First (official) ultrasound!

Mood: great

okay, okay, so i've had six unofficial ultrasounds already, but today was the first official one and it was just as exciting seeing my little girl swimming around in there. we'd figured it was a girl when we did the unofficial ultrasounds, but when it's confirmed, it makes the sex a little more believable. so we're having a girl and i couldn't be happier. i really wanted a girl first (and i knew all along that it would be...).

and i'm halfway through the pregnancy! i feel really good, too. my energy is back (it came back almost instantaneously soon after the start of the second trimester), i feel healthy, my appetite is back to normal (i know you're supposed to be ravenous the second trimester, but that was me the first trimester). i never had any morning sickness, so i feel really lucky about that.

enough about me, let's talk about the little girl growing inside of me. so right now she's about 6 inches and weighs around 9 ounces. she is starting to develop fingerprints, and i could have sworn i saw a little tuft of hair on her head on the ultrasound. also on the ultrasound, we've seen her hiccup, kick, wave, turn, sleep, curl up, and maybe even smile. (i know, that last one was stretching it).

but there are so many new little changes going on! i felt her kick for the first time about three weeks ago. i didn't know for sure if she was kicking or i was just having stomach issues, but the following days proved she was definitely kicking. she gets really riled up around 11 p.m. for some reason (i guess it's all the sugar from dessert). rups had the most amazing moment with her last weekend. we were at his sister's wedding and the father-daughter dance was going on. rups hadn't felt her kick yet, so when i felt her kicking, i put his hand on my stomach. right there, in the middle of the father-daughter dance, her little foot kicked his hand for the first time, and i saw his eyes light up and his mouth turn into a goofy grin like i'd never seen before. it was really the sweetest thing! he was so happy! now he sometimes just sits watching tv with his hand on my stomach, talks or reads to her every night, and kisses her goodnight (well, he kisses my expanding belly). he's so excited, and it really adds so much to my happiness to see him like this.

now that the ultrasound has definitely confirmed she's a girl, we can start shopping for stuff for her. i've actually done tons of shopping for myself (it's ridiculous how many clothes i've bought recently--14 dresses alone!) but nothing for the little one yet. i think pink is adorable, but i don't want an entire closet full of pink, you know?

we have to start thinking of daycare vs our moms taking turns staying with us, our call schedules, and purchasing all the big stuff, like cribs and strollers. my mom and mother-in-law are trying to get a baby shower arranged, but i think i'd like to have separate ones for the aunties and for my friends. especially because my mother-in-law would like to invite the men in the family to the auntie baby shower.

i'm supposed to possibly be able to hear her heartbeat with a stethoscope. it'll be the first time i've used my stethoscope in two years, but i'm going to go try now...