at least we can swaddle

Our childbirth class came with a free newborn care class. Because free knowledge is good, we dragged our tired, swollen selves to the hospital. The instructor was the same quirky one from our fear factor childbirth class.

The first hour was a repeat except for some horrific pictures of a newborn getting ointment slathered on his poor little eyeballs after birth. And a description of circumcision. And pictures of different kinds of baby poop. Newborns are so much fun!

The second half of the class, though, shifted to hands-on learning - burping, holding, (disposable) diapering and swaddling. Shea, having the spatial skills in this parenting team, was a successful swaddler of our very large baby with unbendable legs.

He's adopted.

Very proud of himself, Shea demonstrated his skills at home.

Luckily our baby won't be born with a healthy set of claws and incisors.

a real boy!

Alternate post title: Um, do you see those guns on my son?

This morning was anatomy scan, take II. And oh my friends, it was the highlight of the last 19 weeks. We saw his feet with 10 identifiable toes. Two kidneys. One bladder and stomach. A long spine. Brain. Everything!

He was sleeping the whole time except for a few leg stretches and one yawn. He's breech right now with is head right above my belly button and feet at my cervix. He'll most likely flip before we need him to so nothing to worry about. My midwife did say this is the cause of my hip pain as my pelvis is working to accommodate a baby butt instead of a baby head. At 11 ounces and a heartbeat of 148, he's right on track!

His mother is healthy at 19 weeks and 1 day. I've gained nine pounds and have excellently low blood pressure.

There was something about today - seeing his face, picking out Shea's nose and my lips. He's really in there! A real, live boy that I can't stop staring at.