32 week ultrasound

Well, we had our third (and probably final) ultrasound yesterday. BBC is still apparently healthy. Amniotic fluid levels are good. His pecker's still attached. All great things to know and be reassured about.

Otherwise, though, it was really disappointing. We barely got to see any cute bits - one blurry glimpse of a foot, plus a few angles where his face was technically recognizable. But we still really couldn't see anything. On top of that, the ultrasound technicians were running behind. (We had a 9:30 AM appointment and didn't get in until 10:15 - so much for that "early appointments mean you get in before they get behind" theory.) I think she was not at all interested in doing an ultrasound on someone without a serious medical need. She didn't even ask me to roll over to try to get a better angle on him or anything.

So, here he is. His chin was all tucked under, and he had his arm in front of his face half the time. I'm confident I'll still find him incredibly beautiful come October, but for now, he's not looking so cute. (As Dennis said, though, none of us are really at our most photogenic when our face is smooshed up against something. True enough.)

For those who can't interpret the blobs, he's sortof looking down and to the right in all 3 pictures, and you can see his little fingers pretty well in 2 of them. (We didn't actually get to count the fingers. Go figure.) Oh, and that's not a giant hole in his head. His brain is fine. Apparently that's just the way the ultrasound takes the photos - more like a cross-section.



Keen observers will note the weight estimate - 4 lbs, 13 oz, putting him in the 69th percentile and measuring 11 days ahead. Of course, his head circumference (52nd percentile) is bringing down the average, since the other 3 measurements were 80th, 85th, and 85th. Makes me wonder if maybe she didn't quite get the right circumference. (And, of course, worry just a little that his head is disproportionately small, meaning he's got a smaller brain and some kind of cognitive disability. Wait - wasn't this ultrasound supposed to make me feel better?)

Anyway, it wouldn't be at all unusual for him to put on another 4 pounds before our due date, putting him really close to 9 pounds. Of course, these things are not the most accurate, so it could go either way. But I'm doubting we're looking at a 6 pounder here. (And again, that head measurement is suspiciously small... so the current estimate could easily be less than his actual current weight, making him well over 9 pounds at birth.)

So, I guess we don't know much more than we did 2 days ago. He's still very active, which is always reassuring (if sometimes uncomfortable).

To close, here's a belly picture from this morning. Dennis said we needed another one. I don't necessarily feel much bigger than I did 2 weeks ago, but I am feeling the effects of being bigger (more backaches, less lung and stomach capacity, achier feet and more swelling), so it stands to reason that I probably am getting bigger.

8 weeks to go!