So, to catch up to current day, I had a doctor's appointment yesterday, just the routine monthly checkup. Ben, Isaac and Noah all came (for the first time this pregnancy) so they could hear the little heartbeat. And they heard it! Not for long cause it was moving around, but they heard it and thought it was so cool!! The doctor asked if I had been feeling the baby kick. I said I think so, but that I was a bit nervous because I felt the others much earlier. He then informed me that I was measuring a week or 2 behind my original due date. Shock waves stung my spine. What do you mean?? I measured just fine last month, what's going on? (Of course this was all in my head!) I started freaking out.
The doctor said I was due for my ultrasound, but that the tech wasn't scheduled to come in for another week and a half. So I had the choice to wait for December 4th, or he could call in a prescription so I could go to the hospital. Uh, duh. No brainer, Doc. So they made an appointment for me to have the ultrasound the next day, which is today, in the AF hospital at 2:00 pm. However, Ben was scheduled to work today, so after deliberating, I went back into the doctor's office and very sweetly asked if they wouldn't mind seeing if I could go to UVRMC, where Ben would be today, so he could sneak over and go with me. It took a little time, but they did and I was able to get an appointment for 9:30 today.
So last night rolls around, and wouldn't you know, Ben's supervisor called and informed him that he was being sent to work at the AF hospital today because they were short handed. Are you kidding me?! After I made them switch the appointments?!??! Blah! Needless to say, I wasn't about to ask them to change it again! And at this point I am completely freaked out thinking that something is horribly wrong, that the baby has stopped growing, there wasn't enough amniotic fluid or some other awful thing, and I wasn't about to postpone the ultrasound. I had to know what was wrong, if anything. So my awesome sis-in-law came to stay with the youngest 2 boys and Mom went with me to the hospital.
We checked in and waited. Of course. It actually didn't take too long and we were back in the ultrasound room. I asked if they could record it for me so Ben could see everything too, and she did. In fact, I had taken a tape for her (that's what I'd always taken with the other 3) and she informed me that with their new equipment (3D machines!!) they can make DVD's. Woo hoo! :) So she got that all set up and we started.
She started trying to figure out where the baby was and what position it was in, and briefly scanned the little body. At first I thought it looked small, but then remembered it was about the same as the others. Am I panicky or what!? Then I thought I saw it! Yes, that ever present boy part that seems to be a trend in our family. But it was a quick shot. So I said, "Oh, I have a feeling it's a boy!" And she said, "Really, I was thinking it looked like a girl." My heart stopped. Not possible. After all, when we had the ultrasound with Noah, the tech said the same thing, but he was just basing that on how I was carrying, soon to find out in pictures that um, yeah, he was a boy! :)
Anyway, she found a little shot of the legs and little bum and I turned to Mom and said, "There's nothing there. There's nothing there!!!" I was in shock! How could there not be anything there?!?!?!? We looked and looked and looked and nothing popped out, or came out from behind the cord or anything. Could this really be happening!? Michelle (the ultrasound tech) said, "Yep, looks like a girl to me!" HOLY COW!! HOLY COW!! Are you kidding me?! Nope, folks, it looks like it REALLY is a girl! Wow. Wow. Wow.
She kept checking everything to see if all was well, the brain, all 4 chambers of the heart, the lungs, kidneys, stomach, diaphragm, bladder, spine, head, arms, hands, legs, feet, everything. And all is well so far!! She is measuring at 18 weeks, and I thought I was 19, so we're not too far off. The placenta looks good and in tact, there's enough fluid for the baby and my kidneys look good. (Don't know why she checked them, but she did it deliberately!) We even had time to try and get some 3D shots. This little child didn't really want to cooperate very well, she kept moving all over the place and changing positions like mad, so it was really hard, but we did end up with an adorable 3D image of her (yes, HER! ahhhh!!) hand, and a pretty good one of her leg. It was completely amazing and SUCH a blessing! To be able to see your baby's little fingers at this stage is remarkable. Let alone from inside the womb. It was an experience I will never forget. Wow.
On the way to the car I called Ben. He asked how everything went and I said fine, that everything looked good and we couldn't see any problems. "So, another boy, eh?" "NOPE!" "OH... MY.... GOSH..." He was as shocked as I was! It was too funny! :) He's very excited and, like me, thrilled that there are no apparent problems with this new little baby. Phew!
So there you have it. Baby GIRL Rodriguez is scheduled to make her entrance sometime in April. We'll have to wait and see if the doctor changes her due date based on this new info, but she's coming! That's for sure!
