connections

So. I have connections. 

I know this guy who does fetal echos on pregnant women to see how the baby's heart is working. He's pretty smart and I kinda like him, too. When he asked if I wanted to let him practice echoing I was like.... yes please!

What better way to spend a cold and dreary Saturday afternoon than looking at your baby with your husband!? And of course (most importantly to patrick) making sure B's heart is doing all of the right things. Let me tell you - I had NO idea what he was looking at, measuring, twisting the ultrasound probe around for, all I know is he's real smart and seemed to know what he was looking at. B has intestines, a liver, a black hole for a tummy, all 4 heart chambers, mitral and tricuspid valves (all of which I could see and figure out - but all straight forward) and a lot of other things that the doctor saw - and B was VERY squirmy.

My doctor for the day.

 So I look down and he has a glove on. I said "Do you think I am diseased!?" It was just because he didn't want the ultrasound gel on him.

I had my very own view of B - I took these with my phone from far away - not the best quality.

It's a leg! B is sticking it straight up

Ok. So this is the umbilical cord in the yellow box (next picture). Yes, it's vital for a baby to be connected to an umbilical cord. But I have a story as to why I am totally grossed out by them. 

A baby that was born at home had some complications and was brought to the ER by EMS. I was in the trauma room along with the other nurses, doctors, etc. Well this baby's umbilical cord was cut but it was real long. I mean reeeaaaal long. And gross. Real gross. My facial expression said everything I was thinking. One of my friends was like, "melanie, it's okay..." because I started getting all nervous about it, and then panic set in when I realized that there was one of those inside of me and that yes, in fact, one day I was actually going to birth this baby - umbilical cord and all - and this memory would come flooding back into my mind when I saw it flopping around. I started asking if she thought they would wrap the baby up before they handed it over so I wouldn't have to see that long creepy thing, or if it would already be cut short, and on and on with questions. 

I am still not over it. Example: I was walking Eloise and saw a stick that was all twisted and bumpy looking on the ground and immediately felt like I was experiencing post traumatic stress disorder due to flash backs of that day.

Moving on...

head, belly, knee and a hand 

B has a brain! Let's hope it's like B's dad!

See the heart?

Heart again

This ones kinda creepy. I keep thinking of someone crawling out of a grave. Don't ask me why. I just do.

hand and then on the bottom is a foot

Thanks Dr Broderick for 3 hours of fun watching B move all around :)