On May 14th I was in California for my amazing baby shower! It was such an overwhelming day for me; it almost felt as if it was my wedding again! There were so many there (and some great surprise guests!), I wanted to see and talk with everybody, but it felt impossible! Plus, I caught a bit of a cold while there; and so on the day of my actual shower, I could hardly talk! It was great to see some of the New Life people that came out to celebrate! And the Sacramento Aunts (Barbara and Rosemary), and of the biggest surprises, Heather flew in all the way from Colorado! I was completely overwhelmed! My Aunt also drove down from Utah to spend a few days and to celebrate with me, and we had such a great time seeing one another and catching up! I got so many wonderful gifts, and they are all currently sitting in the nursery, waiting to be washed, put away and organized. I am planning on doing most of that this weekend, as the sheer chaos of the baby's room is driving me completely insane!
On May 22nd Paul and I were able to take a tour of the hospital where we will be delivering, and it is wonderful! They built a brand new maternity ward 2 years ago, and it's spacious and has a lot of amenities. Our room (both delivery and recovery) will have a refrigerator, and a flat screen TV with cable...so Paul is certain that we can spend a few extra days in the hospital :-) There are large soaking tubs to use while in labor, and each room has its own private bathroom and shower, blow dryer, radio and CD player. There is also a fold out couch for dad to sleep on if need be! Also, there is no nursery, so the baby stays in the room with us the entire time, which make me very happy! Also, they put a little alarm on the baby's ankle, and if the baby is taken within 10-15 feet of an exit, the alarm sounds! Also, the hospital is has recently received an aware for their maternity unit and staff, and also for their success in breast feeding and post-natal care, the hospital is 1 out of 14 hospitals in the Nation to have received this award. Needless to say, Paul and I are very happy and feel very comfortable with the hospital!
On May 24th I had another ultrasound to track the growth of the baby. At 18 weeks the baby's head and abdomen were measuring in the 97th percentile! I was told that it is good that everything is growing in sync with one another, but of course, those are some big numbers! So at 31 weeks, the baby's head and abdomen were measuring in the 94th percentile! Everything is still growing in sync with one another; however, they said that Kettlebear's growth is what an average 34 weeks ultrasound would show! So it looks like the baby is about 2 weeks ahead of me! Of course, the doctor said that the numbers are too close to change a due date, or to be concerned, and when it comes down to it, this baby will come when it is good and ready! :-) Overall, the baby is in the 89th percentile of growth. I only got one really good picture of the baby this time; the ultrasound tech said that the further along you get in the pregnancy, the more difficult it is to get a clear shot. Kettlebear is really in there! The baby is head down (has been ever since 18 weeks, and better stay that way!), and Kettlebear's hands and feet are touching, and the baby is in a nice tight ball!
Here is the picture, I have been told it's difficult to make out what you're seeing, so you are looking at the baby face on, it almost looks like the baby is trying to peek its head out! You can see the eyes, the nose, and a tiny little fist up by the baby's mouth. There is one thing that makes me so happy, and that is the baby's nose is identical to Paul's! As soon as I saw it pop up on the ultrasound I said "THAT'S PAUL'S NOSE!"
