MMM...Melons!!! A Small Cantalope! (Week 19)

Well this was a super fun week for Cody and I!  We had our official 20 week appointment on Tuesday and got to see our precious little Seiden again!  Even though it was technically a week early...we definitely weren't complaining!  It was also super fun because Cody came home for the first time since he went to Amarillo 10 days ago!  Can you tell that I'm totally not counting?!?!  He wasn't home for long...but we'll take all we can get!  Our appointment was on Tuesday at 1:00 in the afternoon.  So, he came home Monday late afternoon around 5:30 and then left on Tuesday about 3:00.  It was literally a quick trip!  But we took full advantage of the short time he was home!  We went to eat dinner at Outback on Monday night, hung out a little bit on Tuesday morning (he had to go to the office here to check up on things), then we cleared out a few things from the nursery to start getting it ready to paint, went to lunch at Chili's, then headed off to our appointment!  We were beyond thrilled and excited and absolutely could not wait to be called back into the room!

We got to Dr. Maberry's and didn't wait more than 10 minutes before they called us back into the room.  They do then normal check in procedures with me...weighed me and took my blood pressure.  All that was perfect and right on track!  Thank you running and CrossFit :-)  I think Seiden is going to come out ready to go for a 2 mile run and do some overhead squats, cleans, pull-ups, and kettlebell swings...just saying!!!  Then, I headed back to the room where Cody was waiting and shortly after that the sonogram technician came in to check out our precious little cupcake!!!  Seiden literally took our breath away.  She has grown so much and just looks so beautiful!  It is always so amazing to look up on that screen and see the precious little life that is growing inside of you wiggling around.  I still can't believe that God has given us this precious little girl who is absolutely beautiful and perfect in every way!

The 20 week appointment is definitely a big appointment!  Not only do you get to see the growth of the precious baby, but you find out the gender (if you haven't cheated and found out early!), and they also check the growth and development to make sure that everything is as it should be and there are no problems.  So, the sonogram technician started checking her heart, liver, kidneys, measured her brain, her feet (which are huge!), her legs, her arms, and her hands.  She also looked at the blood flow to make sure that her precious, tiny body is working properly.  The technician also looked at  how her brain was developing and she said that it was picture perfect!  Everything was just perfect!  Oh...and they did confirm that it's a girl!!!  Seiden was measuring a little further ahead than we thought...they have my due date as October 31 and we thought it was November 2.  Either way...she will be the most precious fall baby that anyone could ask for!  After the technician was finished checking everything, she left and said that Dr. Maberry would be right in to double check everything.  When he came in, he told us that the sonogram technician had given him the report that everything with her was looking perfect.  She weighed 10 ounces and was developing and growing absolutely perfect and right on track.  He did say that there was a little pocket of fluid build-up right under her chin that he wanted to take a look at again in a couple of weeks.  Of course, our hearts dropped when he first told us this.  But, then he explained that it was seriously no big deal and the check-up in two weeks was just to make sure that it hasn't gotten bigger.  It does need to go away, which we have absolute confidence that God has already made it dissolve and when we go back on June 24th, there will be no sign of that that little pocket of fluid!

Dr. Maberry absolutely reassured us that this was really nothing and he has seen this type of thing before in multiple babies.  He also told us that he's seen them be double and even triple the size of what hers is and they completely go away within 2 weeks.  He explained that these precious babies are growing so fast and something like this, while not 100% normal, isn't anything to stress or worry over.  We are so blessed to have 2 amazing doctors that are such strong men of God and believe in his miraculous healing powers!  Our OB/GYN, Dr. Tadvick, called me later that afternoon just to tell me that Dr. Maberry had called him and given him the full report on what was going on with Seiden.  He continued to tell me and explain that this was absolutely nothing to worry about.  That the check-up is more just to check it.  Dr. Tadvick also told me that if Dr. Maberry would have thought it was something serious, we would have probably been on our way to Ft. Worth right after our appointment to see a specialist.  If he would have thought it needed attention right away, he would have not hesitated to have us sent up there to run genetic testing by doing an amniocentesis test on her.  Hearing that reassurance from Dr. Tadvick was just a sign from God that as we spoke...that little fluid pocket was probably already gone!

Right after our appointment, Cody and I did something so fun for Seiden!  Well...first...we got a phone call from All God's Children.  Which is the daycare facility through Zion Lutheran Church.  We were about  halfway to Kid's Village from our appointment when Cody's phone rang.  The phone call was to tell us that they were going to have a spot for Seiden available in the middle of January!  Just another sign from God that she is going to be perfectly fine!  I love it when God speaks to you when you are feeling a bit uneasy about something.  It's amazing to watch Him work and to know that when you have faith in Him, that nothing will stand in His way and His will for you.  Anywho...I plan to go back to work at the first of February...so the timing is absolutely perfect for the opening!  This was one of the two places that we were praying would have a spot available either before she was born or before I had to go back to work.  So, it is an answer to our prayers!  But...what we were on our way to do after the appointment was to order the custom bedding we are having made for Seiden's nursery!  We ordered it from Kid's Village and are SO excited for it to come in...only 4-6 weeks!  But who's counting?!?!  It's good though...it give us plenty of time to get the nursery painted and the crib set up before the bedding comes in.  Not only did we get the bedding ordered...but we are registering there...so we got 10% off the bedding!  HOLLA!!!  Another sign from our amazing God...I think so!!!  We are having so much fun planning for our sweet baby girl and absolutely can't wait for her to grace us with her beautiful, perfect presence!  Seiden Grace...you are so loved and you have blessed us in more ways than you will ever know!!!

Seiden Grace at 19 Weeks:

• You are the size of a small cantaloupe!
• You are 6.5 inches long and weigh 10 ounces!!!
• Your sensory development is growing at a super rapid pace and your brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch.
• You are starting to grow hair on your precious little scalp!  I wonder what color it will be?!?!?
• Your reproductive organs are fully developed, but will continue to grow as you grow.
• There is a waxy protective coating called vernix caseosa that is forming on your skin to prevent it from pickling from being in the amniotic fluid.
• You are absolutely perfect in every way and the most beautiful and precious thing that we have ever laid eyes on!!!

Only 21 More Weeks To Go!!!

Seiden Grace...you are SO beautiful!!!  Look at that precious little nose, lips, and chin!!!  And we can't wait to tickle that sweet little tummy of yours!