Today I had a sonogram, Doctor's appointment, and non-stress test all scheduled for early afternoon. The sonogram is usually quite easy--the tech measures all the parts necessary two times (head size, belly size, femur length, and humerus length), then measures the fluid in the uterus surrounding the baby in all 4 quadrants, then she gets a 4D image for me to take home, then watches for the baby to move, and I'm outta there. Today it went as it usually does, until the 4D image and baby movement parts. Today Baby J has his face smooshed up against my uterus, completely distorting his face. The picture wasn't any good, so I left the appointment without any pictures. That's ok. But then the bugger didn't want to move. He was perfectly content in his position, his heart a beating away, and practicing breathing. I could see his hand moving--almost clenching and unclenching a fist--and his lips would open and close with his breathing motion. It was so cool to see all that! And to see the heart beating while his chest moved up and down with each practice breath. But, he needed to move! I laid on the table, rolling from side to side hoping to get him to move, but nothing. I tried coughing and tensing my ab muscles, and nothing. The tech kept pushing on my stomach with the sonogram wand, and finally, after about 10 minutes of prodding from different angles, he moved enough to satisfy the tech and I could get up. He's usually not that difficult when it comes to moving--he's constantly having his own dance party or kickboxing match in there!
Next was the Doctor appointment. I had two questions for him, which he answered right away. A. Why do my fingers feel like all the knuckles are broken when I wake up in the morning? It's due to carpal tunnel and the way all humans naturally curl in our wrists while sleeping. I can wear splints to sleep in if I want to, but other than that there's nothing else to do and it won't go away until the baby is born. B. Why am I getting a terrible shooting and debilitating pain below my belly between my two pelvic bones that doubles me over in pain? Because your baby's head is pushing down, moving down into birth position, and it's pushing on your pelvis and stretching out all the muscles, ligaments, and pelvic bones to make way for his head to come through. Oh, and PS your baby's head is humongous.
So last time, Baby J was big for his gestational age. This week, he's still a little big, but he's in the 72nd percentile for his belly, leg, and arm size...while his head is another story. His head, as the doctor said, is humongous--92nd percentile. The doctor just laughed and said "Your poor va-jay-jay" and laughed again. I should have expected as much: Josh had to be born via c-section because his head was too large for a vaginal birth. So, lucky me, he gave our kid a giant dome too. Just fabulous. But there's absolutely no doubt that it's his child! (As though there was any doubt before) :)
Then I was on to my Non-Stress Test, hoping that it didn't end up being as stressful as the last one I took, and hoping that he felt like moving at this point and I didn't have a repeat of the sonogram! I got hooked up and he immediately started kicking. I drank some juice, then snacked on some pretzels, and he kept on moving. Off to a good start at least! Then, he must have fallen asleep, because nothing for a while (but I could see my belly moving from his practice breathing...it was so cool! but didn't count for movement). I was given some ice water, and drank that and chewed the ice up, and it must have woken him up because he gave two more bursts of movement, and luckily that was enough to finish off the test!
Unfortunately, all this ended up taking far longer than I expected, and I didn't get to visit Meghan and Kasen at the women's hospital. :( I was so looking forward to seeing them! But Meghan texted me right when I was done with the NST and said she was lying down for a while and that she didn't feel so well, so I didn't go visit so she could rest and hopefully get to feeling better. Soon though...very soon. :)
The days are just flying by now. I cannot believe my baby shower is on Sunday. It seemed so far in the distance only yesterday it seems! Only 6 weeks left until my due date...probably less in all reality until Baby J comes into this world! I feel so unprepared, so nervous, and at the same time it's all so surreal...like is this really happening to me?? *Sigh* Nothing I can do about it at this point...he'll be here when he's ready to be here, and all I can do is love him and feed him and protect him and hope it's enough. :)
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