A Good Day to be a Dad

Kieran on the left and Baby #3 on the right, both at 20 weeks.

Today was ultrasound day! As a belated Father's Day present of sorts, we got a sneak peek at how our munchkin has been growing. ...And, no, we did not find out the gender this time, either. :)

Almost looks like some sort of smile here, doesn't it?

Baby is healthy and growing well, and I am right at my goal as well:  I have only gained eight pounds in this first half of pregnancy, putting me right back at my pre-pregnancy weight with Kieran. We still don't know for sure if I will get to have the chance for a VBAC, but I am doing everything I can to make sure I am healthy and strong in case I do. Kieran and I go for at least one-hour walks whenever the weather cooperates, and I know that has contributed a lot, as did nursing him (which I am no longer doing, but that is a post for another time).

I rotate through different midwives at the clinic I go to, and there is one there who has been very encouraging of my interest in a VBAC, so I was really thankful to be able to meet with her again today. At 12 weeks, I had complete placenta previa, which was not necessarily abnormal at that stage, but it would also cause us to have to undergo another C-section. At this appointment, 20 weeks, the placenta was still posterior, but not a complete "previa". To make a long story short, we get to have another ultrasound in eight weeks to check on the position of the placenta. Still, my midwife was very encouraging that this shouldn't be a problem (the ultrasound tech said it was something like a one percent chance that it would not "migrate" to where it needed to be) nor should it hinder my chances of a VBAC. So, she is going to give me the names of some doctors in Des Moines that I can make an appointment with and see what they think. While I have accepted either outcome, I am very excited that we can continue to pursue this option!

Munchkin was not as cooperative as Kieran was at this time, s/he seemed very sleepy and, even though s/he had a full bladder, just seemed to want to drink amniotic fluid and cross his/her arms over his/her head. We even got a few videos on our CD this time, which we did not with Kieran, so that was a nice surprise.

You can see Baby drinking here (look at that full bladder)...

...And kicking here!

In addition to all of this excitement, I can't forget to mention some fun firsts Kieran has had in the last few days.

Kieran went to his first parade!

We saw a fun little float celebrating the town's 100-year-old carousel.

We let the other kids with us grab all the candy, as they could actually enjoy it. :)

Kieran had his first M&M experience on Father's Day. See his shirt? "Good looks courtesy of Dad" :)

Blue hands!

Mommy and Daddy also took him to the pool for the very first time.

Fountain splashing

He's pretty much big stuff!

We are still learning and growing and being challenged, but I cherish these memories so much. I am so thankful for my family!