four month appointment

Robin and I had our four-month appointment today.  We were both uber excited for our "big" ultrasound that it was hard to wait until 10:30.  

Per Beth's advice, Robin met me at the hospital with a large glass of orange juice.  We were eager to learn if our tee tiny was a he or a she, so I wanted to get a good dose of sugars so the baby would move around and allow Dr. Rinehart, our perinatal doctor, to know for certain what our future held... sugar and spice or snails and puppy dog tails. 

The visit was great and we have it all captured on DVD for any grandparents or new aunts who want to see their newest family member in action.  We saw four chambers of the heart, a good look at the brain, a big belly that's measurements put the baby at eight ounces, four fingers and one thumb on both hands, a well-developed rib cage, the cutest lips we've ever seen and legs and arms that have become strong enough to let me know that it appreciates my good healthy doses of fruit.  The most exciting discovery is that we learned our little one is a she!   

Looking straight into the camera and showing off the cutest hand ever

Our little one's sweet profile

After our ultrasound appointment, we had an appointment with Dr. Nokleberg.  She admitted that her job was the boring one of the day because she could just listen to the baby, while Dr. Rinehart has all the fun at this stage in the pregnancy.  Today, the baby's heartbeat registered at a very healthy 154 beats per minute.   After we talked baby, we talked about me.  My left thigh pain has become close to unbearable at times, and a trip to the mall or grocery store is a challenge because any walking or standing longer that just a couple of minutes is very painful.  It is even so bad at times while I am sleeping that I have woken up in tears and needed to change sleeping positions.  Dr. Nokleberg felt the problem would only increase as my pregnancy continues, so she referred me to an orthopedic doctor who specializes in spinal and hip disorders.  My appointment is scheduled for Sept. 3 and I am eager to learn more about what is causing the pain and if there is anything we can do to relieve it.  After that appointment, I will start physical therapy sessions.

After our appointments, Robin and I stopped for a quick lunch and a cute pink t-shirt for our announcement.  What a day!  For anybody who is expecting in the future: if you plan to learn your baby's gender, I suggest taking off the day of  your big ultrasound.  It was so hard to go back to work and concentrate!