Pregnancy & Produce and Decisions- 18 Wks

Growing so fast...from http://www.babycenter.com/ this week:

"Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound."

So, speaking of genitals ...

We have talked about having a baby for years now, and tried having a baby for over a year before we finally got pregnant. Matt and I agreed from the beginning, when we first were dating and talking about kids, that we wouldn't want to find out "what" we were having-we'd leave it a surprise until our baby's birthday. BUT...now the decision is actually real, and we are actually pregnant, so the discussion has come up again and again. The reasons to find out and the reasons not to find out, we've discussed, re-discussed and over-discussed the topic.

We've made a decision...

We will NOT be finding out if we're Team Pink or Team Blue. We'll remain Team Green until our little bell pepper is born.

Shocked? Surprised? A lot of people tell me that they can't believe that I am going to wait until the baby is born. After all, if you know me, I'm an over-planner. My job is planning, being prepared and doing everything I can to assure there are no surprises. So when people hear that I actually want this to be a surprise, and that we haven't changed our minds on this...you got it, they're surprised. Frankly, some people, not so secretly, think we'll cave and ask to find out at the ultrasound.

Decision #2:

A few weeks ago I posted about freaking out a bit when our Dr. told us she wanted us to go to a specialist for an ultrasound. (If you don't remember see this: http://ohbladilifegoeson.blogspot.com/2009/11/heartbeat-and-frustration-15-weeks-6.html)

So after a lot of thought and discussion, we decided to go with the specialist and do the "Super-Sonic Ultrasound."

I'm still nervous...but more than that I'm now really excited. I still would rather not know if there is anything "wrong" ... but decided that might be a little selfish. If there is a heart problem or a kidney issue, etc...our baby deserves all the best care we can give them. This may be my first wake up call that I/we can't do what's best for me/us...some decisions we'll be hard for me/us but best for our child.

So there you have it...decisions have been made. : )

~Melissa