Tuesday, May 20, 2008

14 weeks and Counting!


We had our NT scan last Thursday. I was so excited I could hardly wait for the day to come. I think I mentally held my breath for a second when she placed the wand on my stomach as if to worry that Baby Bear might just have been a dream in my head or somehow had disappeared. Every time they do an ultrasound, it's the same feeling. I don't know if every mom-to-be feels this way, but somehow the endless ultrasounds of my empty uterus is a hard mental memory that's hard to shake. But then within seconds, there he was. My baby. Inside of me after all this time.

The u/s tech said her favorite time to do ultrasounds was between 11-13 weeks because they are fully babies and you can see them so clearly moving. I was simply amazed at every last detail. I could see every notch on his spine, his ribs, the bones in his arms. I saw his tiny footprint. I counted five tiny fingers on one arm and saw where his eyes and nose are. I saw his brain. I saw his profile and jawline. I even think I caught a glimpse of him sucking his thumb all at 13 weeks and 5 days. And we saw that he is probably a boy!

I can't help but praise my God when I see His handiwork in knitting this tiny little baby together. It screams of His glory. I think of Psalm 139 13-16. I love The Message version:

Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
you formed me in my mother's womb.
I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking!
Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared
before I'd even lived one day.

After seeing the baby, I had my cervix checked and it was great at 4.5 centimeters! I was so relieved. Hopefully, the good ole' ute will continue to behave.

We are off to California on Saturday for a week's vacation. It's a 5-6 hour plane ride, so should be interesting being pregnant. We are going to San Diego, LA and DisneyLand! I am so excited and ready for a vacation.

Mickey, here we come!

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Happy Mother's Day

In the past this day has been really hard to get through. I'd dread it for weeks before. Today, we celebrated with anticipation of what's to come. It was great to not cry and fight back tears at church and to be wished Happy Mother's Day by the people at Sam's (yes, we went again today, like it's some sort of tradition) and not feel like a fraud.

Josh gave me the Willow Tree wood figurine of an expectant mom and a sweet card. We have not forgotten how blessed we are or those who today are still hurting and longing for children.

I am 13 weeks along now and have an appointment on Thursday for an NT scan and to check my cervix. Moving right along!