So Far ... So Good!

I had my final doctors appointments yesterday with both the ultrasonographer and my OB/GYN. My final appointments in clean offices, with magazines on the end tables and soft music playing in the background. The last appointments where I can sit on a REAL toilet when I need to give my "sample", where I'm given a REAL gown to wear when I have to undress for my exam, where they actually change the sheets on the exam tables in between patients, and where they actually swab my arm with alcohol or wear gloves on their hands BEFORE they take the blood samples (which they did here on 4 separate occasions). Oh how the little things really make my day!

So far everything looks good with the munchkin. I had to have 2 separate ultrasounds as the first one was too early to see the detail of the cleft and heart. I find it fascinating how things have changed in the past 4.5 years since my last pregnancy... granted I was pregnant and delivered in Muscat, Oman, so I can't entirely compare it to standards here in the U.S. However, I will say that the tests, exams, and appointments I've had here in the past two weeks have undeniably surpassed any maternity care I have had or will receive in India in these next few months.

I received some startling feedback from my OB/GYN yesterday that has left us pondering our decisions. While I had originally planned on returning here in the U.S. sometime between 33 - 34 weeks, the doctor feels strongly, very strongly, that I need to return earlier... much, much earlier. Apparently they treat patients every single day with the same types of complications that I have - though usually they don't have them all at the very same time. When the nurse left my exam room yesterday and was briefing the doctor outside the room, I heard him remark, "oh my" about my case. My 30 minute appointment turned into 1 1/2 hours and I left there with a full exam, another blood test, and my head spinning.

On the bright side, things look great and I am very thankful. I'm measuring where I need to, everything is in its right place, and I no longer have morning sickness.

I just hadn't planned on coming back here so early. It makes us sad to be away from Matt and the dog for so long. We're already struggling a place to stay, finding a school for Riley as all of the kindergarten classes are full and with a 1:20 teacher/student ratio, she'd have to be bussed to another school that has availability. And who knows where I'll find room for Sheridan, who absolutely MUST be in some type of daily program.

Luckily, I know that it will all fall into place in the end... and in mid-May we'll be starting a new chapter with a brand new baby, nightly feedings, and poopy diapers. 2009 is bound to be a great year for us.

Ultrasound on left... Sheridan's nemesis... a thumb sucker!!
Ultrasound on right is from yesterday - the only time the munchkin didn't squirm.

A glimpse of the ultrasound reports. I obviously made it clear enough that I didn't want to know the gender... though I had no clue that they would take me so seriously.