My big sweet potato of a boy

This week no need for BabyCenter or iVillage's estimates of the Pumpkin's size. This week I can tell you that according to his ultrasound measurements Benjamin is approximately 9.5-10 inches from crown to toe and weighs about 10 oz. He will probably gain about a pound in the next 4 weeks. But, of course, BabyCenter does have those delightful food comparisons: he's the size of a large sweet potato. He is right on target for his estimated birth date. (iVillage notes 10 oz and 10.5 inches is the size of a newborn bear cub.)

He. I say again "he". He. BENJAMIN. He's a boy! It is still sinking in. And I am totally obsessed with the 4D ultrasound image. He's really in there. And that's what he looks like. I wasn't expecting such an image. In fact, when the doctor turned on the 4D during the ultrasound I was totally freaked out at first because my baby looked like he was made out of wax. Now I am amazed by how clearly we see his features. I can't wait to compare the real boy with the ultrasound this summer! Actually, I simply can't wait to meet the little guy.

The "midterm" ultrasound is a strange experience. Well, perhaps all ultrasounds are strange experiences because you are looking at your insides on a computer or TV screen. Anyway. As the tech said, at first "it" won't look like a baby. Before knowing we were looking at Benjamin, we were looking at his brain, the lens of his left eye (which, when the tech measured it with a grid on the screen, reminded me of the Borg), up his nose (which made me laugh so that the tech had to hold the wand still until my belly stopped jiggling), his little pumping heart, his white spine and vertebrae curving down his back, his tiny stomach, his outstretched hands and his feet (that look like his papa's -- second toe slightly longer than the big toe).

It is interesting to see your baby like this, but during the whole process the tech and doctor are measuring, looking at the quadrants of the brain, checking blood flow, checking development, verifying the length of the femur or the shape of the palate. And it's sometimes hard to tell what they are looking at and harder even to understand if what they are looking at is alright. Luckily, this time the tech (same guy as last time) was not completely silent and he basically gave us a little tour of our baby's body, even adding once in a while that it "looks good" (which he might not be supposed to do since he's not the doctor). Everything seems to be developing correctly, he's in good health as far as the perinatologist could tell. Big sigh of relief.

And he's a boy. No doubt about it.

-maman