Moving Pictures

So, here's a development for you - just in the last few days or so i've been able to feel my baby move. How exciting! I'm not quite sure how to describe it exactly but lets put it this way : it slike my tummy is a fishbowl and the baby is a little fish, flitting around in there and occasionally crashing into the sides. I think my bub must like doing underwater yoga or something because since i've been able to notice, i've realised its quite the hive of activity in there. In fact, i have what a sonographer described as " a wriggler ".

At least thats what i was told at my 19 week scan on Monday afternoon. Mr Gil and i were in with the sonographer for 40 minutes, during which time the baby twisted and turned, flipped and flopped... and pretty much did anything but stay still. She found it quite amusing though - rather than get frusturated that it wouldnt stay still long enough to concentrate on any one body part, she just took little pictures of the head, or the heart, or the leg etc whenever she could. IT was cute to watch too : we got to see the baby yawn, and wiggle its bottom and curl up with its fists under its feet ( hence the yoga, see ? ).

And just quickly - what else were we told at our scan ? The gender of our baby....

Welcome to my Humble Abode....

Wow - the past few days have been muy hectic! I have finally moved into my first, non-rented home over the weekend, so i've spent the last week either:
A) Undercoating and painting;
B) Loading or unloading boxes and furniture; or
C) Unpacking and arranging said boxes and furniture.

I'm so glad i decided to take a week of annual leave to coincide with the move, because otherwise i'd have random boxes sitting around for weeks on end. Don't get me wrong, i still have a few odds and ends to sort through, but for the most part everything is in its new place. Mr Gil and I still have a second coat of paint to put on this weekend, and even though painting has proved to NOT be my favourite job in the world, its well worth it to cover up the colours the previous owners had going on. I'm all for colour, but just couldnt handle the Kermit the Frog hued green of the bathroom, or sunflower yellow of the lounge and dining room. Colour is gorgeous and effective when its splashed about - i'm thinking cushions, photo frames, knick knacks..... its more pyschedelic nightmare-ish when its everywhere. Everywhere. Everywhere!!

I've also been to have a nuchal translucency test - which is, in laymans terms, an ultrasound and blood test to determine my risk of carrying a baby with Down Syndrome or similar chromosomal abnormalites. Its sounds a little scary, but its just your basic ultrasound. Its also the first time i've been able to see my little person looking like a baby, and not a frog. What relief to know i'm carrying a human and not an amphibian! To be serious, the dating scan at 8 weeks shows the baby at quite an early stage - Mr Gil and i nicknamed the baby Stumpy because of the tiny, stump like, froggy looking limbs it was sporting at the time. But this time around, at 12 weeks now, litte Stumpy is recognisably baby like - tiny little fingers and toes, crazy rapid heartbeat, and fully formed and functional organs. I also think Stumpy is practising baby yoga in there - i cant feel any movements for myself yet but waiting half an hour for him/her to get into the right position to have the nuchal photo taken was like watching a tiny, underwater ballet! At one point, he/she even mooned me, so i have half a mind to ground my child as soon as its born.... what a cheeky rat!

And thats been my week thus far - excluding sleep ins and mid afternoon naps. Its going to be tough going back to stupid work next week....