It’s a BOY!!!

Mark and I are very proud to announce that we are having a baby boy in August.  We had our first ultrasound this morning and baby looks very healthy.  Some of you know that I’ve been experiencing severe pain in my lower abdomen the past week and have been on bed rest since Thursday.  We were very anxious to get the results of the ultrasound to find out if my bed rest would be permanent.  Thankfully, our ultrasound tech was very diligent and found a potential source of my problem.  I have at least one ovarian cyst on my left ovary that is causing me great pain.  The good news is that it’s not baby-related but the bad news is that because I’m pregnant I can’t take anything for the pain.  I’m still supposed to take it easy and not over-exert myself but I can return to work if I feel like it.  I plan to go in tomorrow and see how I do.

Now, back to the important things…our baby boy!  He is a very healthy 9 oz. and heartbeat was 143 this morning.  The tech did all the standard measurements and check-ups and after each one, we were relieved to hear her say “that looks good.”  After her exam was complete, she asked us if we wanted to find out the gender and we unanimously said “YES!”  Unfortunately, baby didn’t want to cooperate.  He’s already showing signs of being stubborn.  I can’t imagine where he would have gotten that.  After a lot of twisting and turning (for me), the umbilical cord finally moved from between his legs and we were able to get several shots that clearly indicated that he’s my little man. 

As you can see from the pics, he’s already very active.  Although I haven’t felt him move yet, he likes to suck his thumb, kick and put his arm above his head while he sleeps (very much like mom likes to do).  Mark and I are so very thankful for this huge blessing in a tiny package and we look forward to the next few months as he continues to develop and grow.  We appreciate all of your love, support and prayers and are very grateful to share this journey with our family and friends.

To view the pictures in a high-resolution slideshow, you can view the ultrasound pictures here.

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Arm Raised:

Sucking His Thumb:

Boy Confirmation #1:

Boy Confirmation #2: