Everything went perfectly at our ultrasound this morning, which means this morning was our last appointment with the fertility specialist! We have graduated on to a regular OB, and our appointment is tomorrow! YaY!
Ultrasound #2
It started out a little shaky... I get excited about seeing the baby on the ultrasound up until we are in the actual office waiting for the doctor and the tech to come in. As we wait... and wait... and wait some more, I start to feel anxious. What if something ends up being wrong with the baby?
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the doctor and tech come in. They start looking around for the baby. Well, we could clearly see the dark oval shape. It was completely pitch black. Inside of it SHOULD be a white blob (the baby), and there was NOTHING. Both Doug and I silently panicked (We didn't know at the time that we were both panicking but we discussed it afterwards). What happened to our baby? Where did it disappear to?
The tech moved the wand just the slightest bit and there was baby, and we could both breathe again! The ultrasound this time was completely fuzzy. I have no idea how the tech and doc make out everything they do, but they kept on pointing out this and that, and afterwards Doug and I agreed that we could barely see a thing. We were able to see the flicker of the baby's heartbeat, but not nearly as clearly as the first ultrasound. The tech was obviously trying to manipulate things to get shots that were clearer for us. It was good enough for us to hear the doctor tell the tech something along the lines of, "Don't worry about it, everything looks perfect. The baby has a good strong heartbeat and everything is measuring perfectly".
Here are the baby's stats...
Crown to Rump Length (CRL)
- Last week: 6.1 mm (normal range: 4-7mm)
- This week: 12 mm (normal range: 5-12mm)
- Normal growth rate is approximately 1mm/day
Fetal Heart Rate (FHR) this week: 149 bpm (normal range: 130-160 bpm)
The doctor can estimate our due date in a variety of ways. Based on the information he gave us, we are due somewhere between March 21st and the 24th. It is only an estimation... practically no one (except maybe scheduled C-sections) actually delivers on their due date. Since our first appointment with our actual OB is tomorrow, I'll see what date she gives us and use that date!
So, it looks like there is a good chance our baby will be born during the Centennial Celebration of the Cherry Blossom Festival! That will be the perfect timing for everyone to come out and meet the new baby. The baby can go out and explore its first few weeks of life (and take a lot of really beautiful pictures too) in the midst of all of the cherry blossoms! Since it's the 100 year celebration, it will be a 5-week long event from Mar 20 - Apr 27 (usually it's only 2 weeks long).
If ever there is a time in our lives when we might lose faith in mankind, Doug and I can look back on these past few weeks for proof that God is present and all around us. We are overjoyed with so many blessings and so much to be thankful for. We have received so many kind words, sweet gestures, and had so many share in our struggles and blessings in the past several weeks. Starting with the overflowing concern and prayers for Zeus, to sharing in his miraculous recovery, and now sharing our excitement of the news of our first child! There are too many kind words and thoughts to capture and thank everyone individually, but please know that we thank you all for your support! I would like to take this time to thank a few people though...
Ms. Straka (Chris' mom) - Thank you so much for your continued prayers for so many months! We always knew you were praying for us and thinking of us, and you always sent us cards to uplift us! Somehow they always came when we needed them the most!
Matt & Ashlie - We can't thank you for everything here, that would take days! We'll try and narrow it down to a few things! It's amazing how a small gesture at the right time can really warm a person's heart, and the two of you are the example to live up to when it comes to that! You two have done small gestures throughout the years we've been lucky enough to know you, but we will never forget the edible arrangement that came the SAME DAY that Zeus was rushed into surgery. The timing of when it showed up at our door could not have been planned more perfectly, and it was EXACTLY what we needed at that moment to convert our stress into relief and begin to start comprehending that we were going to be parents soon!
Jane - You are an amazing person inside and out with a very magnetic personality. I know being a mom doesn't come with a manual, but given the amazing person Bethany is, you must've figured it out somehow! From the day we finally got together here, you have welcomed us into your life as if we were a part of your immediate family! Thank you so much again for making us the beautiful and delicious cake and for just being a wonderful part of our lives!
Susan - It is a little strange to be taking on such a major life event while doing a 6 month rotation away from my usual workplace. I haven't really been here long enough to develop relationships with people to really share something so major in my life with. Lucky for me, fate landed me working closely with you! You have the type of personality that upon initially meeting you, I feel like I've known you for years. You are so kind and caring and easy to talk to, and I am SO thankful to have you here with me! This doesn't begin to cover how fortunate I am to be learning and growing from you in my work life as well. Your poise, professionalism, and knowledge are things I very much look up to and hope to try to live up to someday! Thank you so much for being here for me in so many different ways - from asking me how I'm feeling to leaving a card waiting for me on my desk. It doesn't take a long time to recognize what a big heart you have when you always wear it on your sleeve!Please don't think that because you weren't personally thanked, that we don't love you and aren't thankful for you. We still have plenty more months ahead to thank as many people as possible... plus, I think this post has gotten long enough! I'll be sure and give a short update tomorrow after our first OB appointment! Yay progress!
:-)
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