It's a ...

It's a BOY!!!

I had my fetal anatomy ultrasound at 18 weeks and Blaine and I are thrilled to be expecting a son! Even better news yet is that the baby is perfectly healthy!!! Our baby boy:


I have always had a habit of enjoying medical television shows, and when I get laid down on the exam table, a flash of all the abnormalities that can happen to anybody fly though my head. As the technician talked us through each part of the exam, it was like reaching a new, previously unknown levels of joy with each phrase that came out of her mouth.

"baby is 8 inches long and about 8 ounces"
"all four chamber of the heart"
"each leg is measuring just right"
"the nose and mouth look just right, no cleft"
"I see a thumb with four fingers, and same on the other hand"
"stomach and bladder are functioning perfectly"
"wow, the head is measuring large ... but still within normal range"

What?!? Did I hear that right?

Sure enough, the little guy has a head circumference that measures in the 97% percentile. My own fault for marrying the smart guy with all the brains! Is it too early to get an epidural NOW?

Then the moment of truth ... looking right up at the baby's bottom, there it was! We have a boy on the way! After that I could hardly stop crying for the rest of the exam. I have thought it was a boy all along (since I was only a few weeks pregnant, I just had a gut feeling). Blaine thought it was a girl, and he stood firmly with the minority as most of our friends and family thought it was a boy. I really would have been thrilled either way, but somehow, knowing and picturing whether it will be a son or daughter makes it so much more real. It was awesome, overwhelming, and so joyful! I'll never forget the look on Blaine's face afterwards. He looked so happy, and kept shaking his head muttering how awesome it was and that he felt dizzy.

Here is an edited clip of the ultrasound video. I set it to music and gave it sub-titles ... now it makes me cry when I watch it!

Now that we know it's a boy, the trigger has been pulled on the next stage of Project Baby Prep in the Shelton house: choosing a name and nursery design!