles. My doctor started to explain about it, but I told him we had already been through this with Miles and I didn't have any questions. 

I guess we now get another ultrasound with a specialist and I get to set up and worry and stress all over again. Let's hope this next ultrasound goes better. 

(Hopefully) Final Ultrasound

We got scheduled for another ultrasound on March 16th because at our last ultrasound the tech found a little white spot on baby's heart. Carl had looked into it and we had decided that this was not a big deal and that at the very least, at least we will get to look at our baby one more time before he comes out.

When we got to the appointment, we had to speak to a genetic counselor. What a waste of time! She was nice, but we had already read about studies and what this spot could mean. We knew what we were going into and she didn't tell us anything we hadn't already considered...

The spot most likely means nothing. He has no other signs for any condition. This is merely a precautionary thing that the doctors have to do (in other words, they do this to cover their butts just in case we are one of the .001% of people whose babies are really sick).

We spent about 25 minutes in her office, with her telling us things we already knew.... but then were whisked off to an ultrasound room. We were lucky enough that my mom was able to join us and see little Miles too!

We had another tech come in and do the first "screen" where they check his leg length, head size, heart, stomach, kidneys, ect. She was really nice and gave us a few pictures.... BUT Miles was being a punk for her and wouldn't turn and show us his profile. He wanted to look at us instead :)

Soooooo... here are a few pics that she gave us (sorry for the poor quality, but that's what you get with a cell phone pic)

Here is his face... he was laying with both hands right under and in front of his head. Isn't he cute?! Ok, ok... it might just be that I am his mom and that's why he's cute. I can still understand if you think he looks a little creepy, just get past looking at the bones and imagine his sweet face, curled up with his hands, taking a little nap. See... sweet, right? You can even see his little fingers in this picture :)

And yes, he is still a boy... confirmed by 2 more doctors :)

This is his leg. Carl is so amazed by the fact that he has a well defined calf muscle. He is going to be a runner!! LOL (even the tech commented on his legs, how good they look, and that he is a mover!)

After the ultrasound tech finished, the actual doctor came in and took a VERY quick look at Miles. He checked a few of the measurements the tech took, told us he was still a boy, and looked at his heart. While looking, he commented, "I don't see anything here.... what did they see? Hmmmm... well, I think this is a good sign." He kept looking and told us that the spot was tiny, barely noticeable and that Miles should be fine. He couldn't promise 100% that everything was ok because he can't see inside, but he said not to worry and that it should be ok.

Knowing that his advice was the best you really can get from a doctor, I am not worried... I never really was worried about his heart, but it is nice to know that the doctor agrees.

BOY OR GIRL?????

We went in today for another ultrasound and got to find out what we are having.....

A baby!!! Just kidding... but this is a great pic of our little one's face.. such a cute nose!!!

Our baby also adored the ultrasound tech and gave us the #1 sign... just putting up a finger right next to the cute face :)

Alright... we are having a BOY!!!! A little Miles Hunter Bryce due July 10th, 2011!!! We are so excited and can't wait to meet the little guy in 4 1/2 more months.

ultrasound- girl or boy????

We had another ultrasound today and it was fun. There is a doctor here who donates her time to Carenet for free ultrasounds. Her name is Mia and she was really nice. We had done another one with her in early December and the baby had measured off about a week.... well, this time (just like the one in late December) the baby measured perfectly! I am 16 weeks and 4 days and that was the measurement she got.

If you have never seen an ultrasound, you are missing out. They are so cool! Not because of the gel they put on or the little wand they use, or even because of the super grainy picture of weird looking body parts BUT because you actually get to see God's work in action. He is the only one who knows what is going on inside all the time. I can say that everything feels ok, but to actually SEE what is going on is a totally different story.

Our baby is doing fantastic. He/she is just moving and shaking! About an hour before the ultrasound, I ate an orange for a snack and apparently the baby LOVED the extra sugar that provided. When the doctor kept the wand things still, you could see our baby just moving all over. It was like a little party inside... the doctor made the comment, "when you start to feel the baby move, I don't think you will ever stop.... He's just moving so much!" and no..... we are not sure if I am growing a little boy or girl.

The baby is not at all shy.... when we asked if she could see what we were having, our baby had his/her little legs wide open. She took a picture and said, "hmm... well it looks like a boy to me!" but she wanted another picture just to make sure, so she moved the wand around and our baby crossed his/her legs! LOL

After a few minutes of pushing around, the baby moved and she took another picture... well, in that one the baby looked like it could have been a girl! What a little stinker already :) When we were finished the doc said that her best guess is the baby's a boy... she gives it a 60% chance for a boy and 40% for a girl.

