17 Weeks and Some NEWS!

The weeks just keep flying by!


Who am I kidding trying to pretend like I don't have huge news to share?????????

Remember how I mentioned that the U/S tech at my work said she would sneak me in early to see which "team" we were on? Well I thought she was going to get me in at 18 weeks, but she made a surprise visit yesterday and asked if I wanted to know what we were having. Uh… YESSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!

Craig and I decided that if this opportunity presented itself and he wasn't available to be there, we would have the U/S tech take a look and not tell ME the news but to write it down and seal it in an envelope for Craig and I to open together and that's just what we did.

She took me into the U/S room and looked around a bit… took a couple of fun pictures. Here's one…

(Uh... look at the size of that hand!)

Then she told me she was pretty sure she knew what the sex was but she wanted to be sure and the baby was moving a lot. She had me come back after lunch (baby's are usually a little slower after mommy eats). Well I came back after lunch but w/ an empty bladder. The baby was basically nestled down low. The tech thought she would have a better view with a full bladder. I waited another hour and half… had to pee so bad it hurt! LOL Finally she got her final view and told me she would drop an envelope off to me.

She dropped the envelope off around 4! Now the wait was on! LOL I still had an hour of work and then I had to force myself to go to the gym, but that was a good thing because Craig had to run a couple of errands and wouldn't have been home yet anyway.

Craig and I got home at about the same time. I told him I had a surprise and he already knew what it was because I had sent him the above U/S picture earlier.

Finally it was TIME to open the envelope! I let Craig do the honors. He opened the envelope to find a piece of paper all folded that said "keep going"… he went through about 4-5 pieces of paper of all different colors telling us to move to the next. LOL so cute.

Finally we got to the last piece of paper, which was blue. Craig opened it and it said "Dad and Mom, Ok… I appear to be your baby girl! Always, Me."

She really had us going! So... it looks like we are having a baby GIRL!

The tech told us that we will get a better view at the actual U/S scheduled by my doctor at about 21 weeks. A lot can change in a few weeks, but she is almost positive that it's a little girl in there. I will keep you posted if anything changes!

Your pregnancy: 17 weeks

How your baby's growing:

Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.

How your life's changing:

Starting to feel a bit off balance? As your belly grows, your center of gravity changes, so you may begin to occasionally feel a little unsteady on your feet. Try to avoid situations with a high risk of falling. Wear low-heeled shoes to reduce your risk of taking a tumble; trauma to your abdomen could be dangerous for you and your baby. You'll also want to be sure to buckle up when you're in a car — keep the lap portion of the seat belt under your belly, drawn snugly across your hips, and also use the shoulder harness, which should fit snugly between your breasts.

You may also notice your eyes becoming drier. Using over-the-counter lubricating drops may help. If your contact lenses become uncomfortable, try wearing them for shorter stretches of time. If you still have discomfort, switch to glasses until after you give birth.