Drum Roll Please....

We have been anticipating the news from our sonogram for weeks! Kevin, in fact, said he didn't sleep well last night as he was so anxious to hear about the sex of our baby (which I thought was very sweet). My excitement did not deter me from sleeping at all, but having a sonogram to see our baby seemed like a great ending to a very hectic week.

Getting the sonogram was a wonderful experience. It really made our baby feel so real to us. Of course, since it is our child, finding out did not come easy. The umbilical cord was tucked right between our baby's legs, making it hard to distinguish. But with good work from our technician, we are very happy.....

to

announce

that....

The first for the Khamphakdys! We are thrilled! Kevin is assuming all of the credit, and while I know that it is his sperm that determines the sex, I think I've done quite a bit to contribute to growing a baby. Thus, I should be pampered.... :) Check out the sonogram photos of our beautiful little boy!

His head and his sweet little belly (look how round it is - just like mine!)

A profile shot

Showing off his "boy parts"

During the sonogram, he was waving his little hands - I was absoluately giddy during this part. Then, he seemed to be giving a thumbs up sign. Josie, our niece, believes he was saying, "Way to go, Dad!"

Overall, the sonogram showed that Woody (I am calling him that until KB and I can agree on a name) is quite heathly. His heart rate was a very strong 168. He measured in at 9 oz and the tech said he was approximately 7-8 inches long. I was relieved to hear from the tech that with the way my placenta is positioned, it will be harder to feel the baby move - which means I am not absoluately out of tune with Woody. I have been diagnosed with marginal placenta previa, but the doctor assured us there is no cause for concern just yet. I will have another sonogram at 30 weeks to follow-up.

For those of you who have children and know this routine well, I am sure you can relate to the flood of emotions we felt after our appt. Kevin and I were alone in the examining room, getting ready to leave, and we both were so happy, we just held each other and started laughing... and crying... all at the same time. I wish I could freeze that moment in time forever.

On a much less serious note... Bloopers from today.

Our first attempt to announce the sex of the baby looked like a mug shot!

Kevin decided he might as well get into the spirit of it...

When Did This Happen?!

I have been complaining to Kevin (ever so pleasantly), that my belly just seems to be staying the same size. It is strange how I have spent years trying to lose inches on my belly, only to be inpatient to add them while pregnant! Well, it appears my wish has been granted ... overnight. Since this is my first belly picture (because as expert procrastinators we never do anything in a timely manner), there is not an earlier pic with which to compare. But trust me, I was noticably smaller ... yesterday!

On Dec 23rd, I felt the first light "tap, tap, tap" on my belly from little Baby Brown. It was an amazing experience - beyond words! However, since then, I have yet to feel anything that couldn't be explained away by, well, my own bodily functions. For some reason, I thought this growing baby inside of me would be much easier to sense - both in movements and in whether he/she would be a boy or girl. People ask me if I have a strong feeling either way, and to date, I have had only one dream about having a boy, who we named "Woody" (which Kevin strongly opposes), and I have had a yearning to explore only girl names... so I guess that makes it even. Hmmmm .... maybe we will have a boy with a feminine name?? Kevin is leaning towards our little one being a girl (at this moment). When I see him playing ever so sweetly with our 5-year-old niece Josie, as he wrestles her to the floor, and I watch them bantering about who is stinkier (she usually wins!), I can't help but think what a wonderful father he will be. I can't wait to find out what we are having so that we can begin to picture our little Baby Brown more fully.

It has been so fun reading your comments and keeping tabs on the vote re: the sex of the baby. I can't believe how many votes are for a boy. Guess you all do believe in miracles!

Half Way There....Almost

I believe the term "mother's dementia" does in fact exist. I know this because since becoming pregnant, I have forgotten where I've put my things on a daily basis, I get lost simply trying to drive home (which is hard to do in Lawrence), I lose complete track of time, and at times, I just feel like my brain has shut off (presenting a serious problem at work). Morning sickness has plagued me to the extent that I have found pregnancy to be a good weight loss strategy. My emotions are constantly on my sleeve (much to Kevin's chagrin) and movies in which I shed a tear before cause me to wail in despair.....

Despite all of this, Kevin and I are ecstatic to FINALLY be having our own child. As much as we love our 14.5 nieces and nephews (I believe Baby Horton has now earned a .5 at least), we can not wait to have the life altering experience that everyone who is a parent tells us about. All of the aches and pains we experience during pregnancy will be well worth this. I, of course, use the term "we" because my pain has a way of becoming Kevin's pain. :)

Baby Brown is in week 19 (5th month) and time seems to be flying by! Stay tuned for belly pics of mommy to be, sonogram pics (scheduled for Friday, January 18th), and all of our ramblings about baby and other adventures...