OB Appointment #5

Another visit with the doctor today. It was a pretty standard visit...weight, blood pressure, bathroom target practice... I coaxed Dan to go with me today. The day before I had called the doctor to see if there was anything that we could safely do to help us determine what little Peanut was hiding. She said that if the pregnancy keeps progressing as well as it has been, there will be no reason for more ultrasounds for medical purposes. She also let me know of another patient who wanted to know badly for planning purposes too....this other patient had been having problems and had been in for three ultrasounds...each time the baby refused to give up the goods....sometimes, I guess it's just meant to be a surprise. She recommended a place we could go, if we end up deciding to, that does what they call 'recreational ultrasounds.' They offer all the fancy 3d and 4d stuff for albums, videos for keepsakes, etc, etc....they also offer simple, 2d ultrasounds for updated viewing of the Peanut if that's what's preferred. The jury is still out with us on this one. We aren't sure if this is some sort of test where we're supposed to leave well enough alone or what. Honestly, I've felt like Peanut is a girl for awhile...but recently I go back and forth, thinking sometimes it may be a boy....so that doesn't help much at all. :P I also have a couple of friends who have generously offered to have us scanned by either themselves or another friend that's a doctor. Boys' names seem to be harder for us to agree on than girls' names, so we'll see how this all plays out.

Today's heartbeat was again a steady 154 BPM. From now on, the doctor will measure me with a tape measure from pubic bone to rib cage to see how Peanut is growing that way. I asked her why she thought I wasn't popping OUT like so many other pregnant women I see with the cute basketball bellies. She explained that I seem to have a long torso, and that my uterus is tilted back. Long torso's give the baby more room to fill before they pop out, and a tilted uterus provides the Peanut with better shots to my bladder, spine, and intestines for kickboxing practice....wonderful. *chuckle* So even though I'm not as "popped out" as I thought I should be, I measure within the normal range for someone 6 months pregnant.

Here ends the monthly appointments! Now I will get to go see my doctor every 2 weeks. Time seems to be flying by more quickly these days. And now, I am caught up with my posting of major events and appointments past, I can post about more things as they happen, instead of from the notes in my day planner.

Merry Christmas, Mom & Dad!!

Peanut may be a stinker, take regular kickboxing classes in the morning and evenings, and be using my bladder for target practice, but I have to admire his/her sense of grand-scheme timing. Today, the day after Christmas (so he/she's a day late...who's counting?), the baby becomes viable. This means should anything happen to me or the pregnancy, the baby can survive with intensive care and has a good chance of growing up normally. What a great Christmas gift!