Week 3!

Madison is a little bit more than 3 weeks. It doesn't feel like its been three weeks since I went into labor...really! I think this is what people mean when they say enjoy because the time goes by so fast.

Well Maddie has sure had a lot of accomplishments and improvements this week. For the better and worse ;)

1- Tummy time... Maddie LOVES tummy time. She can lift her head when she is on her stomach really well, but we have to watch her head to help her land in nicely. Sometimes she face plants on our chests. Her also slinks up things when you give her feet a sturdy foundation. She does this best on her diaper changing pad and on daddy's chest. Her legs are so strong! She has tummy time probably for like an hour every day on and off. She even practices head lifts when she is sleeping. This is the not so good part because she sometimes wakes herself up when she does this. She also likes to stretch flex her arms and legs while she is sleeping. We have found the trick to helping maddie sleep for at least 3-4 hour stretches is to swaddle her up so that she can't move. Haha poor girl! She doesn't like to be swaddled anymore (before it would calm her down) but now she tries with all her might to break free from her swaddles. For example this morning we found her with her arms out of her swaddle. Typical Maddie haha. She also likes when I hold her where she can tip her head back and look around. of course I still have to hold the back of her head but its so funny how she is so fascinated with the world when I hold her like this. She will even watch me while I talk to her for extended periods of time when I hold her like this. So between her wakefulness and naps, she can't get enough of those leg and head exercises. It's also pretty funny that recently she likes being held in an upright position and gets more fussy when she is held like a baby in the crook of our arms. I think she thinks she is older than she is haha. No wonder she is getting so strong?! She completely fits her name. We love our baby Madison

2-Her belly button is good for water submersion. after her umbilical cord fell off, her belly button started to bleed a little bit. Then it scabbed. And now the scab is falling off. But the pediatrician said it was okay to submerse it because it is sealed off. So Maddie has had two baths this week in warm water. The first was warmer than the second. She tolerated the first and had a fit in the second because she got pretty cold. But we sure love a clean baby. She is quite a spit-er-up-er...so she gets pretty stinky. At least her neck does!

3- She is very alert when she is awake. Not only does she look in the direction of where sound comes from, but she will stare at us talking for a little bit of time. Her eyes are so penetrating so I love it when she does this. This is new this week starting last Saturday where she will watch me while I am talking to her.

4-Mommy is sleeping more! ... because of a combination of things. Maddie is nursing so much better than before. Sometimes she gets sleepy or frantic but once she is woken up and calmed down (a tad bit) she will eat and eat! I've taken her pediatrician's advice to change her diaper, feed her as quick as possible, and then put her down to sleep. When she cooperates, it works like a gem! I also feel 75% comfortable putting her down now. So when I put her down, I can actually get some sleep. Before, I would put her down and be unable to sleep because I was worried she would choke herself or just stop breathing. Anxious mom I know. I am still working on the waking up part, but that is improving too. Lastly, night times are toss ups, but on her good nights she sleeps for 3-4 hours at a time. one night this week I only woke up two times to feed her and then she went right to sleep. Another night this week I think I woke up 5-6 times to feed her. Last night we were up until 3 and then I fell asleep on the couch burping her until 4. So we both didn't really go to bed until 5. So I was really surprised when she woke up wide awake at 8 and stayed awake. Maddie is full of surprises. I feel like she is beginning to notice night and day because on good nights she sleeps great. But only time will tell. For now, I just need to take advantage of being a full-time mom and nap when she naps. I don't know how working moms have newborns!

5- Maddie is more fussy and its harder to know what she wants. Last week, we could figure out what she wanted. This week she can be crying or fussy and we just don't know what she wants or how to get her to calm down. I think its because she is getting more active, alert, and aware of the things going on around her. For example, she is sensitive to movement. She knows when we switch arms when holding her or when we put her in her crib or her bouncer. She also reacts to loud sounds like the blender. She also, like mentioned before, wakes herself up because she is so wiggly and then fusses then. or sometimes she doesn't even wake up, she just moves her head around, grunts, and makes noises and slowly gets fussy. Yep, we are first time parents learning how to take care of a newborn!

