It's a GIRL!!

After another sonogram this afternoon, Heather and I are delighted to announce that George is a girl! That means that about 90% of those polled (including me) guessed wrong- maybe the "George" nickname, however unisex (see post below) threw everybody off. I really don't know much about girls, so my head has been set spinning all over again, but when I think of the amazing little girls I've had the joy of meeting in the last few years (Melea, Lucy, Hannah...) I am very excited. And Brad and Erin (see link on the right) learned today they are having a boy, so it's good to know we're keeping things balanced. Most importantly, she looks healthy and perfect, which is the best news.

Here a few pictures from the brand-new sonogram machine we used today. It looks like she's smiling in the profile shot, and the strange parts of the 3-D shot are from the uterine wall and her hand in front of her face. I think she looks beautiful, so she obviously takes after her mother.

Thanks for all of your encouraging notes. Heather and I really feel blessed to have such a supportive community around us.

Boot to the head

Last night I felt the baby kick for the first time! Heather has been feeling movement for a few weeks now, but I hadn't felt anything yet. I finally got to join in the fun when I put my head to her belly and got a swift kick to the ear. Very cool. Turns out the baby doesn't really like being squashed, but at least I know how to push its buttons to get a physical reminder of how real it is. (As if Heather's growing bump isn't real enough...it could probably still pass for a pot-belly if I squinted a bit...and ignored how thin she is everywhere else...) Here's a shot of from a few weeks ago, at 16 weeks.

Today is also the last day that I can call the baby "it." Tomorrow we have the "anatomy sonogram" where we learn the sex! (Heather will give a precise theoretical reason why it is the "sex" and not the "gender," and being an experimentalist, I don't argue when theory comes into play.) So, stay posted, and if the baby cooperates we'll have a big announcement to share tomorrow afternoon.