Week 20 Sonogram

Yesterday we visited Dr. Rolle in Cottonwood for our latest sonogram. He said everything looks "great, perfect, fine!" I only realized when he said it that other outcomes were possible. Here's the best profile view we got:

"Big Nose"

...in which the kid's nose looks big.

We said "what a big nose."

Dr. Rolle said "But look at the lips, the chin, we wanna see that -- no sign of a cleft palate," pointing with the tip of his pen as he spoke, "and everything looks really great."

Bridget looked at me appraisingly. "Is that from your side of the family?"

"It's not my nose..." I protested.

"No, you have a great nose."

Dr. Rolle pointed to another printout saying "Look! Here you can see the eyes, there's a perfect lens!"

"It's the Terminator!" I cried, spying the targeting device in the flayed cyborg's eye socket. I ducked and rolled behind the receptionist's desk. The receptionist squawked and threw a bunch of papers in the air as I pulled her out of range of the robot assassin's deadly lasers.

"You sure you don't want to know the sex?" Dr Rolle asked.

"No thanks," we replied. "It's enough to know we're having a robotic Jimmy Durante."

* * *
Seriously though. They couldn't tell the sex because the position of the fetus didn't offer a good view of the relevant area. We're going back in 4 weeks so the doctor can "feel [Bridget's] belly," but there won't be a sonogram until week 36.

Dr Rolle loves to give cryptic advice. Two examples from yesterday's session:

Food
BRIDGET: So can I ask about food and weight?
DR ROLLE: (Reassuringly) Eat whatever you want.
BRIDGET: (Reassured) Oh, good.
DR ROLLE: Just watch the carbs, and the sugars.

Baths
JEREMY: And what about baths?
DR ROLLE: (Reassuringly) Enjoy! Seriously.
BRIDGET: (Reassured) Oh, wow, great! I keep worrying that I'm gonna cook the baby.
DR ROLLE: Just don't take 105° baths, you know. Keep it around 100°
BRIDGET: (stunned into silence)
DR ROLLE: And don't soak for a long time.


* * *
And now a belly picture:

20w1d

Kicks?

So, I've had a lot of gas lately, but in the last couple of days it's been feeling weirder than usual, like watery bubbles that don't actually go anywhere- they just sort of blurp around very low in my abdomen. I asked my sister about it today and she confirmed my suspicions that it's probably a baby swimming around in there, which is nice because up until now I've mostly just been feeling like a slightly fatter, tireder version of myself. It's good to feel like there's actually a person brewing in there, and reminds me we should get a baby book! I guess this blog will do for the time being.

Quad Screen Results

Bridget's latest blood test -- the Quad Screen (which you can read about on the Wiki page for "Triple Test") -- came in.

They say everything is normal and healthy! Go Bridget!

Why Are We So Quiet?

I know you've been biting your nails waiting for an update, but not much has happened, fetus-wise, since the last sonogram. But that doesn't mean there isn't other stuff we can tell you! Here are some assorted facts about the next year or so:

Baby Registry
First of all, since some folks have asked, Amazon.com is hosting our baby registry. WAIT DON'T GO THERE YET. See, we haven't really added much to it, because, well, we don't really know what to add. So in the comments, please let us know what you, readers with children, think is essential for the baby registry. Then, once that thing is jam-packed with the goods, we'll send out a general plea for help with the merchandise.

Summer Living
We have rented a summer-house-type situation in Harpswell, ME for June 16 - August 4. That's about 7 weeks, and we're due to have a baby smack in the middle of them. Harpswell is 15 minutes from Brunswick, ME, home to Deirdre, Marc, Fiona, and Myles Brown. The house will have room to sleep 4 others comfortably, and we sure as hell expect some guests during our stay. Like, constantly. So if you're interested in joining the fun, let us know so we can make up a schedule!

The Birth
We're aiming for the birth center at Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick. We're looking into the possibility of using the infamous Natalie Rockwell, CNM to assist, because, well, we've just heard some awesome stories. Ask us, we'll tell ya. We're also keen to get our friend Sally Cumberland in the loop, but that's not solid at all, yet.

Quad Screen tomorrow. More news when we get it!

Blacking out the Blog

In a promising early sign of progressive political leanings, our fetus today advised to us leave off blogging, just for one day, in protest of SOPA and PIPA. 

Therefore, the following amazing image -- and the witty anecdote and caption that accompany it -- cannot be seen. This post will not "unblacken" after a day like Wikipedia. You will never see the amazing content obscured by this box. This post will stand forevermore as a reminder of why we must keep corporations from buying legislation that curtails our freedom.

         Hey Guys! So as you may know we are not the only ones at the school expecting additions to

         be the best of times indeed, Scooby-doo!

         

         Stay tuned!

Sonogram from 14 weeks, 1 day

This is the latest image, which we got about the time of the previous post, but I wanted the announcement to come out with the angry duck image so that you could be as amazed as we were at how much these things grow in only a month:

My favorite is the bottom image, which I have zoomed in on for your closer perusal:

An Official Announcement

Okay, we're tired of carrying around a secret that we were not too good at keeping anyway, so here's the scoop.

We started trying to get pregnant just after coming back to school. Bridget missed a period and started feeling a bit ooky in early November. Halfway through our two-week school field trip (to work on an organic garlic farm and a free-range cattle ranch), Bridget peed on a stick and it came up positive. In a Tucson Radisson, we quietly, reservedly rejoiced, so as not to alarm the children.

Upon our return to campus, Bridget began to feel like hot buttered horseshit. She could barely make it through a room without lying down for a quick (or mid-length) nap. She felt nauseous almost constantly. We went to see Dr. Charles Rolle, OB/GYN, in Cottonwood, AZ on Dec 14, and he took this picture:

10 weeks, 3 days

Now that's just crazy. The little thing was swimming around noticeably (waving its "limb buds") on the ultrasound screen, but they could only print us a still shot. I thought it looked like an angry duck in an old Nintendo game. See:

Angry duck

But so he told us the due date was, and would always remain, July 8.

Yay!