6- Maddie is more vocal. Her coos, grunts, and clearing of the throat (I think) are all new of this week. She made noises before but now she is really making noises and they are just so stinking cute!!

7- Going outside calms her down. I think the wind, the light, and seeing new things calms her down. It calms her down when she is fussy from her head exercises. We just walk across our balcony...not too far but it sure is an adventure for her!

Week 1 and 2

Madison giggled on Monday! I couldn't believe it. She is a sleep smiler but this was her first laugh! So cute! i can't wait until we get to hear that laugh more often! This week Mindy has been helping with Maddie, watching her while I sleep and shower. Moms are so helpful!!!

Despite Maddie's adorableness,  this week was pretty exhausting because she woke up every 1-2 hours to feed during the night. I still am anxious about putting her in her crib to sleep too after feeding because I am scared she will choke on her spit up. So combine my nerves for putting her in the crib by herself and Maddie waking up every 1-2 hours, I didn't sleep much. Luckily, she sleeps during the day too so I could take naps. My favorite is when she sleeps on my chest. By the end of the week though, she started to wake up every 3 hours to feed and I feel much more comfortable putting her down because she has proved that she can handle her spit-ups better. So I am sleeping a lot more! its great! What's weird though is sometimes I dream I am feeding her so I don't wake up right away to her crying. So two nights ago Josh woke up to comfort her and then woke me up so I could feed her and when I woke up I was so confused because I thought I was nursing her. I try to think of it like a game though. Nursing is an art that we both have to practice at. The more I feed her, the more she improves. However, if I start out feeding her on a bad foot, she gets really upset and its hard for her to eat. So I try to help her transition smoothly from her crying state to eating and its hard! But when she makes a good transition, she is a great eater! A couple times this week I had mini melt downs though because I felt like you need a degree to take care of a baby. Sometimes she makes these funny noises... not so funny... that worry me. I wish I knew exactly what was going on with her body. Its scary taking care of a newborn. I keep telling myself that a lot of people do this and I can do this too.

That is just the realities of being a mom to a newborn/baby I guess! But overall, I have surprised myself how much I like staying home all day taking care of Maddie. I LOVE it. I feel so much peace from Maddie (even though she's not peaceful all the time) I think its because she came from Heaven only two weeks ago. She is my pal and even though she can't talk or smile, her spirit strengthens me and fills me with happiness! Everyday she stays awake more and more and I love that I get to see her eyes more often! They are beautiful!

Maddie likes to pee on Daddy :) It's pretty funny! She almost peed in his face this morning. She peed on my shorts earlier this week. She has impeccable timing. Haha or we just have impeccable timing. Good thing she's is not a boy or she would be even more dangerous!

We gave Maddie her first sponge bath this week! She didn't completely hate it! She is due for another soon because she smells like spit up! We also took her on her first shopping trip to Target! We got pump for me and it was one of those moments that was like, "Wow, I really have a baby."

We love this blanket...especially late at night it keeps Maddie and Mommy warm :)

 It looks like Maddie has a dimple like Grandma pond!!

 Mommy likes to play dress up!

Mommy likes to play dress up and take pictures!

Sound asleep!

Light Therapy

Madison is now over a week old... and I really can't believe how time goes by so quickly when the day revolves around sleeping and feeding. Last wednesday, we came home from the hospital as a happy little family. Josh was very careful on the road with our new, precious cargo. That first night I was pretty exhausted and woke up to my alarm clock a couple of times to feed Maddie. She wouldn't sleep in her crib so I handed her off to Mom, our night nurse. I don't know how I would have survived the first couple of nights without her! Maddie still had some trouble feeding so Josh was up when I was up trying to comfort her and help her feed. At that point, she was still getting SO upset when I tried to feed her.

The next day Josh and Mom took Maddie back to the hospital to get tested for Billi rubin. Her count was 13, so the doctor wanted her to go on a light therapy treatment. Someone from Intermountain Homecare came that night to show us how to hook her up. Poor girl. I thought she would hate it, but it seemed like she loved it because she hardly made a peep. It coule have been though because having jaundice was like the equivalent of big people having lead poisoning so she probably didn't feel really well.

