It's a...

...girl!!! Yes, we are having a second baby girl. And we are very excited.

The ultrasound appointment at See Baby went well, though there was some frustration having to do with paperwork and insurance that I will not bother getting into. We began the appointment with a normal diagnostic ultrasound, like we had with Elsa, and the technician looked over the baby's body and took measurements, explaining every detail as she went, which was very nice. Everything looked good -- the baby was measuring appropriately for its age, there was no extra fluid in the cranium, and there did not seem to be any other warnings signs to lead to a talk with the doctor or anything. So we were very happy to see a healthy baby. Just like Elsa during her 20-week ultrasound, this baby was very active -- the technician told us to get our roller skates ready for this one! With Elsa, the tech labeled her a "wild child," so I do not know what this means for our future.

Profile/torso shot

Arms

Heart

Profile/torso again

 The second half of our visit involved a three-dimensional ultrasound, which was something we did not get to experience with Elsa. It was pretty cool to see the baby's face in clearer detail, and just seeing things in color makes a huge difference, I think. Jarrett made the comment that you could not really make out the eyes very well -- they really showed up more as just indentations at this point -- and the technician said that this early on in the pregnancy, it is more difficult to make out those details. So I am sure if we were to have waited to do the 3D ultrasound later in the pregnancy, we might have been able to see even more. But, regardless, it was still pretty fascinating and made the baby seem that much more tangible.

Face and right hand (placenta is there to the right)

Close-up of face

Hand in front of face -- being shy

Another close-up

Both hands by face

Hands by face, mouth open

 Based on nearly every wives' tale you can think of, Jarrett and I were absolutely convinced that we were having another girl, so the news was not too much of a surprise for us. But I asked Jarrett as we were leaving the hospital whether he was at all disappointed, and he said that he felt something. That when the technician gave us the news he thought, "why, of course!" But then it sunk in even deeper that, "oh, yeah, we really are having another girl." I think there is a part of him (and even myself) that would maybe like to experience having a son. But he said he is still so very excited, and he has been talking about what it would be like to have two girls for months now, how they will likely be called "The Helms Girls" by those who know them, etc.

Jarrett will be outnumbered, and we may never experience firsthand all the frogs, snails, and puppy-dogs' tails that little boys have to offer since our plan has always been to stop at two children, but those are the only real negatives I can think of. There are so many wonderful aspects to come, I believe. I am sure sharing will become a huge part of their lives. Shared clothes, shared toys, shared late-night giggles in a shared bedroom. It is going to be so much fun, and I look so forward to everything our little family will share together in the years to come.