It's a ...

surprise! We managed to wait to find out the sex, even having to look away at several points when she told us to, so we wouldn't see. The ultrasound tech knows though, and took a picture. Most importantly, my baby is healthy by every single measure she could see. Four chambers of the heart. Perfect looking brain, kidneys, vertebrae, bones. My cervix is long and shows no sign of preterm labor risk. How did I get so lucky to have such a healthy baby? Tears streamed down my cheeks the whole time. My baby lifted up its legs like in happy baby pose; crossed its legs; made fists and brought those fists up to its mouth as though to suck its thumb; had a heart rate of 144 bpm (just like last time we checked, when it was 145). My baby's little foot was 2.9 centimeters long. That seems huge! And she said it weighs about ten ounces. Baby is measuring one week bigger than schedule, also like last time (I like big babies, and anyway that's reassuring). Also I get an ultrasound at 32 weeks, and they said they'll do non-stress tests weekly starting at 35ish weeks, all because I'm over 35 years old. Yippee! But most of all, yippee for my baby. My baby, with me, right here, healthy and seemingly peaceful. I feel so lucky and so grateful.