It's a . . . baby!

Well, I went for an ultrasound yesterday. I'll start at the very beginning.

I was told to drink four 8 oz. glasses starting two hours before the ultrasound. If any of you can figure it out, that's 32 oz. of water. It really doesn't look that daunting until you think of the size your bladder has to be to accomodate it all. I actually kinda forgot to start 2 hours before, so about one hour before, I start guzzling, and about 45 min. before I get it all down. Then it's off to Bonnyville. In a truck, which means it's a bumpier ride than if I was in a car.

When I get to the hospital, I get out of said truck, and realize that things are starting to get really full down there. It's uncomfortable to take every step, and the entrance is up a slight incline. We get in there, and have to wait in line a couple of minutes before we can check in. I was doing ok until about 5 min before they called me. I was doing everything I could not to think about how badly I have to go to the bathroom. When she does call me, I'm in a lot of pain. She fires off all these instructions about changing and what to do with my clothes, and I barely register any of it because I can barely walk, let alone take off my clothes. I manage, and carry the basket to the room where she tells me to put it on the counter. It's amazing how much you use you stomach muscles when you walk, lift, etc. Then she tells me to lay down on the bed. I'm thinking "you've GOT to be kidding me!" I was past the point of feeling like I have to go and at the point of I'm going to explode with pain! So I lay down with my knees bent, and she asks me to straighten them. I told her I can't. So she pulls up the gown and exclaims "oh my! You are WAY too full. Just let me check how much you can let out." So she pushes on my tummy with the paddle thinger and says that I can let out a big ol' cup full and then stop. I'm thinking you want me to stop!? But by the time I filled the cup I felt SO much better it wasn't a problem. So if I have to go back ever, I only have to drink 16 oz. Yay!

Well, that was the painful part, but the rest was just SO cool! She did all of her looking around, and clicking away on the computer, taking measurements and all. She was really nice and told me a couple of things that were reassuring, although I don't remember much of the conversation. I asked if it was moving around, and she said "oh yeah!" and then I tried to look at the monitor, but she turned it away from me more, because I had to wait for Trent. This took about 10 min or so.

Then she got up to get Trent and he stood beside me and she turned the screen to us and we saw our baby! It was wiggling and moving, and it was so cool! She showed us lots of different angles. At one point it made a big stretch and we could see the whole body from head to toe. We could see the little arms waving about and everything. The baby is now 9. something cm, and everything looks to be going fine. I was 15 weeks exactly yesterday, and everything's as big as it should be, I'm just carrying it all inside so far. The baby was laying with it's head toward my head on it's back during most of the ultrasound. And I was having a Braxton-Hicks contraction when she started the ultrasound, and she said she could see it on the monitor. The best part (well, the second best) was getting to go to the bathroom after it was all done. I couldn't believe how much I still had to go!

Then today I had another doctor's appointment, and we listened to the heartbeat! It was 154 beats per minute, and she was happy with all the blood work and everything else. The only thing that could be a problem is that my blood type is negative. So now Trent has to go in and find out what his is, and then I'll have to go in for shots to build up anti-bodies to positive blood. But even that isn't really something I'm going to worry about because it doesn't seem to be much of a problem anymore.

One final baby thing. I told my students today. I put the ultrasound pictures on the overhead (technology I actually know how to use), and told them they couldn't say anything, they had to try to figure out what it was. A couple of them figured it out right away, and one couldn't hold on anymore and shouted out "is it yours!?" Then we talked about the pictures, and they were all really excited. One seemed a little repulsed at the pictures, but then she was pretty excited, too. The best comments: "You'll have to take at least a week off work!" "Will you bring the baby to work with you, or will you leave it at home. Well, I guess you'd have to bring it to work." and the best "When are you going to bring it to school?" (that one was from a kid in a different class) Then they all started suggesting names for me to name the baby, and I was surprised that they weren't suggesting their own names. :) Too much fun. They said that they should keep it a secret, but as soon as they went for recess, they couldn't tell enough people.

Well, that's my last two days. Hope you all made it to the end! :) And as soon as I figure out how to get the ultrasound pictures on, I'll do that (don't hold your breath).