I guess we will have to wait for the super new high-tech ultrasound in February (and even then, we still might not know). God is holding the secret so far and that's ok with us. I guess we can live with a few more weeks of not knowing :)

Christmas and other baby related items :)

Well, once again I have taken awhile between blogging, but we were out of town visiting family for Christmas :) Right before we left, we were able to get an ultrasound and saw the baby move! It was so cool! We saw him/her just moving arms and legs. It was just an amazing experience. I thought I would share a picture of him/her with you... so here it is (wish I could show you all the pics we had taken, but they aren't uploading for some reason)

Sorry if it is a bit blurry, but it was taken with my phone :)

I am now officially out of my first trimester and feeling GREAT! I don't feel sick anymore (although I am still hungry all the time) and feel like I have a bit more energy! It is so great.... I finally feel so much better!

I also thought I would share some pictures form Christmas that Linley took (THANKS LIN!!)

Us opening presents at Carl's mom's house on Christmas Eve

All of Carl's family on Christmas Day eating lunch together

After lunch, hanging out at Grandmother's house

Wish we had more pics, but we forgot the camera at home! It was a fun vacation and I can't believe it will be the last one without a baby! It blows my mind to think that I am already 13 weeks and everyday I get closer to having a baby! There are so many things I am excited for (feeling the baby move, getting to see if it is a boy or girl, seeing who our baby looks more like, watching him/her sleep and grow up!) It is just so wonderful to think of all the great things that are ahead of us :)

LONG OVERDUE!

I haven't blogged in SOOOO long due to a lot of reasons... first, going to my sister's baby showers took up a few weeks and then we found out we're pregnant! I didn't want to tell everyone until I was closer to my second trimester, so I didn't blog... babies were the only thing on my mind and so I decided to wait on blogging until I could tell everyone the news. SOOOO... want to know what the last few months have been like?

I thought I might be pregnant on my 25th birthday! I was so excited, so I called my mom and we talked about if I might actually be pregnant. I took a pregnancy test and it was REALLY faint, so I was a little worried that I might not be pregnant. Well, I went to my mom's house for the weekend (because Carl was going on a school trip for that weekend and would be out of town anyway) and I took 4 more tests (I know.... I know.... you would think ONE would be enough, but I wanted to make certain that I was before I went home to tell Carl). All the tests were positive!

I went home and told Carl by giving him a present filled with lots of stuff that said "I love daddy"

He was so excited and shocked! We had wanted to get pregnant for months and he was so shocked that we were actually going to have a baby! It was so great to tell him and he was so sweet about it.

After that, we scheduled me for doctors appts. I officially found out that yes, I am pregnant and we got scheduled for an ultrasound. Then, we went to my sister's house for Thanksgiving and got to tell that family about our pregnancy (everyone was so excited especially since my sister was 38 weeks pregnant and now there will be 2 cousins so close together). It was so fun to see my family! and if you want to see some pics, you can go to my sister's blog http://brianshelbieclement.blogspot.com/2010/12/thanksgiving.html and read all about it (she is better at blogging then I am... i tend to forget and get busy while she writes about things more often). We had so much fun visiting and when we got home, it was time for our ultrasound! Here is a pic that they gave us to take home:

I know it is hard to see, but our baby was only 8 weeks, so he/she was the size of a raspberry! That made it hard to get a really good picture but when you look at the pic in person, you can see the baby and the yolk sack. It was really fun to get to go and see and hear the baby's heart beat. It was nice to know that the baby is doing well and is actually there! (I know... it seems that I am still in a little shock since I have a hard time believing that a baby is actually inside me).

I totally FEEL pregnant though... the last few weeks have been full of being so tired and feeling nauseous all the time. It is like having the flu... you just feel weak, tired, and like you want to throw up ALL the time! Thankfully, I have not actually thrown up, just felt like it and the only way to feel better is to eat and eat and eat and eat! Here is an example of my "first lunch" i made the other day:

AND, I couldn't even finish it! I have to eat but only to where I am no longer hungry... if I am even a bit hungry or too full, i feel sick. It is so frustrating! BUT.... the good news is that I am 10 weeks pregnant now and only have a few more weeks of feeling this way!

I am so excited to be out of the first trimester and to feel more normal... don't get me wrong, I love the fact that we are going to have a baby and this is TOTALLY worth it! I can't wait to find out if we are going to have a girl or a boy (and yes, we decided that we should find out this time around).

My sister just had her baby yesterday and she is so cute!

Little Mya!!! I am an aunt and I can't wait to meet her!