As you can see, I’ve grown a bit.  I haven’t written in a while since everything is going so gosh darn well – very much by the book.  We have only had the following glitch (if you even want to call it that)…

We had our most recent doctor visit last Monday, February 23.  The doc took my belly measurements and thought that I was a little small – therefore, BOB might be a little small.  She said that it was probably nothing – that my height and long torso were throwing off her measurements.  None the less, she wanted me to go for another ultrasound in order to verify the baby’s “Estimated Fetal Weight.”  No problem.

So, off we went for another viewing of the baby.  After measuring the baby’s head, belly, and femur, we were reassured that we had nothing to worry about.  As it turns out, BOB is growing quite nicely.  He is about 4 pounds at this point!  If he continues at this rate, the doc thinks he could be maybe 7 ½ to 8 pounds at birth.  Big, healthy, chubby-cheeked baby!  I say chubby-cheeked because Ben and I got to see a wonderful face view of our little tyke.  It didn’t print out very well from the monitor, but I wanted to try to put it on the blog anyways.  So, we have the original ultrasound photo first, followed by my photoshop-version after that (very artistic, right?  I did my best).  If you look closely, you can make out his little face – eyes, nose, frowny mouth and chubby cheeks (particularly the left cheek).  So cute!  He looks like a little baby now and not a weird alien!  Hope you can see it.

Otherwise, all is well.  BOB is still a low-rider.  He has all the space in the world, up to my rib cage.  But, he chooses to stay crammed below my bellybutton, wearing my pelvis as a bicycle helmet.  Sometimes I feel like he’s riding so low that he’s about to make my bladder pop out like a big water balloon crashing down from a ten story building.  Hmm.  But I enjoy the karate chops to my navel, none the less…especially the combo one-two-punch with a round house kick.  Makes me smile

So here is another baby photo for all to enjoy.  My dad says that they aren’t nearly as neat at this age because the baby is too big to fit entirely in one shot.  Instead, you just get a part, like a head or a leg.

So here is a cross section of the baby’s head looking straight up.

You don’t see it?  Perhaps this will help.  This photo is turned to change the perspective to how it would look if Katie were standing in front of you and facing to the left.  The baby’s head is circled in yellow.

What’s the pink circle you ask?  That would be Kate’s bladder.  That’s right, this baby is riding so low that it is literally laying on her bladder.  Now that explains why my wife spends so much time in the restroom.

It’s official – April 27, 2009.  Mark your calenders.  Here is our second baby picture.  We have dubbed our new little lima bean as “BOB.”  I thought it was short for “Baby on Board.”  However, my lovely husband corrected me.  Apparently it stands for “Big Ol’ Belly.”   

BOB has his good days and bad days.  He has been the culprit for my morning sickness…afternoon sickness…and evening sickness.  oh yes…thus far…5 weeks and 2 days of huggin’ my porcelain pal.  But who’s counting?  I’ve become Ben’s new alarm clock in the morning

Other than that, things have been going rather well.  We decided to be surprised about the sex of our little baby.  Therefore, we told Dallas (Ben’s father), who is an OB doctor, that he’s not allowed to look at any of the ultrasounds too closely!

Our future ultrasound pictures may be limited.  We have to wait until 20 weeks for the next and final one by my doctor.  (I’m currently at 10 weeks).  I guess insurance doesn’t cover more than that.  But do not fret.  I plan to take full advantage of the fact that I have an ultrasound machine at the veterinary clinic.  I will be using it often and freely, once my belly gets big enough to show good pictures.  At least I won’t have to shave my belly first, like we do on cats and dogs.

Oh, and by the way, I definitely plan on posting belly pictures.  But I’m not “showing” one bit yet.  So that might have to wait awhile.  But it is on my agenda.