soul coffee: breech

We excitedly went to the doctor today, knowing we'd be seeing our little guy again today for the first time in 8 weeks. I didn't expect a whole lot at the ultrasound though...as I've talked to other moms, they warned me that the bigger he gets, the less we can see. Even a good profile shot was hard for the tech to get today! On top of him moving during the ultrasound, he just doesn't fit within the realms of the monitor anymore. We were able to see his head and legs (hands and feet weren't real clear since we was on the move as usual), and got good shots of his ribs and spine while she monitored his heart. You could see his chest rise and fall as he was "breathing" (of course he doesn't need to breathe yet, but its a good sign that his body is practicing...means his lungs are maturing). Here's his beautiful little face...

profile pic

face shot

Unfortunately today, we also found out that he's breech. At this point in the game, you really want baby to be head down. It feels like such a stubborn issue to worry about right now. We've overcome all these odds and surpassed so many obstacles to get where we are today. I was so sure he was head down too! That means all the body parts I've been poking were totally not what I thought! There is still plenty of time for him to flip though. My doctor was very subjective and careful with her words today. She basically said that he could still flip, but she was hesitant to give me great odds as my torso is so short (he has very little room left to move). However, with five and half weeks until my due date we've got time on our side and my amniotic fluid levels were really good, which helps him move around more. They can possibly attempt to move the baby, but she sounded like we would most likely let nature take its course and see what he does. She said attempting to move the baby puts a lot of strain on him and on your uterus (and I hear its quite painful!), and in some cases, the baby moves right back. Worse case if he doesn't flip, I will have a c-section. She didn't want to talk specifics on that front just yet. I've heard plenty of stories of late flipping babies that weren't engaged in the birth canal until the last week or two, or even days before delivery. Only time will tell...

We have another appointment in 2 weeks (May 24) and will have another ultrasound at that time to check his position. I will be 36wks then and we will start pelvic exams as well to see if I have dilated or effaced at all. At that point I will start weekly appointments until he decides to make his appearance! So for now, we're just praying for him to do some serious acrobatics!

Belly shots...

34w0d...left side

right side

front

This past weekend was super busy for us, but amazingly fun...we had our first baby shower! It was a co-ed shower at my friend Jen's house. I was quite surprised at the number of guys that showed up for the shower...with gifts and all (thank goodness for gift cards, girlfriends and wives to help pick out baby things)! We had such a good time getting all of our friends and family together. Huge thanks to my shower hostesses (Jen, Nicole and Alaina) for all of their hard work and making it happen! Here's some pics from the shower...

baby cousins! 13wk and 34wk bellies