Tuesday, September 23, 2008

I've just seen a face (or three)

So the reason my doctor appointment was so exciting was that Ted and I unexpectedly got to see 4-D images of three of the babies! They actually looked like morphing gobs of goo most of the time (the ultrasound tech had to fiddle with a bunch of settings in order to get the right angle), but once they were brought into focus, it was so cool to see their little faces.

Without further ado, here is a screencap of Baby B (apparently we were disturbing him so much that he had to cover his ears):


And here's Baby C (the poor thing was getting kicked in the head by her sister most of the time, which is probably why she's frowning):

And finally, here's Baby D (not a great picture, but funny because she's in the process of getting kicked in the face by Baby C—that'll teach her!):

Unfortunately, Baby A was left out because he was too deep in my pelvis to see him clearly. Hopefully we'll have better luck next time.

In case you were curious, the babies weighed in at 14, 11, 11, and 12 ounces (A to D). I won't tell you what the scales read when it was my turn to get weighed, but rest assured that the doctor was very happy with the amount I've gained so far. My 20-week belly is measuring at 30 weeks, and the nurse commented that I am "stretching nicely" (whatever that means). So far I am not having any swelling and my blood pressure remains low, both of which pleased my doctor greatly.

He did warn me, however, that at this stage I will be experiencing contractions on a regular basis. Since I can't feel them yet, I have started using a home contraction monitor for an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening. (The babies go wild when I wear the monitor; I don't think they are fond of it, but I love it when they move around so much!) If I would ever have four or more contractions within the space of an hour, I would need to go to the hospital for further evaluation.

So my job for the foreseeable future is to stay hydrated and restrict my activity as much as possible in order to keep contractions to a minimum. Although I hate not being able to do anything, it's getting to the point now where it's difficult for me to move much, anyway. I predict that my new 3-month Netflix membership (thanks, Johnny and Holly!) will be getting quite the workout!

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

So lovely to see them! My girlfriend with twins framed her ultrasound photos. She kept them on the coffee table right next to where she sat for months on bedrest so she could see their little faces and be reminded of what all this work waiting was for. I can't wait to come spend a day with you. Wish it could be more:)
JJ

Anonymous said...

They (the three we could see) are beautiful! I'm so glad you are able to enjoy so much of your pregnancy, even though the largeness of your middle is a hassle. See you Tuesday!

Lisa

Anonymous said...

Are you worried at all about sibling rivalries with the amount of head-kicking you're seeing already??? :) They're very cute!!

Kim

Bethany said...

YAY!!! They are beautiful! Did you cry? Glad to hear everything is healthy!
What does it feel like to have 4 moving babies? Whenever my ONE baby is going crazy I think about you and wonder..."how in the world?"

Suzy said...

Hee, no, I didn't cry ... that would have blurred my view of my babies! :)

The babies have been moving more and more each day. It actually feels like popcorn popping randomly in all four corners of my belly. :)

Lori said...

Wow! 4-D ultrasounds are so amazing. I think it's hilarious that you can actually see the baby's foot kicking her sister's head. Too funny!!

Anonymous said...

Wow! I came here specifically looking for the latest belly watch update, but this is even better--baby faces! :) How are the contractions this week?

The Middletons said...

Suzy-

They are BEAUTIFUL!! I love the head kicking...that is hilarious!

Staci

Anonymous said...

Oh, that is so cool! How's the contraction monitoring going? The first time I did it I had 9! The nurse was a little alarmed, to say the least...

-Christine

Anonymous said...

Just checking in on the progress and was thinking of you 6. Hard to believe you still have more time to go! Looks like you're already prepared to pop!
Corey

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