new doc appt and kicks

Today I had another Doc. Appointment. They are all rather routine. I guess this would be my 4th. The first two appointments he used an ultrasound to detect the baby and measure the growth. The last time and this time he used a fetal heartbeat monitor so we could hear the baby's heartbeat. Its a nice validation that the baby is still healthy in there since there isn't terribly much movement at this stage.

I'm at 19 weeks (next tues will be 20 weeks, 1/2 way!). And I've just started to feel little kicks now and again. To me they feel like a little version of riding on a roller coaster -- when you just come over the edge of the top of a hill and you start to decend, you feel your stomach drop a little. Thats what it feels like, but on a much smaller scale.

We found out last week that the baby will be a girl. This was seen on an ultrasound (the technicion pointed out the labia!) and then verified by the amnio results. Of course the amnio results also told us that we have a healthy baby, which I was much relieved to hear.

Next week I will have a anatomy scan which is another ultrasound that essentially checks that the anatomy is all well and good. It is supposed to get done at 20 weeks.

Ryan I have just started to fill out our registry for the baby showers. I will have one in Kearney and one in Mpls, just two weeks apart in July. Ryan has been very diligent in researching the very best baby stuff we need from strollers to cribs. Its fun to see him getting into it, since up until now the baby's existence has seemed a little surreal.

Now its becoming more real because I'm showing enough to be identified as a noticibly pregnant woman. Last week I was offered a seat on the subway for the first time. That and the kicks make me feel officially pregnant. I also told work last week which is a relief because I can now wear anything I want and not try to hide the growing bulge.

out for now
Jess