 Maddie on the light therapy 

Maddie and Mommy. I loved sleeping next to her when she was on the lights.

Daddy and Maddie on the lights

We went to the Health Clinic on Friday, Saturday, and Monday to get her tested to see whether or not we could take her off the lights. On Friday her count was 12.9. On Saturday her count was back to 13. But on Monday her count was down to 10!!! Woohoo! we got to take her off the lights!!! On Sunday she was really not having it with that machine. She started breaking through the cloth that was keeping her in. She even turned on her side and tried wiggling herself up and out of it. We spent this whole week cuddling. My favorite is when she sleeps on my chest. So cute!

Maddie is born

The detailed account of labor and delivery........ The process was filled with many miracles.

Monday labor clues
On Monday I woke up with a stomach ache and diarrhea that lasted all day, we were going to do our laundry in the afternoon but I really wasn't feeling up to it. So we watched Hook instead and I slept and read some books on and off. Around 2pm I started feeling pretty regular contractions but they were like 10-20 min apart and not painful. Then at around 8pm I started feeling them 3-5 minutes apart. So I kept track of them and called the nurse after two hours and asked her what I should do. The only thing was that the last half hour they were 10 min apart. I had packed most of my bag two weeks ago, but 1 1/2  hrs into the contractions, Josh started packing all his stuff, the car seat, and other left over things. This was a miracle because we were all ready to go right when my water broke. We just had to get dressed and grab my wallet. But Monday night, after the contractions were 10 min apart we were pretty bummed thinking it was a false alarm. So I went to bed not thinking anything of it really.

Water breakage
I woke up about 12:30 and there was a lot of trickling. I was pretty confident it my water breaking because I kept leaking and I couldn't stop it. I even changed myself 3 times and brought a towel to the car with me. However, I wan't 100% convinced this was the real deal because the contractions weren't painful. But the doctor said if my water were to break, then I should head directly to the hospital. So we hopped in the car and off we went. When we got to the hospital, I told the nurses that I thought my water had broken. They checked to make sure the liquid was amniotic fluid and it was! We were really having our baby!!!! I was really proud that my water broke all on its own because I knew for sure that I had to go to the hospital and that I wouldn't be sent home. This was a miracle because I felt like it  soothed my anxiousness over debating whether or not to go to the hospital. Then I got really scared because this was the real thing and I really wanted everything to go okay and I wasn't sure what to expect. I wanted my baby alive and healthy. 

In the hospital bed
We texted our moms at 2am to let them know my water broke and that we were in the hospital. This was it! Then came a very overwhelming feeling the intimidation of the labor process looming ahead, especially as my contractions got stronger and more painful. A miracle is the beautiful blessing that josh gave me when the nurse had left. I felt such peace and comfort from the blessing and I was hopeful that everything would be okay. I have been learning that I need to have more faith in God when josh gives me a blessing. I have never been so grateful to have a priesthood holder in my home. I have never used the priesthood so much since being pregnant. That blessing and times since, thinking about the will of Heavenly Father has helped me to have a more eternal perspective and a more abiding and deeper faith. I know that Madison is in the Lord's hands and with that faith I can get through any trial and know that Madison will be okay. I love her so much and I just want her to be a healthy and happy baby.

Dilation 
When I got to the hospital I was 4cm dilated (they checked at 3am), and I was dilating about 1 cm per hour. This was good news and also very daunting. The contractions were quickly getting more painful and I dreaded feeling them every hour until I became 10 cm dilated. It was up to me to decide when to get the epidural so I had to be confident in myself and know what I wanted and when I wanted it. At 6am the nurses switched shifts. This was another miracle because the new nurse was the best nurse ever!!!   She helped me to endure labor. She was extremely encouraging and made me feel like I was a pro at the whole labor thing. I wish she knew how much I appreciated her bed side manner as a nurse because it meant so much to me. She kept telling me how fast I was going for a first time mom. Josh helped distract me by putting on some Colbie Callet and Studio C videos. That worked until the contractions hurt too much to care. 

