Abounding Joy

Quick update, people! Time is short, and my attention span is shorter……

Everything looks fine with the baby. I'm taking bets on the position of
the placenta come this Friday (May 5) when they do another ultrasound.
I have a feeling we've seen a shift and that it is headed right up the
front. While an anterior placenta is not particularly normal, neither
is it as abnormal as a previa so I'll take it. I think this, because
normally I'm feeling scads of movement by this stage and I haven't yet.
A few pushes at the top, and the bottom but the baby's yet to launch a
full frontal assault which indicates that the placenta might possibly
be there absorbing the blows. Let's hope!

And the move? Preparation is in full swing. I finalized an apartment
today (more on that at a later time) and also made the reservations
with the movers. A tenative schedule has taken shape. I'll be sharing
more on this as we go along, but I'm in the middle of a massive packing
project.

Talk with you all soon & hope this finds everyone doing well!

Pardon the remodeling mess. Seemed time to
update a little. I'm off to do the supper thing, although the dust
might remain around here for a few days as I work on it. I'm not
spending much time online these days, so design reworks take a little
longer. Happy Tuesday, friends!

Told
you I'd scan them! It only took me 6 days – my tendency to
procrastinate must be highly improving. I'm normally an 8 dayer for
sure. Anway, here's our full action presentation of our fetus!


Here's the baby in the process of hitting itself upside the head but
those cartildgey arms are hard to get going in the right direction, you
know? He does manage to get it done (see picture below).

Remember how I said the baby kept smacking itself upside the head?
Hmmm? Here's proof for everyone who thinks I tell tall tales. Check
that hand out. Smack. Right upside the head.

Here is where we took that guess at the sex of the baby. 13 weeks is
pretty early to do that, yet, I felt pretty secure with the tech's
opinion. HOWEVER, when you actually look at the picture closely (which
I have obviously done often), there appears to be a problem with what
she indicates is a *****. What's the problem, you ask? There's three of them – big problem. I suspect what we're are seeing here is part of the cord, but time will tell…..

…………………………evidently again and again.

I went in for my OB appointment this AM and started off with the sonogram. I AM going to upload the pictures later.
The moment the picture came up we were mesmerized as the baby proceeded
to rhythmically beat itself right upside the forehead with one little
hand. It continued to smack itself around while we measured the
placenta and graphed its location. It continued to smack itself as we
measured its length. It continued to smack itself as we worked our way
around the uterus sight seeing…..

I've known in my heart of
hearts all along, but as I watched the itty bitty baby on the screen
slap itself repeatedly right upside the head I absolutely knew it was a
male child. Male children DO these sorts of things; regularly, in fact. Sure enough, a closer look in the area revealed a fairly clear picture of our son. Granted it's still early, and so we're going to wait to do the nursery in cowboys, but I'd say its pretty indicative. I mean, if they're wrong, then our “little girl” has some behavorial issues and a notably extra appendage growing out of her nether regions.

But, yes, on to the bigger point, when all was said and done the sonogram revealed a low lying placenta, affectionately called Placenta Previa. This drastically changes the picture of the upcoming months. I am on bed & pelvic rest now (click here for Julie's hilarious take on previa),
but there is time. Time to pack the house for the impending move, make
arrangements for the negative possibilities (a bleed, etc.), and
believe for the positive possiblities which are for this placenta to
move on up, to the east side…………

Tomorrow
is the scheduled day for the sonogram. Hopefully it will share some
“early in the game” information in the placement of the placenta, and
possibly what we are having (boy? girl? rodent perhaps?).


I had decided not to find out the sex with this one, as we have found
out with all 4 of the other ones, but I think this time around we would
actually benefit from having the emotional time to prepare. It seems
everyone in the family has a preference (I call it a “horse in the race”).
The girls are adamant that Lionheart is quite enough of the male
species, and the husband is adamant that we are highly overloaded in
the female department and nothing but another son will do. This
is actually a unique situation as my husband put on a heck of a front
through all the pregnancies that he didn't care one bit – that is until
he got a son and then that facade faded away. LOL. Lionheart
swears up and down it is a pancake, and considering the way the first
trimester dragged, I'm pondering if its an actual human fetus at all,
but is instead something that prefers to be furry and 3.5″ long for its
entire existence.

We are taking today off from school, and possibly a few more. We have a
serious case of the spring fever grouchies circulating. A few days
dedicated to free reading, the Animal Planet channel, and regular Sonic
pops will be good for them. Or at least that's what they've convinced
themselves of. Frankly I don't think
it will matter at all, and in  the end we are going to have to
come back to the homeschooling table and actually FIX our attitudes
because there is no magic pill or break that's going to do it. But
alas, like Marmee in Little Women, my girls want a trial without labor
so we shall see how it goes….