introducing . . .

Stoll kiddo #6

We had an ultrasound yesterday morning and got to "meet" our new little person. Since I'm so old {over 35}, I had a really involved, level II ultrasound where they measured every conceivable thing on his or her {we didn't want to know . . . we're into surprises!} little body. Our busy little one weighs about 14 ounces {nearly a whole pound} and measures nearly a week ahead of my due date {not surprising, since I have big babies}. They had to come back to lots of the measurements because this little one wasn't in the mood to hold still much, which makes measuring stuff pretty challenging. Eventually, they got them all but one . . . the length of the bone in the nose. I imagine that one isn't the most important, but you learn new things everyday and just maybe, it is! For instance, did you know that having only 2 bones {rather than 3} in your pinkie finger is a marker for Downs? I didn't . . . until yesterday. On both hands our little bugger has 3 bones in the pinkie finger, so that's good. I could tell you all the other interesting things I learned, but I'll save you from my non-professional explanations and just tell you that everything looked wonderful and healthy. Praise God. I wasn't nervous at all going into it, but it always feels good to come out feeling that much more confidant that everything is going smoothly and is on track. Sometime in October the guessing will be over and we'll know "boy or girl" and have met our little person. We're so excited!

I really can't make heads or tails {wait, scratch that . . . we didn't see any tails on there at all, I'm confident of that!} of much on an ultrasound without help. Those people who do them amaze me. Really, that's a liver? It looks like a little sepia-colored smudge to me. I guess I'll take your word for it. Anyway, if you can make much out of these pictures, have at it! The ones above are both {rather creepy, if you ask me} straight-on shots of the face. Looks so skeletal. Our tech used the word "cute", which I'm sure he or she will be {at least in my, maternal, opinion!} . . . but I wasn't quite seeing it in those pictures! The pictures below are labeled, but the top one is a picture of the nose and upper lip {free of any clefts!}, the middle one is a profile {that one even I can figure out} and the bottom one is a foot {I can figure that one out all on my own too!}

The baby waved at us {friendly little bugger already!} and we had a game of peek-a-boo going for a while there when trying to get a good look at the little face. It's good to know that #6 will be walking in the well-trod footsteps of his or her older siblings by being uncooperative.

O Lord, you have searched me and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise, you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord.
You hem me in -- behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Psalm 139.1-18

Praise God!