Here comes the pain
At 6:30am my contractions were getting really painful. The nurse taught Josh a technique to push my knees toward me to provide opposite pressure to lessen the pain of the contractions. That exercise was a miracle because it helped to relieve some intense pain. However, as the contractions got closer together and stronger, they became unbearable. I was starting to lose it and cry out because it hurt so bad. I think I was only 6 cm dilated at this point so the thought of having to endure this for 4 more hours was excruciating. Josh was really good and helped me to breathe through them by breathing with me. He also massaged my hand and legs. I told myself that I would last until 8:30 before I got the epidural because the nurse said I would go a lot faster the longer I held out. Well it got to be 7:00 and the contractions were so extremely painful that I asked for the epidural. It took the anesthesiologist until 7:40ish to administer the medicine. I made it through the IV and contractions, now I just had to make it through the epidural and the pushing. Halfway there! 

The epidural
The anesthesiologist wanted me to curl up in a ball to insert the needle right. This made contractions really painful and super, super uncomfortable because I felt like I was smashing everything inside of me and then all of that was tightening together. Josh was really good and told me to focus. I got my intense face on and pushed through the pain. That made the pain seem more bearable too but it took a lot of self discipline and work. Probably after 2 contractions I started getting super tingly. I was surprised how fast it kicked in and how easy it seemed. The quick relief from the epidural was a miracle! The only thing that hurt was feeling contractions in a ball and the numbing needle prick. But that just felt like the numbing shot from the dentist. So I was experienced at not thinking about it and just letting it happen. I held Josh's hand though through the whole needle part. I HATE needles so this was a very big thing for me. When I started getting numb, it was the best thing ever. I felt so peaceful and like I was in heaven compared to the severe pains from the contractions that I had just been feeling. Then I started dilating really fast which I was very pleasantly pleased and proud of my body. This was another miracle because I was not expecting it, especially with the epidural. 

The baby's complications 
I saw two different doctors because there was a shift change but my second doctor was incredibly nice and calm. This was another miracle that I had him for my doctor. The baby's oxygen level kept dipping and he was a little concerned about that which immediately I became very worried. I prayed hard that everything would be alright. I have never prayed so had over and over again. The nurse shifted my body and her heart quickened up. I was also on oxygen taking purposeful slow breaths, which helped too. We could hear the heart beat monitor. They were also keeping track of my contractions. The doctor also found that baby was facing the wrong way so he called in an ultra sound machine to check where her spine and other things were located to see if he could flip her around. I was also praying really hard at this point too. She had been doing so well and even seemed ultra well because she was going so quickly. I prayed that she would be alright. It sounded like the baby facing the opposite direction happens to quite a few babies but the doctor didn't sound very promising on how she would end up having to come out. I was nervous because I didn't want a c-section after all of this. But as long as she would be okay I would be fine. He had me push like one or two times and he turned her around successfully!!!! This was another miracle. 

Pushing 
Then we waited for about 1 hour for the doctor to come back from the operating room. He checked everything and gave the okay to start pushing. He left again and the nurse helped me to know when to push and how to push. On most every contraction I pushed for 10 seconds 3 times in a row. I thought I was going to blow out my brains I was pushing so hard with so little air. But the nurse told me I was doing good, so I thought what's a couple of popped blood vessels? I pushed for an hour. Josh supported my back and I held my legs. When Madison was crowning the nurse asked if I wanted to touch her. I touched her head! It inspired me to push as hard as I could. Then her heart beat went way down and I stopped pushing when I felt contractions so we could give her plenty of oxygen. Then the doctor came back. I was really nervous she wasn't breathing right again and I could tell he was at least mildly concerned too. My sincere pleading prayers continued.

The episiotomy 
Then the doctor took over. He asked if I wanted an episiotomy. I said I wanted whatever would get her out faster because I was worried that my contractions were hurting her, especially if it took longer for her to come out. So he started cutting. Of course I couldn't feel anything, but I saw the supplies he used for the procedure. 

