Pregnancy...and a Gender Reveal

I haven't talked much about this pregnancy, probably to the relief of most and the annoyance of a few, but today's post will give anyone curious a chance to catch up.

Yesterday was the 'big' ultrasound! I had a couple fears going into it, I'll admit- how I was going to handle it without Sky there, and what I would do if they told me something wasn't right- but thankfully, it couldn't have gone better. It was perfect timing too- I am finally feeling some movement from the baby, including the big startle I cause every time I sneeze, which always makes me smile. There a couple amazing things in pregnancy which make up for some of the less amazing things, and feeling those kicks is definitely one of the best.

We were able to see things I hadn't seen on an ultrasound before- we saw the baby's eyes moving, the bloodflow, and they even caught me having some Braxton Hicks contractions which squished things up and gave the poor kid less room. But the baby was incredibly active even though I'd only had water that morning, and they were able to get all the shots they needed right away. They told me that I have an anterior placenta, which is less common but not a problem. It does make sense that the movements I felt weren't that much earlier than Millie, and were also much different- the midwife explained that the baby is closer to my inside than my belly, so it's like having a pillow between the baby and me, which would mean less/different feelings at first. After the tech was done, she asked if I would mind letting the newer tech practice a while, so I was able to see the baby a few extra minutes, which was nice. We got to see the typical things that feel so amazing- the heartbeat, the ten fingers and ten toes, and all the wiggles. The best part of the entire morning? Seeing this little one raise its hand and give us all a big wave. Instant melted heart.

As for the big gender news...I kind of tricked you. We don't actually have any, because I (somehow) was able to manage to decline when the tech asked if I would like to know. I turned my head, she moved over a spot for no more than a few seconds, and that was that. My friend, Kim, was with me for the appointment, and she was watching to try and find out, but the tech was done before she even had a chance. When Kim asked the tech if she knew what it was, the tech responded "yep!" very quickly, so it must have been obvious (and it was that quick and that obvious with Millie, by the way).

Since the beginning of this pregnancy, I have felt like we would be having a girl. There is obviously no reason for me to think this, but it's just my guess. It's a strange thing, but after I had Millie, I think my mind is wired to think that pregnancy = girl. So I did a little "research", which translates to wildly Googling any and all myths, old wives' tales, and unproven theories. If anyone believes the accuracy of the Chinese gender chart, we're having a girl. The heartbeat was 147, and the old wives' tale on heart rate dictates I'm having a girl. According to this site, moms who didn't know the sex guessed correctly 71% of the time. We have nearly all girls in both Sky's siblings and mine. Of course, just about all of that means nothing.

I'm not usually big on the gender reveal thing, but I thought this would be fun since I have so many blogging friends. We set up a page where everyone can guess the gender, birth date, etc., and leave us a note if you'd like. Visit this site and click on "enter new hunches". And if you want the background information on Millie to compare to this pregnancy, I am due June 27 this time. I was due July 27 with Millie, and she was born on July 31. She was exactly 7 lbs, so I don't expect a big baby.

And last but not least...this is who I'll be holding in my arms this summer. I'm already in love.