Baby Boy Good

On Monday, March 21, Shawn & I had a date night scheduled. We went to Barnes & Nobles, ate dinner there, and went through stacks and stacks of Baby Name books. This is the second time that we've done this for this specific child, let alone countless hours of discussing names. And, we're still not completely sure what our little love will be named yet. I've kept the lists that we've discussed, and some day I'll post different options that didn't make the cut. But, until we're 100% certain about them, I don't want to say they won't be his name and us end up falling in love with one or another.

Joshua was going to be "Benjamin" for a long time. But, we realized that Benjamin was the younger brother in the Bible, and we knew that our Joshua would have to be strong and courageous with his lung issues, so we felt that Joshua was a better fit. We had discussed the possibility of naming Caleb "Mark" but then I finally said that I wasn't sure that I wanted another 'fiery' son (the meaning of Mark), and we ultimately decided on Caleb. We had lists for both of our older boys as well, though. What we do is each take a baby name book and write down any names that we come across and like. I also write down the meaning of the name since that's important to me, whereas Shawn usually skips the meaning and wants the name to sound okay with our last name Good. He writes his own list, I write mine, and then we go through them. If he hates any of the ones I've written, I cross it off my list; if I hate any of his, he crosses it off his. Then we see if we have any in common on our lists. Then we say it a bunch of times, talk about the meaning, and usually we end up with our heads spinning and agree to discuss it more later.

We hope you LOVE your name, my little son, because we've put a lot of thought and prayer into it. My hope is that God reveals His thoughts to us on it in the coming weeks.

On Wednesday, March 23, I had my third trimester ultrasound with Dr. Bayliss at Maternal Fetal Medicine. Unfortunately, I didn't have the tech that I like (we got the same one that we got last time vs. the one we've had at all the rest of our visits). This gal didn't explain what she was looking at at all, which drives me crazy. I like the other woman who would say, 'I'm looking at your son's kidneys, spine, brain, etc.' But, when she turned on the 3D option, we were AMAZED at what our son looks like and what you can see. These pictures truly don't do it justice (I'm guessing their printer is no where near the quality of their screens, let alone my scanning of the images and re-posting them). The above picture was the favorite one I got. I just loved his little nose and cheeks! His image reminded me of Caleb when he was a newborn.

Even though I wasn't impressed with the tech, I was thankful to see Dr. Bayliss once again. He told us that everything looks in tact with this pregnancy. So, this would be our last ultrasound unless I would experience any problems. He said that regular follow-up visits with the OB should detect if there would be any signs of any issue, in which case he would gladly bring me back for another ultrasound. But, with our history of having one child problem-free, all signs indicate that this pregnancy should follow suit. I was sad at the thought that we'd never see Dr. Bayliss again. I'll never have another ultrasound where we get to see a beautiful child in my womb. They are SO exciting! And, we are always so impressed with the info that Dr. Bayliss gives us. For example, I asked him about pain I've been experiencing on my right side, which keeps me awake at night. He said there are good chances it's just stretching and pushing as my uterus grows. But, with that, he said that it's fine to sleep on my back or any other position that's comfortable and to say otherwise is an old wives' tale. It is true that some positions can cause less blood flow, but when that happens, it will wake you up and your body will force you to move. He said he even told his own daughter to sleep on her back if she was more comfortable that way. He also said that you can experience the same feeling (lack of blood flow=weak knees=cold sweat or dizziness) when standing in the same position for too long. Some women can even experience it standing in line at the grocery store. I have felt a little off at times, and changing position does help. So, it was good to know.

Anyway, all that said, I've enjoyed my experiences with Maternal Fetal Medicine and am sad to see them come to an end. As I think about this being my last pregnancy, it truly makes me feel severely old. Such is life! I'm glad that our little guy is healthy and growing steadily. I couldn't ask for more! My next appointment with the doctor is this coming Friday or April Fool's Day. :) :) :)

Here is his growth over the last couple weeks:
Week 29
Fetal Development:

The baby's head is in proportion to the rest of the body. Fat continues to accumulate under the skin. The brain can control primitive breathing and body temperature control, and the eyes can move in the sockets. The baby is becoming sensitive to light, sound, taste and smell. Now, I wonder how experts know a baby can smell in utero?

Week 30
Fetal Development:

Our little one is nearly three pounds already and growing like a weed. The early lanugo is disappearing, the eyelids open and close, and the toenails are growing. The bone marrow is now responsible for red blood cell production.