10:31 AM
Then with a couple of pushes she came out!!!! I couldn't help but cry when she came out and I saw her between my legs. She was an actual baby who cried with a face, arms, legs etc. It was so overwhelming. Then they put her on my chest. This was another miracle that she came out of me and was sitting on my chest... That her tiny little body was created in my body and came out of a small little opening. She was so perfect. We tried to do some skin to skin but she was making grunts for cries so they hooked her up to some oxygen. It didn't really matter that they took her away from me because I just wanted her to be healthy. The cord was wrapped around her neck so that explained why she was having a hard time getting a oxygen but the doctor easily slipped it right off her neck. That was another miracle. Then they took her to the well baby nursery. That was mother miracle that she went to the nursery and not the ICU. Josh and baby came back an hour later. I was just laying in bed awestruck at what just happened. My eyes wanted to close and body wanted to drift to sleep but my heart couldn't afford it. My feelings were so powerful and the whole things was so overwhelming. I was finally a real life mommy. I prayed really hard while I was waiting for her to be okay and for her oxygen levels to go up. So hard. Over and over again. And soon she came back!! and her levels went up!! Another miracle. Then I fed her. She was a pro and I thought the whole breast feeding thing would be really easy because she did so good and it seemed like she ate so much. Then Josh's mom came in to visit us. I wanted to cry when I saw her because it made the whole experience feel real. 

Post Delivery
Then Madison and I were wheeled to another room where we all held her. I tried feeding her and waited for mom to come. I was soooo excited to see her and share this experience with her. She bought a ticket on the first flight she could find to SLC. Darci and John also came to visit. The baby had several tests. She did well in al of them. Her blood sugars were a little low but they said it was okay at that point. Mom came at like 5:30pm. It was so great to see her. She is another miracle. The maxwells also came that night. Everything is such a blur now from day two in the hospital. We did send her to the nursery for the night and Josh and I both slept really soundly. I was nervous though because our nurse was forgetful and I was really worried she would forget about Madison or that nobody would be watching her. So I prayed really hard that night until I fell asleep. The nurse brought her to me in the middle of the night for feeding. Another miracle. I prayed that angels would watch over her. Everyday I have been recovering more. Once the epidural wore off I was in serious pain even to sit. It was hard for me to hold Madison that way too. 

Nursing
The lactation nurse came by the second day to see how baby was feeding and to help me out. She ended up giving me a shield. Madison is so temperamental when I am feeding her. So the nurse was really helpful to teach me some nursing techniques. Both Josh and I never thought it would be so difficult and frustrating to nurse. We thought it came more naturally to babies, especially after that first feeding.

Going Home
Then we met with the obgyn doctor and the pediatrician.... Both were very helpful and kind, especially the obgyn doctor. I felt like that was another miracle.   We got to go home early too..that was another miracle.   It was also a miracle that they had us go to the health center to test her billi rubin count. We ended up putting her on a light treatment therapy the day after we got home. It is a miracle that she is feeding well, peeing and pooping like she is supposed to, and that she came off the therapy!   Mom's help is a miracle. I don't know what I would have done without her. Josh's help in calming and caring for Madison is a miracle because I don't feel alone. I feel so incredibly happy to have this little girl in my life. Have been praying more these past few days than ever before. I am so a incredibly grateful for Madison . She has made me the happiest girl in the whole wide world!!!!!!!!

Can't really describe the feeling.

I am truly my baby's. Since deciding on a name, we've taken to calling sophie baby. It just doesn't seem right anymore to call her sophie when her actual name is something completely different. Anyways, the reason I say I am truly my baby's is because she has my thoughts and physical exhaustion 24/7. Really... she consumes my thoughts. And so thinking about how she has an actual face and body parts really takes me to another world. I think being pregnant is one of the most unique experiences a woman can ever experience. It such a roller coaster of being so undeniably happy, terrified out of my mind, feeling anxious, feeling alone, feeling overwhelmed with gratitude, feeling amazed that she could grow into a whole 6 pounds from the fertilization of a sperm and egg. Its just hard to put into words exactly I guess. I wish I had done a better job of recording all of those feelings. because its easy to look back and say that was a great pregnancy! Sure it was great...but there is so much more too.

