19 Weeks: Shocking news!

Tuesday was the day we'd all been waiting for! Little did I know, we would do a lot more waiting....

Our appointment was at 2:30, but we got there early. I did as I was told, and made sure my bladder was full. Which isn't hard when you're pregnant. I really only need about 15 minutes notice!  When I signed in, the receptionist said they'd call me back in a few minutes. The receptionist must have had no idea what she was talking about. I didn't get called back into the ultrasound room until almost 3:00. Let me tell you, an uncomfortable, full bladder pregnant woman is not one you want to keep waiting for an hour. I ended up going against her advice and going to the bathroom at about 2:25, when she had told me 10-15 minutes ago it would just be a little longer. 

waiting... waiting...this is early. Still in good spirits

Anyway, enough about my bladder!

I went to the ultrasound room alone at first. The tech quietly found everything she needed to find on the baby, while I laid there and wondered what she was doing and finding. She put TONS of goo on my stomach! Eventually, she called Tyler and Jessica back and immediately showed us what we all wanted to know-- boy or girl? I knew as soon as she pulled it up that it was a girl. But I was still in disbelief. She told me that the baby was measuring 20 weeks, and was 12 ounces (!!!). I told her that didn't surprise me. She showed us lots of adorable body parts and a beating heart and well-developed brain. She told us our baby was crossing her ankles, which I thought was adorable, because I always sit in similar positions. She said the baby looked beautiful and had a perfect spine and everything looked great. Woohoo! At the bottom of this post you'll find a video of baby girl stretching out inside my belly. Too, too cute. 

Watching the big screen tv with our baby girl on it!

After the ultrasound, and yet another eternal 1 hour wait to see my doctor, we headed to a local park to meet with the Moms and spill the beans. They were thrilled, if you couldn't guess that!

The "reveal" pic that no one could see on their phones. In all fairness, I knew it was hard to see when I made it. I just didn't expect to be using it. 

I don't have to post estimated measurements and sizes of the baby, since the tech gave us the best estimate already. But I will say that I think I have hit a stride in the second trimester. I'm feeling great, if a little uncomfortable at times. I mostly feel like myself (with a bigger belly), and I'm enjoying it. I'm also enjoying the nursery planning. I've even bought a few outfits. It took me all of Tuesday to wrap my head around the fact that I'm having a girl. I'm still a little in shock. But she's adorable and we're excited. 

Any symptoms were made better by the surprise movement I started feeling on Sunday night. It wasn't how I expected it to feel, but it was really neat, and immediately I felt more connected with the baby. The tech said the baby is right up against the placenta, which is why I probably wasn't feeling much movement (or why it took so long). 

So that is week 19, for you! Expect more updates to come, as now I have a lot more planning and decisions to make!