Weekly Ultrasounds & Induction Scheduled!

Despite the fact that I have to juggle still working full 40 hour weeks while going to two 2-3 hour appointments every week, we just love getting very frequent peaks of Annie on our weekly ultrasounds!!

Every week, we are getting a Biophysical Profile ultrasound (or BPP) - which basically means they are looking more at her movement, breathing, heartbeat, etc. during these ultrasounds.  There is no growth component to them (except for at 34 and 38 weeks when they add on a growth scan).

One of the best things about having so many ultrasounds is that it is easier to "share" these special appointments with family - my dad came to our ultrasound on November 1st and my mom came on the 12th!   I think it was really fun for them to see their granddaughter in "action" instead of just in pictures - she showed off a little bit too - she yawned a couple of times for them, moved her fingers, etc. :)  It was pretty special to share that with them!  I really wish that Ben's mom and dad lived closer so they could come to one too.

The November 6th ultrasound was especially fun for me (unfortunately Ben had to miss this one!).  We found out 2 major things - 1) Annie has HAIR!  She could clearly see hair on the screen...little fuzz coming off of her head :) and 2) Annie decided it would be fun to turn breech! :/  The funny thing was, we had just had an ultrasound on the 1st - so she went from being completely head down to head up in just 4 days!  Active little girl we have!! :)

The doctor said they don't worry about a baby being breech until about 36 weeks (I was 31 at the time).  Well, that is true that I shouldn't worry or start exercises to flip her quite yet because by the next U/S on the 12th, she was head down again!  Phew! :)  BUT - I swear over the last few days, she has been turning again and it would not shock me at all if we go to our ultrasound tomorrow afternoon and she is breech again.  I think I can tell when she is breech and when she is head down - so we'll see if my hunch is right that she is breech again!  I hope not of course, I would love it if she just stayed head down from here on out! :)

One of the positives of her being breech at the ultrasound on the 6th was that we could get some really great face pictures of her because she was staring right at the camera!  Here is the best face picture we got of her during that ultrasound:

Don't you just love those cheeks!?!?

Along with the ultrasounds, I also am really starting to enjoy the down-time I have at my appointments (never thought I would say that!).  I love getting the non-stress tests (especially when I have my favorite nurse, Donna) and then of course it's nice to meet with my doctor or Jessica, my nurse practitioner (who I love!), twice a week!  Ben usually just comes for the ultrasound but doesn't stick around for the NST or appointment...sometimes they can take an additional 1.5-2 hours.  Another reason I am loving my time at my appointments is because instead of bringing work work, I have my "baby bag" which is full of baby reading materials and books that I don't find time to read in the evenings.  It's nice to just take a few hours and focus on Annie and nothing else!

OH!  And how could I forget!!!  Last week Dr. Fulfer scheduled my induction!  Eeks!  Of course I hope we don't have to use it and I go into labor naturally, but it's kind of weird that we are close enough to actually be "on the books" for my induction!  So...if I haven't gone into labor before, the plan is to go in on the evening of December 27th to start the process!  But, if "things" look favorable before, then we will just go in the morning of the 28th.  Ben and I really need to start brainstorming something fun to do during the day on the 27th....that is going to be a long day waiting and anticipating 8pm to come around for us to go in! :)  Eeks!  Can't WAIT though! :)