She is turning 38 weeks this Friday. That means I could have a baby right now! Probably not going to happen for another week to three weeks. But I can still hope!  I visit Dr. Dayton tomorrow. I feel like the baby has dropped this past week so I am anxious to see if she has really dropped. I have also been walking quite a bit. So we will see.

Life as a pregnant lady

Memory Problems

For some reason, it's pretty hard to write about life. Not because I don't have a lot to say... I always have a lot to say... but I just forget what it is I want to say. I have noticed especially recently, I am about to say something or about to write something and then I TOTALLY forget what I was thinking. It is so strange. I saw flyers for a BYU memory experiment on pregnant women and wanted to do that, but I just emailed them too late! That would have been an interesting study to participate in!

Recent Accomplishments

Baby is 30 weeks today! She has motivated me to change more than I could have pictured. On Sunday, I couldn't help but share one thing that she has taught me in Sacrament meeting. She is a very physical reminder of how Heavenly Father loves his children. She kicks me a lot most of the time, but she seems to kick me at the times when I especially need strength. She is my belly cheerleader. It always gives me persepctive when she does her kicking thing because I think about how I have a life inside of me that needs my nurturing. It doesn't really matter if I don't do well on a test in the big scheme of things. She also helps me not to act just on emotion, but she helps me to think before I act, and when I think before I act I am more likely to have the Spirit with me. I have noticed this strength especially within the third trimester, mostly because I can definitely feel her move. She helps me to remember Heavenly Father and he helps me to act and think with more patience and love than I could do on my own. And it makes me think how this is only the beginning. And it makes me so excited! 

The influence of moms

This week has been a successful cooking/eating week, I would say. Lots of Soymilk, oranges, bananas, green smoothes, healthy grains, water... Visiting home was a very good reminder of eating healthy. I guess nausea was a good thing because it made me eat lots of fruit, cereal and yogurt. Sugars didn't phase me much. Chocolate made me sick. Now that I can eat chocolate again, I am beginning to remember the principle of self-discipline. However, thinking about the baby though really motivates me to stick to healthy choices. I've been trying to get my veggies in recently... last night I made stuffed peppers! It reminded me of dad because the recipe called for ginger. Its funny how food brings our family close together :)

Well I do have a confession. Mom, years and years of advice has paid off. You thought you didn't get through.... but I was listening the whole time! ;) Thanks for instilling in me good eating habits. It makes the self-discipline thing so much easier because I have a good example to follow. Your good example doesn't just extend to healthy living, but I think of you often when I think of my baby. I want to be in her classroom as a homeroom mom, to be the mom that all her friends love too, to be the one she confesses her bad actions to. I remember one time when I said something bad with my friends and I could only tell you because I was so ashamed. But I only told you because you noticed something was wrong. And the times when you text or call exactly when I need you. You have a mother's intuition that I really aspire to. I know that I will be my own kind of mom with my own kind of quirks, but I can go into motherhood with a kind of confidence that comes from watching and observing your good example. Your influence runs deep in my thoughts. 

Motherhood: An Eternal Partnership With God, Mormon Message http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=WbYLKVgwztY#!

She's getting bigger...

22 weeks today!!! Our dear baby is definitely getting bigger. I cannot put my socks on standing up anymore because my stomach's too big! I figured that out yesterday. My arms couldn't get past the bump to reach my feet. I can't believe it.

Another realization I had yesterday was walking home from school. I felt quite explosive. Sometimes the skin on my stomach feels like it is literally stretching. As I was walking down the hill, I held my stomach because it was uncomfortable walking with an explosive stomach.

After these realization I may have had slight anxiety. I knew about baby since she was 1 month old, and especially during the nauseating times, but now..... now it feels like I am actually having a real life baby. I don't exactly know how to describe it..... feelings of utter amazement mixed with shear terror. For one, my body can nurture a fertilized egg to a fetus...wow. Second, this fetus is a human being! Third, this human being is inside of me! What?! I think this is one of the reasons why a baby takes 9 months to grow. The shock never goes away, but you just learn to cope with it better... you get used to it. And by the time the baby actually is welcomed into the world, you are better able to handle crazy things, like a baby. Anyways, class now.

