...and all is well!

The ultrasound report came back with the baby measuring almost a week big, but healthy and perfect as can be. (The doctor at the perinatal center pretty much told me that on Thursday, but it was nice to hear the official report)

For some reason, my babies always measure a bit bigger than their dates at the 18-20-week ultrasound, but always end up being in the 6-1/2 pound range in the end (my mom compares it to a goldfish in a small tank... a.k.a. my ridiculously short torso. LOL... they can only grow so big in there!), so it will be interesting to see where this little guy ends up at birth. My belly itself is measuring right on at 20 weeks.

The nurse and I have instituted a don't ask, don't tell policy regarding the weigh-ins. I have a vague idea of where it is at any given appointment, and I do weigh myself at home, but I don't like to hear it at the dr.'s office, especially since their scale weighs three pounds heavier than mine. In the end, I'm sure I'll gain between 30-40, it seems pretty pre-programmed for me, frankly. But I hate hearing the numbers go up every month.

So anyway, uneventful appointment, which is always a good thing!

Labels: doctor's appointments

Let me preface by saying a giant THANK YOU to the few people who read here and to my family and close friends because you all are not the guilty ones of whom I speak in this post...

Okay, but the rest of the world -- attention please: The news that someone is having a child of the same sex for the second or third time (or more!) in a row is really not a reason to take pity on them.

When you ask me what I'm having and I tell you (usually rather enthusiastically I might add... and if you don't hear the enthusiasm, it's because I'm already dreading your potential response) "It's another boy!" The right response is NOT "Oh... should I say congratulations or were you hoping for a girl?" Nor is it, "Oh... that's too bad, you were probably hoping for a girl." NOR is it, "Oh, I feel so sorry for you!"

Okay, I realize some of these are knee jerk responses made without any malice, and I'm sure I've made similar remarks to people myself over the years. But really, I can tell you from this side of the fence now, I really do not need sympathy that I'm having a having another boy. He is healthy! He is going to be born into a wonderful family with two big brothers! And for the last time, I do not need a daughter to feel fulfilled as a mother, nor was I particularly hoping for a girl over a boy.

Here's the deal. God has given me three little boys. That is what I'm supposed to have and as far as I'm concerned, it's absolutely perfect. God has also given me a perfect little niece who lives nearby on whom I can dote and thusly really, I have the best of both worlds.

So really, enough with the pity. There are plenty of people out there who don't get healthy babies out of this whole baby-making adventure and who would kill to have even just one of ANYTHING. No way in heck I am going to complain because God didn't see to it to make sure I had a variety.

Actually, if you want to take pity on me, take pity on that fact that I am going to be ridiculously whale-like and hot (and not like, good-looking hot) all summer long. This 80-degree spring day is nearly doing me in!

For the most part, I feel really great this pregnancy. Heartburn, but it's minimal. Still sometimes hurling in the morning, but that's not bad either. But I am getting BIG and I have reached the point of just feeling awkward and heavy. It's an effort to get up, sit down, roll over, bend over, go up the stairs... I'm also hating my clothes.

Sometimes I think, "Oh wow! Just about 20 weeks down! Halfway there!"
and other times It think, "20 weeks down, 20 MORE weeks to go... ugh"

Oh well, eyes on the prize, right? Eyes. on. the. prize.

People keep asking me where we stand on names for this little guy... and honestly, I am more overwhelmed than ever. I do think we have it, at least for the moment, down to a moderately short list of ideas. NO ideas on the middle name yet... it continues to befuddle. I am thinking of just taking all these names to the hospital in a hat and picking one when the baby comes out. And as for the middle name, I am hoping something inspires me in the next four months or so.

In no particular order: (not much has changed since last I posted this except that I am more indecisive than ever!)

Isaac
Samuel (Sam/Sammy)
Jonah
Jacob
Peter (Ben came up with this one and I am trying to decide my feeling on it. Tom likes it.)
Henry
Joseph
Oliver
Patrick
William
David
Alex

Labels: names

Last night, I was outside with the boys and Tom. I had wandered down the street a little ways to help Simon with his bike and I noticed our neighbor directly across from us, whose son passed away in their home three years ago had wandered over to get his mail. He rarely says much to anyone, save for the polite wave and hey-how-ya-doin, here and there. So, imagine my surprise when I saw him stop and strike up a conversation with Tom.

Simon and I worked our way back over and he said, "Congratulations!" I thanked him and asked if Tom had told him what we were having and he said, "Yes! That is GREAT news! Three boys! Nothing more wonderful!" (I think actually, that's what he had)

Then he uttered the comment I'm getting quickly accustomed to, "Bet the next one will be the girl!"

I laughed, and replied that we were in fact, QUITE finished and three was plenty. I think I also said something to the effect of if God had a fourth child in the cards for us, there was going to have to be some major intervention on part. LOL

He laughed and started to walk back home then suddenly turned on a dime and said, "You know, let me just tell you ONE story.."

