We saw Baby Jarbs today!!

As a late wedding anniversary gift for Daddy Jarbs, I made an appointment for us to see Baby Jarbs. It was so timely since he said last night, "I want to see her already" :-). 

We had a 12:30 pm appointment for the 3D/4D ultrasound. I drank soda prior to the appointment to see if it will get her to move for her show. Well,  showtime came and she was face down!! She was hiding her face and did not want to cooperate. After some belly poking, she turned enough for us to see her face :-). We probably caught her in the middle of her nap. She was face down with her leg over her head just like the last time we saw her. She had a strong heartbeat of 152 bpm. We got a cd of her photos and a dvd of the entire 3D/4D sonogram. Here are some of the photos.

First of all, we made sure she's still a GIRL! Daddy Jarbs said this is the last time we'll want her to spread her legs open! lol.

Her cute foot with 5 little toes! Her foot is about 2 inches long

Aww, our little pumpkin :-). Daddy Jarbs said she looks like she got Mommy Jarbs' Filipino nose! lol. I think she got Daddy Jarbs' lips :-). At one point, she pulled her umbilical cord towards her face, holding it like a blankie!

After she gave us a sneak peek of her face, she started covering her face with her hand as if saying, "Leave me alone. You've seen enough!" Just like any celebrity, she does not like the paparazzi :-).

Perhaps, she just wanted to show off her toned arms/muscles again :-)

It was amazing that we were able to see her inside my tummy. We only have +/- 13 weeks before she arrives! We can't wait :-).

It's a GIRL!

We had our level 2 ultrasound/anatomy scan this morning and everything went well! We were not allowed to take any videos but it's okay. We enjoyed seeing and watching our Baby Jarbs for about 45 mins in both 2D & 3D (our insurance rocks!). We also got a cd copy of Baby Jarbs' awesome pictures.

So, to answer the most important question, Baby Jarbs is a GIRL! Woohoo! She was not shy in showing off her girl parts lol. The technician did not have a hard time figuring that out. Of course Daddy Jarbs had to ask "Are you sure it's not a boy?" :-P. I must admit that deep in my heart I knew Baby Jarbs is going to be a girl. Call it mother's instinct :-).

"I'm a girl! See, I already have a bow?"

The technician checked all the major organs to see if everything is developing well. All the measurements looked great. Baby Jarbs now weighs about half a pound and had a heartrate of 150 bpm. When we first looked at her, she was in this awkward position with her head upside down, tucked on her chest and legs above her head! It looked pretty funny. We saw her move, kick, stretch, scratch her head and try to thumbsuck. So cute!

Acrobat in the making :-)

Baby Jarbs flexing her muscles. All our weightlifting has been paying off!! lol.

Nice long legs! Woot! Woot!

Daddy Jarbs and I are very happy that our little darling Baby Jarbs is growing well. We cannot ask for anything more. I am sure she'll grow up to be daddy's little girl :-). Now, I have to make sure I control myself from buying super cute girly clothes for my little daughter. Girls are so much fun to dress up :-)

We saw our OB doctor right after the ultrasound and she said we are good to go for the babymoon. I just have to make sure that I drink bottled water and be careful with the ice they put on drinks. Also, sunscreen is a must! As for activities, no ziplining or scuba diving for me! LOL. Other than that, we're all set :-). Now, we can fully enjoy our upcoming babymoon and not worry about anything.

Soon after we left the doctor's office, we both called Grandma Jarbs and Lola B. Both grandmas were thrilled. Grandma Jarbs voted for team pink from the getgo so she was happy to hear her guess was right (and Daddy Jarbs was wrong! lol). Lola B said she'll start buying baby clothes! lol.

What a great day. May God be praised :-).

And the countdown begins...

4 days before the BIG ultrasound and 5 days before we leave for the babymoon!!

Baby Jarbs looks like a baby now...

Daddy Jarbs and I started the day with a daycare tour at Bright Start Child Care Center in Petworth. We really liked the center and have signed Baby Jarbs on their wait list. More than likely, Baby Jarbs will have to go to this daycare before we switch him/her to the daycare downtown. I will write more about how the daycare tour went in a separate post.

The highlight of our day was our appointment for the first trimester screening. Mothers who are age 30 and above are recommended to have this non-invasive genetic screening to assess the baby's risk of having Down syndrome and some other chromosomal abnormalities. Not all health insurance covers this screening. I am lucky that my insurance covers it so we decided to go ahead and get it. The screening includes an NT scan (nuchal fold scan) which uses ultrasound to measure the clear space in the tissue at the back of the baby's developing neck. They also have to take a blood test.

For our first trimester screening appointment, we had to go to a medical facility across from GW hospital. I was advised to come with a moderately full bladder. On the way to the appointment, I drank about 16 ozs of water. By the time we got to GW, I had to go to the coffee shop to relieve myself :-). Daddy Jarbs bought me another liter of bottled water to drink to refill my bladder. Worried that my bladder would not be full by the time we have our ultrasound, I finished drinking the whole liter of water in like 15 mins! By the time my name got called to see the genetic counselor, I was ready to go to the restroom again! :-/ However, I HAD to hold my pee since I can't have an empty bladder for the ultrasound. It was torture to say the least.

Long story short, we got to see Baby Jarbs again and now he/she looks like a baby :-). At first, we thought we would have to come back for another ultrasound appointment since the baby was not measuring as big as what they would need for the test. However, a few minutes later, Baby Jarbs stretched and the technician was able to do the test that she needed to do. Smart baby! :-). I guess Baby Jarbs was getting smooshed by my full bladder. The technician said that next time I do not have to drink THAT much before an ultrasound! LOL.

 Here's the photo of Baby Jarbs at 11w2d. 

Daddy Jarbs thinks he's a boy. He said the arms are flexed so he's showing his muscles! LOL

Overall, the appointment went great! Baby Jarbs looks like a baby now and not like a big blob during the 8 wk appointment. We got to see  him/her move. We also got to hear the heartbeat which was 163 bpm! What a strong baby :-). The technician said Baby Jarbs' nasal bone is already formed which is a great sign. Most of the time, the absense of nasal bone is an indicator of down syndrome. Baby Jarbs' nose was also very prominent. Perhaps, he/she will have Daddy Jarbs' nose and not take after Mommy Jarbs' Filipino nose :-). Here is a video of the ultrasound. Pardon Daddy Jarbs' shaky hand. 

http://vimeo.com/10724685 from Mommy Jarbs on Vimeo.

This day could have not gone any better :-). What a great day!