Ultrasound! with pictures :-)

We had such hopes for the 19 week ultrasound this time.  It goes without saying we wanted to see a healthy baby that was growing like it should.  All the right parts in the right places and no signs of anything amiss.  We also really wanted to learn the sex of the baby.  I'm a planner and it's just easier to know if you're having a boy or a girl.  Plus, I thought it might help Stella to understand that her world is changing if we could talk about a new brother or sister specifically. 

Tim wasn't able to go to the ultrasound due to school, but Katie was in town for a long weekend and got to see it with me.  I took a card with me because we asked the tech to pictures and a note if she was sure of the sex.  Katie and I looked away while she did that part, so no one would know until Tim and I opened the envelope.  This baby was much more cooperative and the tech could tell very quickly -- in fact she was 99.5% sure what the sex was.  Yahoo!  I was so excited when she handed me the envelope and the other pictures. 

The baby looked great and was moving around well. They did see one sign that could be a soft marker for chromosomal abnormalities -- something that sounded like echofloursence of the abdomen or gut.  So we'll have another ultrasound the week of Thanksgiving.  This time at the hospital so another tech does it to see if they see anything similar.  All the sequential screening came back negative, and they even used my current age, not the age I was when they collected the eggs, so those scores will only go more negative.  I'm not going to worry (really!) until we have the next ultrasound to see if they see anything else.  The only definitive test would be an amniocentesis.  Tim and I agree that there would have to be really strong signs that something was really wrong -- something we would need to be prepared for at birth before we'd take the 1:200 risk of miscarriage of a healthy pregnancy.  This is our last baby and last chance, no need to take unnecessary risks. 

I got lunch for us and met Tim at school.  In his classroom we looked at the pictures together and learned we are having a boy!   Awesome -- the Kirk last name will live on and Stella will have a brother.  I love my daughter and would have been ecstatic to have another daughter, but I'm glad to be having a son.  I can't wait to see what he looks like and how his personality develops.  Stella has pretty much been herself since day one, so I can already tell this baby will be different.  He was cooperative at the ultrasound and is already moving around -- plus he'll have Stella for a big sister, and that's gotta count for something!  Tim has been an awesome daddy to his little girl, but I know he's excited to have a son too.  He has been sure this baby was a boy all along.  I didn't know if it was wishful thinking or if he really had a gut feeling -- but either way he was right! 

Don't be too upset by the picture below -- I promise I'll keep the penis shots of the baby to a minimum!  This angle is as if you were looking up at a seated person from under the chair.  The rounded edge of the butt is to the right and the legs are sticking out to the left.  The "boy parts" are in the middle between the legs :-) 

Now on to the real work -- getting our name list together.  Since Stella and Sarah both start with S (not done on purpose) we are thinking of T names so the boys both have names that start with T.  Josh suggested Tiberius as in James T. Kirk of Star Trek fame.  I think it has a nice ring to it, but Tim's not going for it!  We won't tell people names or even the list, because I don't think we'll be totally sure until we see him. 

I'm still terribly fatigued, but the doc assures me that this is completely normal.  Even if no one really talks about it.  Especially with a toddler at home and working full time, he's not surprised or worried.  I feel great today because I got lots of sleep this weekend with Katie taking on Stella duties and doing some special auntie things with her.  They play well together.  Stella now will say Katie and calls Jake by name.  Good weekend in the Kirk house!