And it went something like this (I'm sure I'm not quoting him exactly right... but you'll get the gist) --
"My mom had three daughters. She said she never wanted to be pregnant again. Then she got pregnant again. She wasn't thrilled about it. And then she got ME and she really wasn't happy about THAT! (?!) Then one of our neighbors, his son died. (?!) And from then on, she always said that she would NEVER take having another child for granted again."

And then he smiled, turned around and walked back home.

WHAT THE HECK!?

So I laid awake all night wondering if God was trying to tell me that I wasn't finished with this whole baby business. I mean seriously, what was UP with him telling me that story?! Let me tell you, I really REALLY want to be done. I have ZERO desire to ever be pregnant again. (another baby would be fine, but being pregnant? Yeah, so over it)

I have to wonder now though if Three is actually our last.... gah. I can't even think about it anymore right now. Not while I'm still suffering from acid reflux and morning sickness.

I was playing Legos with Ben this morning and right smack in the middle of a conversation about Han Solo and the ship we were building, he said, very quietly, "I really wish the new baby was a girl."

It's kind of funny to think that my six-year-old SON is the one in the family who is slightly bummed about the news from yesterday. For whatever reason, he was REALLY wishing for a baby sister and has talked about it for probably two years. Of course, he doesn't see it from our parental perspective of practicality, not to mention the fact that he's too young to understand how lucky we are just to be having a healthy baby. Still, I feel sort of bad that I didn't deliver (it was one of the reasons I had on my list to root for a girl)

Honestly, even if we tried again, odds are that I probably STILL wouldn't grant his wish. I know he'll love his new baby brother, but I did think it was really sweet that he loved the idea of a baby girl. He just adores little girls, as is evidenced by the bond he already kind of has with his little cousin. He's so gentle with her.... 180 degrees different than the rough and tumble relationship he has with Simon.

I hope he gets some more female cousins in the future!

I'm sure he'll *really* appreciate having another brother in the house instead of a sister in a few years when he's able to move out of the shared bedroom and into his OWN room. LOL!

18-20-week ultrasounds Left to right: Ben, Three, Simon

I think there is a striking similarity between Three's and Simon's... but who knows?!

So, yep... I am now the proud mom to THREE boys, which is kinda crazy to think about! I actually was fairly sure I spotted the goods pretty early on in the ultrasound when she was looking at the umbilical cord, so I wasn't surprised when she told us it was a boy. I've gotten pretty adept at reading ultrasounds, which actually isn't a good thing because I was a little bummed that I didn't get the big surprise with everyone else! Oh well.

The small twinge of disappointment I felt for a moment was for three reasons --
1) I'll never get to use any of my girl names
2) I won't get to raid the other department for clothes, for my own kids anyway. My niece(s), however, will be well clothed
3) I didn't get to rub it in Tom's face (he was so down on it maybe being a girl that it was getting a little annoying)

But on the whole, I am completely relieved to just know finally and that it is, in fact, another boy because I feel so comfortable with the idea of another little boy. We are thrilled! All I could think about on the way home was getting up to the attic to get down the newborn clothes. I can't wait. :) I also can't wait to hit the order button on the boy clothes I have in my Gymboree online cart. ;) I also can't wait to see all three of my little dudes TOGETHER. It's a picture I have been waiting for for six years!

The baby is healthy and all looks well, which is another huge relief. I'm always so nervous something will show up. There were some tense moments (only on my end, I think) where the the sonographer and the perinatal center doctor were doing some heavy scrutiny of the baby's hands to make sure they opened and closed. The sonographer assured me that she had seen them open plenty, but just didn't get a picture good enough to satisfy the doctor. In the end, it all looked fine. Whew.

AND... as I suspected, my placenta is in the front, which explains the lack of movement I feel. She told me that this pregnancy is going to feel VERY different with respect to the baby's movement. I won't feel a lot of constant jabs and punches and kicks. She said I'll probably only really feel the big flips and pushes as the baby gets bigger and definitely not all the time. So weird, and a little sad! I love that part of being pregnant! He's an active little bugger too, flipping around all over the place and making measurements hard to get.

And lastly, I'll post the rest of the actual ultrasound pics later, but this baby's profile looks EXACTLY like my other two. So it will be fun to see when he's born just how much he looks like them. Not many people notice that Ben and Simon actually look a lot alike until Simon puts a hat on and then you can really see it. And they both definitely have the same nose and mouth, and I think this baby shares that too. :)

So that's that! Time to do some shopping and decorating! :) So excited! Oh, and Tom was so happy to find out it was a boy and he would never have to deal with a preteen/teen girl under his roof, that he has given me total naming rights. HA! I'll take it!