Baby Kehs Update

(Baby Kehs- 18 Weeks)

This week Mason and I went for our anatomy screening, and 18 week appointment to see how this bun in the oven is cookin' along. Mason will tell you (most likely) that I have not been terribly grouchy or crazy during this pregnancy but I think he's glad that I am some what getting back into wanting to cook dinner again. The one area where I tend to "freak out" however, is wanting to know what is going on inside of me. I wish that with all of the changes going on right now, there could be a little window where I could just peek inside and see Baby Kehs (BK). I guess that's what ultrasounds are for. We have been pretty lucky up until this point that we were able to get ultrasounds at 6 weeks, 7 weeks, and 10 weeks, so imagine my shock when we were not able to get an ultrasound at our 14 week visit. I may have shed a tear...but we did get to hear the heartbeat with a little monitor which was pretty amazing as well.

Whenever we leave the doctor's office, I immediately get excited about when I get to go back and see how BK is doing. And for those of you who know me or who have read this blog, you know I DO NOT get excited about doctors offices. Not only is it fun to see the baby on the ultrasound, but it is that reassurance that all is well, since I haven't been able to feel the baby kicking around yet. Although each and every appointment the doctor or ultrasound technician has had to "chase down" baby. Apparently we've got an active one in there. Despite all the excitement about the anatomy screening, we still held strong that we do not want to know the baby's sex.

Up until this point, people kept telling me that I'm crazy, and how could I not want to know. Mason and I decided long before I was pregnant that we didn't want to know the sex of the baby, or share potential baby names before the baby was born. Mostly because we think that this is one of the greatest surprises of all times and that it will make the birth even more special than it already will be. I knew though, that once someone else knew (the doctors), I would be much more itching to know if it was a boy or a girl. We made sure to tell our ultrasound technician (I think her name is Nicole) that we DID NOT WANT TO KNOW. I think we told her a few times just to make sure. So she checked everything out, the bones, brain, heart, and we got some great views of BK. Then she told us she was going to look "down there" and we should close our eyes.

I think that at this point I was grinning sooo bad, because I just wanted to peek--but I didn't! I looked at Mason who just leaned against the cabinet and closed his eyes, while I had to giggle because I had to close my eyes and cover them with my hands so I would not peek. It was the longest 2-3 minutes. When Nicole was done with the ultrasound a screen popped up that showed the different measurements etc...and I though maybe the sex would have been listed on this screen, but it was too far up on the wall for me to read it. We went back out to the waiting room to wait to meet with the doctor and Mason and I ooed and ahhed about the little ultrasound pics that we got. It was at this point that we were sharing how we were anxious to know, but glad we didn't find out. Mason told me that when he looked at the screen with all the measurements his eagle eyes could read the sign and he actually saw the words "female." I just looked at him, smiling, and before I could say anything he said, 'but then I realized that was next to your name"...lol!

(Mommy Kehs- 18 Weeks)

When we had left the room I asked Nicole, not to tell me the sex, but if she could tell what the sex was, and she said that when the parents don't want to know she doesn't really look to much so that if she uses he/she in the future we don't read into it. Mason and I think she knows, but it was nice of her to say that she didn't. I kept secretly thinking that the nurse of doctor would spill the beans after reading our chart, but they didn't because Nicole had written that we didn't want to know on our chart...Mason said I was NOT being sneaky when I tried to peek a look at the chart each time the nurse of doctor flipped through it. What can I say, I love surprises, but I just love to know about them too!

Anyways...I am glad I don't know! It isn't as much on my mind when we aren't at the doctors office, so now we just focus on BK. My students laugh though because they look at the ultrasound pictures I make copies of and hang on my wall behind my desk at school and of course have their guesses. It's a girl, or theirs a penis...they are pretty funny. This last time one of my graduating seniors told me she was mad that I didn't find out because she wanted to buy a little outfit, but she didn't want to buy a pink dress if it was a boy. (Clothing concerns my students the most, like the baby will have nothing to wear if we don't know if BK is a boy or girl). But when I told her I'd put a boy in a pink dress she just had this shocked look on her face...another one of my sophomores looked at the picture and said, "Mrs. Kehs, your baby is black!!!" To which another students responded, "you dumba**, it's a black and white photo." Silence...my students crack me up!!!

Meanwhile, all seems well with BK. I'm going back this week for another ultrasound just to check up on a few little things, but it just means I get to see BK again (although Mason is flying so won't get to go). I'm feeling good, but this intro to summer heat is not to fun. I had lost 8lbs but am slowly on the rebound for that, and it would appear that my pants will fit one day and not the next. I've only bought 1 pair of maternity jean capris, and a belly band to use with some other pants...but I'm just hoping to last the last two weeks of school and then I can blob in my shorts that still fit, dresses, and swimsuits!!!

(Dad and Mom Kehs- 18 Weeks)

In BK bedroom updates, we received our NEW La-Z-Boy recliner, and crib bedding for the baby room (although no crib) and our neighbors gave us a baby bassinet they didn't want to move with them to Minot, so I think that will be a downstairs bassinet when BK arrives. We're really excited as all these changes are going on in our lives. We went to an epidural class also this week, just to go together before Mason deploys, but I'm not sure if I was convinced that I want an epidural...still debating the natural vs. pain meds way...it was fun to go together, writing notes etc...we were not that mature, but a good time, and we got to go for ice-cream afterwards to that was awesome!

We have more baby photos and videos on facebook.


Just looking forward to the next 4.5 months to come. We're almost halfway there!

Baby Kehs Face (top) and Feet (bottom): 18 Weeks