We're Going to the Gun Store

The time between deciding to have the ultrasound and actually having it done was a matter of only days. I called the ultrasound school on Friday afternoon and our appointment was on Monday afternoon. Yep, just that quick! The appointment coordinator gave me instructions to drink 32oz of water 1-hour prior to the procedure. I wrote it all down without really thinking about what that would mean for my already sensitive bladder. Oopsie!

On Sunday, as I was thinking about everthing I wanted to get done on Monday, it suddenly occurred to me that I can't make it 30-minutes without rushing to the restroom...how in the hell am I going to make it an hour, after a sudden large intake of fluid, PLUS the ultrasound student pushing around down there? I had this hilarious vision of me peeing all over myself and the exam table, just like a little baby boy getting his diaper changed. LOL But I couldn't help but wonder if that could really happen, so I got right on the Internet and Google'd it.  Waddya know, it actually does happen all the time!

Monday morning rolled around and I was surprised at just how late I slept...till something like 11a. I would normally have a fair amount of anxiety over something like this, but I was oddly at peace with what the day had in store for us. I think that's because I already knew deep down what we were going to hear the technician say later that afternoon.  I'm pretty sure my "morning" consisted of nothing more than watching a couple of hours of television while waiting for Dameone to get home from work, but I am currently suffering from a full-blown case of "pregnancy brain" which makes details longer than a few hours old increasingly fuzzier as time passes.

The procedure itself was quite a bit longer than I had anticipated. Our appointment was scheduled for 4:00pm and we were called back a little late at 4:15pm. Once back in the room, we were very disappointed to learn that we wouldn't be able to take any photographs or videos whatsoever. We certianly had NOT planned for this little hiccup, and had to quickly come to terms with these unexpected restrictions. Anyway, I hopped up on the table, exposed my growing belly, and the tech got things started...with an icy cold blast of aloe vera gel...thanks a lot!

Seeing our baby's electronic picture on the monitor was much more fascinating than emotional for us. We were both transfixed on the black and white image that appeared, revealing that there really is a growing little person inside there!! HOLY CRAP! The student tech looked around for a bit, told us that our baby was currently in the breech position, that the placenta was anterior, and then took a bunch of measurements that were required as part of her curriculum. As she took measurements, she pointed things out like the 4-chamber heart, the kidneys, and the bladder, all the while completely avoiding THE organ system that brought us there in the first place.

After what seemed like an eternity, the tech started taking pictures of our baby for us...and that's "it" turned into a "SHE"!!  WE'RE HAVING A GIRL!!  Please watch the video below which is a slideshow of the images we took home with us:

Of course, as soon as we walked out of the office, we were both on our phones spreading the news to our parents and siblings. THIS IS SO EXCITING! We kind of just sat in the car a minute before leaving, and that's when D said, "We're going to the gun store."

(In case any of you were wondering, NO, I didn't pee on myself, or anyone else for that matter)