Yesterday I went to have my first NST (non-stress test). I knew that the test procedure itself wasn't a huge thing to worry about. I was more concerned about how long it was going to take and how bored I would get. Silly huh?? It turned out to be one of the most amazing experiences of my life and I'm actually looking forward to having them done every week.
So the nurse brought me back into this dimly lit room and strapped 2 monitors to my belly. One is to measure the baby's heartbeat, and one is to measure contractions (should there be any). I suppose any lady who has had a baby has had this done at least once--maybe the only time being while they were in labor. It was so wonderful because I laid back in this comfortable reclining chair in the dim room and listened to Maverick's heartbeat for 45 minutes. He was so squirmy that he kept bumping the sensor, and the nurse kept having to adjust it. :) There was a tv in there, but I didn't want to watch because it was more enjoyable to listen to the heartbeat. I also took that time to pray for Maverick.
The reason why I have to get these done weekly is because of my gestational diabetes. With GD the placenta can mature too quickly, and the oxygen and nutrient supply to the baby can diminish. So the test monitors the baby's heartbeat and movement, and makes sure that when he moves around his heart rate increases.
Yesterday I also had an ultrasound. It's actually been a couple months since my last one, so I was excited to see how much he had changed. This time the picture was a little more blurry, but that is a good thing! The nurse said as the baby grows, the sound waves have a harder time traveling through denser bones and muscles.
Overall the results were fantastic. It was so exciting that I've kinda blurred all the details that I wanted to remember. But that's probably because I wanted to remember them all! We watched the 4 chambers of his heart move. We watched him play with his feet. We could see his fingers and toes. We saw a clear shot of his eyes, nose, and mouth. The nurse took one look at his legs and said, "Wow! Look at those leg muscles!" So Robbie is very excited about his cycling future. The nurse also showed us that he already has a head full of hair.
I don't know why, but I got so excited about hearing that--that I got light headed. I've been trying to picture what he's gonna look like and I've been hoping that he would be born with a good amount of hair. I don't know why though. It's not like I need to worry about putting bows in his hair or anything.
He currently weighs 4 lb 11 oz. And the funny thing is (funny because I have GD), that's actually a little small for how far along I am. (according to the nurse) So she bumped his due date out to December 10th instead of December 1st. My dad will be happy because he was concerned about Maverick arriving during opening weekend for deer hunting, which is the last week of November. :)
Here is a shot of his face! Tilt your head to the right and you should see his eyes, nose, and mouth. His arm is slightly blocking the view.
Tomorrow is my baby shower, and I'm super excited about seeing everyone! I actually hate being the center of attention to open presents, but I'm sure that feeling will go away with the first "awwwwww!" look at an outfit. Yay!
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