12 weeks

22 weeks

Sophie is wild!

Today Josh and I went to the temple. Yesterday we magically picked a name. This is a big deal. There have probably been hundreds of names that one of us suggests that the other doesn't like. I don't know how we will ever name another child. And today we made sure it was the right one for our baby girl. We can't tell anyone because I want it to be a surprise. Someone taught me that surprises are fun....mom :) Well, as I was sitting there, it was like creeper crawlers all over my insides. I put my hands on my tummy just to see if I could feel it from the outside, and I thought I felt it from the outside, she was moving so much. That's the most baby's ever moved! I was looking at mom quotes today. And I thought this captured my thoughts very well today.

I noticed that this week, especially since after the ultrasound, I've been pretty cheery. Not even football can bring down my spirits. Our baby makes me so happy! I feel like I am always thinking about her, especially because recently it feels like my stomach is turning, fluttering, and crawling way more often. I can't ignore her presence anymore!

I just like this one a lot.

20 weeks!

Sophie is 20 weeks tomorrow! Yesterday was my first ultrasound. I admit that I was very anxious and apprehensive because it would be Sophie's first checkup. When I was younger, I never thought I would have been such a worried mom. Robyn was our ultrasound technician. I am really grateful we had her because she was ultra-nice and very good at reading the pictures. She showed us the main body parts first like the head, body and legs. One of the first pictures was a snapshot of the bottom of Sophie's foot

My heart may have skipped a beat. It was a real foot!!!! It even looked like a foot. When Robyn showed us Sophie's face... it didn't look like a face... it looked like a skeleton baby.

Then Robyn showed us the bones, like the leg bones and arm bones and spine. I loved the position of Sophie's arms with one over her head and one near her mouth. It just seemed very fitting for a baby. When I was sleeping last night, I was thinking about how my sleeping position probably jostles the baby, like moving side to side. I can't imagine running a marathon pregnant.

The spine looks like the size of the body.

She said the baby was healthy in her development and a day off from her due date. Then she showed us her organs like kidney and stomach. Without her pointing them out, I would never have guessed they were the organs besides the heart because I could see that pumping. they just look like black and white spaces. She said that any black space was fluid. She showed us the placenta and said it was in the right place. thank goodness! Every time she told us about where something was suppose to be or suppose to be doing and Sophie was doing the right thing, I was so relieved and happy. She also showed us Sophie's bottom! She asked us what we thought the baby was? girl or boy? Well, I didn't see anything that would make the baby a boy so I guessed girl. And it was right! We are having a baby girl!

We also looked at the baby's heart. She let us hear the different heart beats of each ventricle or atrium. They were all so different. It was so cool to hear.

I was amazed how well this technology worked. It was really neat to see different angles and shots of the baby from Robyn's clicking of the computer. Like she showed us a bird's eye view of the baby. However, the prodding of her device was uncomfortable. She said that our baby was wild and very active because she was moving so much. She was constantly moving the device on my stomach to catch a shot because the baby would be moving all the time. At one point, we were trying to look at the brain from a downward angle to see the different lobes of the brain but Sophie was making it difficult because she was looking up instead of forward or to the side. Robyn said that there was some kind of unilateral cyst in her brain, but that it was normal for this stage of development because the brain is still developing. She said that if it was bilateral it would be more of a concern so she reassured us that it was fine, but that a doctor would call if it was a problem. at first that made me nervous, but considering all of the baby's developments and healthy status, I am just really grateful that Sophie is doing so good and healthy. I am even super proud of her high activity levels! Woohoo! thats our baby!!!!! Another funny thing, once Robyn knew that Josh knew anatomy and that he was going to med school, she amped up her simplified language and spoke quite anatomically. I was proud of my Josh. I can't wait for our little family to be... Our tres leches family!