Half way there!

Had the 20 week check up and ultrasound today - we're halfway to the finish line! It was an ETERNA-APPOINTMENT.....just seemed to last forever! Luckily, Pat was there with me so it wasn't too bad. The ultrasound wasn't too bad either...lots of icky goo and rearranging myself to try to get the baby to move around the right way...but the little bugger didn't want to cooperate! Finally after probably about an hour or so, the tech got the final shot of the spine she was looking for, and everything looks A-OK! Baby O'Brien was all scrunched up anyway, so even if we did want to determine the sex, I don't think we would have been able to.

The visit with Dr. Kelsey went Okie doke too......just talk about sciatic nerve issues, sex, and allergy management. On our trip to Tucson I had convinced myself that I was taking too much allergy medication (and almost sent myself into a panic attack), but Dr. assures me I can take the recommended dosage every day, and everything should be just fine. And really, whats the point in suffering?

He also told me that this is now the part of the pregnancy where you start to get really huge. The uterus grows upwards of 1 centimeter every week. HA! Great - just what I was looking forward to! As if I wasn't feeling huge enough already! I gained about 4.5 pounds since last appointment, for a grand total of around 7 ish or so. Not too bad, but still difficult to get used to.

Of course, driving by all the half naked people on the beach on the way home didn't help things, either. I came to the realization that I will probably be over the 200 pound mark at the end of this pregnancy, which will put me at 50 pounds gained since Pat & I got together in 2005. *sigh* That didn't make me feel very good at all - even if this is all for a good cause. So I've been in a funk for most of the evening. I'm a super lucky girl though - because my most favorite amazing man did ALL the laundry (washed, dried and put away!), changed the sheets, cleaned up cat barf, vacuumed the rugs and let me soak for 2 hours in the bathtub.....all without making me feel one iota guilty (although I did - for a minute). I'm not sure if he knows how amazing he is, and what a blessing it is to have him in my life!

OK, enough of that - here's the good stuff! The tech took at least 100 photos of our blob-turned-baby O'Brien (who, apparently loves vanilla ice cream because I just had a little bit and he's all topsy turvy kung foo fighting in my belly right now) and here are a few of the ones for you to see! Keep in mind, I'm using "he" here, but I have no idea.....I just seem to think its a boy.

Here's baby looking down, legs are curled up on the left of the pic - you can also see the spine pretty clearly - and a little black blob that is his bladder.


He's looking at us! You can see his eye socket pretty clearly, and make out the chin (Pat says he can see the other eyeball area, nose and mouth, but I think he's full of poo). Pat says he kind of looks like an elf - I'm thinking more like an alien. Potato - potahto

OOOOHHHHH! Look at the cute tootsies!

One arm covering his face......"Please folks, no more photographs, I'm spent! Where's my assistant! I need a spritzer!" One arm was always on his head, and the other was down by his butt. I figured he was itching it or something. Either that or playing with himself. One time we got a shot of his arm all by itself.....he was flexing I think.....saying "Yup - here you go - two tickets to the Gun Show!".

Awwww - all suckin' his thumb and stuff! What an adorable little arm! And a fabulous profile, if I do say so myself :)

Tis all for now! Hope you enjoyed the pics! It was pretty cool for us to see them too :)