Almost a month ago we had the mid-pregnancy ultrasound to check the health and growth of our baby and it's home in my womb. It's amazing all that the ultrasound can check and I enjoyed having our OB doing the ultrasound rather than a tech. She searched all around and looked at different body parts: ribs, spine, stomach, head, heart. She was able to show us that it looks healthy in every way that she is able to see from the outside. I remember her also saying that we can't see everything possible but what she was able to check looked healthy so no concerns at this point. She also checked the location and size of the placenta, the amount of amniotic fluid around the baby, and the umbilical cord. She was able to see the two tubes inside the cord and it also looked healthy. What a blessing to have these technological abilities! It was so fascinating to witness the medical mind of our doctor at work, and so exciting to see our baby moving around. Another part of the ultrasound is measuring the baby's growth. She is able to take measurements of the head circumference, the waist circumference, and the length of the femur. (Maybe something else, too.) All of these are calculated to give an approximate due date and the baby's growth matches where he should be for our expected date of arrival: September 15, 2009.
>
That's right, I said: HE! After doing all of the important stuff first, Dr. B. searched around -at our request - to determine the sex of our baby. It didn't take long and she said "You had better start thinking of boy names!" I was absolutely elated and giggles bubbled out of me with the surprising news! I think I was really preparing myself to hear that it would be another girl. If you've heard Brad's story, you know why. Of course, I would have been happy if it was a girl, too, but I would have been less surprised! Brad didn't react nearly as outwardly as I did, but I could see he was beaming. I know he's loved having a little girl and Cora adores her daddy. She loves helping daddy outside as much as a 2 year old can and they tickle and play wrestle constantly. But I often wonder what goes through Brad's mind as he imagines having a little boy now.
I know I wonder about the same new baby things: what kind of temperament will this child have as a baby, and then as a toddler? what color hair and eyes will he have? Those sorts of things. But now I also wonder about how having a boy will be different than a girl? How will Cora and "Baby-brodder" (baby brother) get along as he grows and is able to play with her? What kind of boy will he be?
I pray for the same new baby things: health, growth, a safe delivery, and a peaceful transition into our home for all of us. But knowing that he is a boy I also pray specifically for him to become a godly man, to see his daddy's love for God and family and emulate that as he grows up.
It's interesting to me the different experience of being pregnant the first time compared to the second. We didn't find out Cora's gender until she was born and loved having the surprise on her birthday. But looking back at my labor and delivery with her, I was so exhausted by the time she was born I didn't have much energy to experience much emotion over the surprise that she was a girl (when I was 90% sure it would be a boy!). It was so fun to be fully rested when we received the news that this one is a boy because I experienced the surprise with full emotion, not exhaustion.
Baby Boy has been moving around a lot - mostly in the evening while I'm reading before going to bed. It may be that that's when I'm finally resting enough to feel him. I have been feeling great, too! Besides a few annoyances that pregnancy brings all is very well and I'm so thankful. I know the third trimester is right around the corner (I'm about 22 weeks out of 40 right now) along with the intense summer heat, so I'm thankful for each comfortable day at a time!
No comments:
Post a Comment