24 weeks 4 days ♥
Today was an awesome day. We got to see our little nugget in 3D/4D! After getting a bill through my insurance for our basic ultrasound ($$$), I told myself that a 3D/4D would be a luxury we could live without, plus, let’s be real, I could buy a lot of things on Amazon with those hundreds of dollars we’d otherwise spend. BUT a good friend reached out to me recently and told me that through GE Medical, they offer FREE 3D/4D ultrasounds to pregnant women, as they had learners who were studying how to use their advanced equipment and needed volunteers to be studied upon. I quickly reached out to the contact she gave me, and a couple weeks or so later, I was contacted to say I was one of the lucky ones who qualified and was chosen for this opportunity. After a quick note from my doctor confirming a healthy pregnancy, I was in! I’ve been looking forward to this day for weeks. I couldn’t wait to get a preview of what this baby’s face was going to look like, and how its features may match ours. While this little one was super stubborn, constantly blocking its face with its hands and moving all around, we got a couple good shots that make my heart swoon. The little nose, the cute lips, the sassy attitude, they’re all ours.
I think maybe one of the coolest parts about today was the fact that the “learners” of the GE Ultrasound equipment were actually a group of doctors and sonographers from New York that specialize in Maternal Fetal Medicine. While I was hoping they’d refocus on the face and the features I was looking forward to seeing, for over an hour they got practice visualizing our baby’s brain, checking tiny blood vessels giving the brain blood supply, 3D and 4D renderings of the spine, evaluating the four chambers of the heart. It was incredible seeing them find these little things (and actually knowing what they were talking about), and commenting how perfect the brain and spine and heart looked (!!!), aaaand how stubborn our little one was as it would constantly move around when they were getting their best shots. I think overall, seeing the facial features was important to me, but hearing how the brain, spine and heart appeared from specialist physicians who manage abnormal pregnancies and babies with congenital defects was WAY more valuable.
Aside from getting to see this little one again, we had our 24 week OB visit yesterday, and were told that everything is measuring on track. I did voice some concerns over weight gain…nearly 10 lbs since our last visit (YIKES!), but she said I’m totally fine. Personally, I don’t feel like I look 10 lbs heavier, as I think my belly has been growing like crazy, but I still want to make sure I don’t turn out to be whale-like at the end. I most definitely have ZERO intention of gaining 10 lbs every four weeks. Good heavens, NO WAY. In hindsight, I should have been eating way better yesterday than I did. After eating pancakes, nachos and some cookies all before 2pm, I realized I was going to be weighed a couple hours later. Whoops! I just know that I cannot afford any more days like that. And the excuse of “eating for two” need not apply here… I’ve got post-baby-body in mind 🙂
But overall, talking about my weight gain, we also touched on baby size. At the 18 week ultrasound, I was measuring slightly bigger, and I voiced that I was a huge baby when I was born… a whopping 9 lbs 11 oz! My doc then informed us that the amount of weight I gain and my birth weight as a baby directly correlate with the size of our future baby. She said that surprisingly, the father’s birth weight has no influence on the baby’s size, which is great news for both my brothers’ significant others, as they were also 9+ lbs and 10+ lbs (So sorry mom!). Sooo, between around a 20 lb weight gain and my chunky birth weight, this baby is going to be massive, I just know it.
In less than four weeks we hit the third trimester, and I think things will even more so start to be getting really real. I mean, they already are! I finally felt baby move for the first time a few weeks ago, which is a very weird but amazing sensation. I was beginning to think it was going to take forever to feel anything because of my anterior placenta, but now I feel this little one kick every day! The nursery is a continued work in progress, but it’s turning out amazing (see below), we have a couple trips coming up to visit friends in Minneapolis and also a little Baby Moon in the Dunes of Michigan, Showers hosted by friends and family, and this growing bump to remind me how fortunate and blessed we are on so many levels. I’m enjoying all the work and all the growth, because it means that baby is on their way in a few short months, and we cannot wait to meet this little nugget we’ve coined “Bae Krae.”
Odds & Ends:
- Cravings: cinnamon rolls
- Aversions: baked chicken (still)
- Current Symptoms: indigestion, intermittent leg swelling, peeing all the time
- Inkling on Boy or Girl: I’m slightly leaning GIRL, just because everyone and their moms are telling me I’m having a girl… even my patients in the ER!
- Total Weight Gain: 23lbs. WOOF.
When It Comes to Us 