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And then I cried in front of the technician.  Again, please check again.  Are you sure?  Can I have a picture?  When the doctor arrived I asked him to triple check.  Yes, it’s a girl.  No doubt.  Yippie!  Healthy, of course is most important, but a girl?  I can’t believe it.

My husband was happy too because a) I was so happy, b) he wanted a girl since we already have a boy, and c) we could avoid a bris (a Jewish ritual circumcision).

And then I called my mom and she screamed with joy “I’m having a third girl!”   To which I responded, “No mom, you have two girls, me and my sister.  This third one is mine.”  No offense was taken.  I called my my sister and my in-laws.  Joyfulness spread like wildfire.

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Anatomy Scan: This is where my mind is this week (except during potty training episodes in which I can’t think at all!).  On Friday, my husband and I will go to the doctor and I will have a Level 2 ultrasound.  We will find out that day, or early next week, about whether everything looks normal.  Just another exciting and nerve-wracking adventure in pregnancy.

And we’ll find out the baby’s sex too.  That’s when my hubby and I will start *really* thinking about baby names.  Our method with our first child was to wait to have serious name discussions until after we found out the sex.  It worked out so well (we are both so happy with Blake’s name), that we’re taking the same route again.  And then we will keep the name a secret until birth.  Did you share your child’s name before birth?

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Yesterday, while my friend went out for a short jog, I held her newborn baby girl.  The experience was so peaceful.  The sweet little baby slept calmly, I rocked her and couldn’t help giving her a kiss on the head.  When she became hungry she screamed and then my friend was back and nursed her as she rested on a chair. 

I can’t believe I’m saying this but having a newborn seems like the easiest thing now.  My husband and I are so excited to have a baby again who has a stable routine: eat, sleep and poop.  I can carry the baby in a sling, put it in a swing, pick it up and take it with me wherever I go with my toddler.  I can’t wait! 

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Smoke.  Do drugs.  We’d all agree that those habits are off-limits.

But what about some serious dancing to Black Eyed Peas “I Gotta Feeling?”  And what about a glass of wine once a week?  And sex during pregnancy?  Swimming in a hot tub?  Some pregnant women I know swore off some or all of these things.  The fear of doing damage to the fetus was so overwhelming that if the doctor’s orders were to do something in moderation, they’d treat it as a no-no.

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Pregnancy is hard, not just because of the physical changes and sicknesses, but also because of the wait, wait, and more wait.  Pregnancy begins with waiting to take the pregnancy test, and then if you’re Type-A like me, waiting another day to take it again!

Now, I eagerly wait for my next ultrasound, for another chance to see my baby.  I wait for the regular monthly OB-GYN appointment to feel relief that my baby’s heart is beating normally.  Once I leave the doctor’s office, the wait begins again for next month’s appointment.

At this instant, I’m waiting for my nuchal results.  And you won’t believe this, but my doctor’s assistant called me on Friday and said, “I’m sorry to tell you this, but you know what I’m about to say.”  My heart skipped a beat.  Nuchal! Bad Results! Nuchal! was all I thought.  And then she completed her comment:  “Your doctor is now scheduled for surgery on August 11 so we have to move your appointment to the next day.”   “Really? Is that all?” I asked.  Changing my appointment was the least of worries.  I explained this the assistant and she apologized for her poor choice of words.

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