Roller Coaster

I am currently 19 weeks pregnant.  With each of my children, I have felt kicks, back flips and sommersaults by this point.  This baby has been different.  Every time I thought I had felt something it turned out to be gas.  How do I know?  Because I would toot right after said "movement".  Yes, I just said toot.

Anyway, to say this 5th pregnancy has been different would be putting it lightly.

Yesterday I called my midwife because I was really worried that I hadn't felt the baby move yet.  That is right, 4 weeks after I'd felt the other babies move, I still hadn't felt this one.

She wisely suggested I drink some juice and lie down and have some quiet time to try to feel the baby.  Well, that would work if I weren't a single Mama right now.  There is NO quiet time around here.  I tried, but I felt nothing.

This morning she called and said she wanted to see what was going on and wanted me to come up to her office in Idaho for an ultrasound.  This office is an hour and a half away.  Yes an hour and a half.

I made arrangements for Seth for after school, packed up my girls and started driving.  I called my Mom, who in turn called my sisters.  Jeremy's sister called me and I told her what was going on.  I called Loralee, who just happens to be in NYC right now (we were both dying).  I was a sobbing mess for about 30 minutes of my drive and then felt peace.

I felt the prayers of my sweet husband, my parents, my sisters, my friends.  I felt their love and the love of God encircling me, and I was at peace.  I enjoyed the rest of my drive.

We arrived and my midwife pulled me into her office.  First things first, she found a heart beat.  Never was a sound more beautiful than that.

Shortly after that, the ultrasound tech was ready for me.  I was measuring 25 cm and am 19 weeks.  They were thinking twins, I was thinking another boy.  I measured 7 weeks ahead with Seth from 20 weeks on.  So that was my first thought.

Still feeling very at peace, I called Jeremy, put him on speaker phone and let the tech do her thing.  The first thing I saw was a little something between the legs.  But, since I'd never seen one of those in an ultrasound, I wasn't sure.

She measured, checked the heart and told me that the placenta was in front.  This is why I haven't felt any movement.  The baby is using it as a punching bag, but I can't feel a thing!  Little stinker ;)

Then came the moment of truth.  Boy or girl?  Of my 5 pregnancies, I have only wanted to know twice. I found out 3 times, but that is another story for another day.

I wanted to know with Amelia and wouldn't you know it, she was SO modest with her little legs crossed, it took a lot of coercing her to show us the goods.

This baby is much the same.  I had to move my belly and talk to the baby to open up the legs.

Then we saw it, the money shot...a PENIS!!!!!!!!!!!!  Amelia started screaming and yelling with excitement.  Jeremy and I were both pretty excited too.

I couldn't wait to rush home and tell my little boy he was FINALLY going to have a brother.  He has been praying for a brother for years now.  He even told me if this baby was a girl that he would never talk to her.

Amelia really wanted to tell Seth about the baby, so I let her.  Jeremy said he wished he could have been here when I told Seth.

Lucky for him, I have a Flip.  So babe, this is for you...and everyone else too ;)