Dear Baby Helland: (Of 20 Weeks)

Dear Baby Helland:
Well, today we had our 20 week ultrasound and it looks like you have all of the right parts in the right places. At one point, you had your hands together by your face and even the x-ray tech thought you looked like you were praying. It was pretty neat to see all the images. When we got home, Daddy said "so do you think baby looks like you or me?" And I answered "Well, it has a pointy chin like you, but it doesn't have a turtle nose, so that must be from me." (Daddy has this joke with some of his friends that he has a turtle nose. I have no idea what a turtle nose is supposed to look like, but Jake's sister said it once and it stuck.) Even during the ultrasound, you were a mover. And now I understand why I don't always feel it. Apparently I have an anterior placed placenta, which means it's sitting on the front of my belly. So when you are kicking and punching, it has more of a barrier to get through. Although, I'm pretty sure you were doing some summersaults during the sermon Sunday. When I told Grandpa Ben, he suggested you were just trying to help Pastor Debra empahasize her points by punching little "Amens"!
In other news, Daddy has started reading to you. So far we are checking out the Sandra Boynton books and he thinks they are pretty hilarious. I do often think about what sounds are going on around me, and what sounds you might be picking up. Will Prudence's bark really bother you if you've been hearing it this long? What do you think of pep band and band rehearsal when Mommy's teaching?
We've started pre-natal classes which are pretty interesting. I don't know if it's the fact that I like any type of school or classes(especially ones that really apply to something pressing), or the fact that it's confirming what I've been studying up on so I don't feel like an uniformed pregnant woman, or maybe I like meeting all of the people in the hospital that I could possibly work with when it comes to labor and delivery day. I'm not going to lie, I do really look forward to the juice and cookies/crackers they always have available. So far we've worked on nutrition(and I really need to be better at my veggies) with the dietician, learned about possible drugs from the nurse anesthetist (holy cow I can't spell that), cesareans and other possible complications from the ob/gyn and a typical birth with a family practice doctor. I've really liked everyone so far, and that makes me feel good about labor. We also got a tour of the birthing center and there just happened to be a baby in the nursery. She was such a little peanut with a ton of hair. I almost cried because she was so cute and I thought "holy cow I'm going to have one of those!" (These weren't tears of fear, it was mostly of joy and excitement.) A few things have surprised me during class: 1. I guess I'm one of the few that actually follows the recommendations on the pamphlet. They said to attend class in your first or second trimester. So I did. I am the only one in class who isn't basically about to pop. At first I felt ackward about it, but then daddy reminded me that I'm just on the ball. 2. The epidural needle didn't scare me. Even when she passed it around, I didn't have a problem with it. Of course I don't really need to watch it being administered, but I'm not afraid about it poking me. I have a lot of confidence in those medical people. Plus I really liked the nurse that presented it. (I also got a Baby Ruth because I was the only one that asked a question!) 3. It still is a little hard to watch an actual birth. We watched two (one with, one without an epidural) and I'm sure glad that I really don't have to see what's going on down there. I have no doubt you will be beautiful, but man it's pretty gross when you get delivered. I don't know how your dad does it.
My kids at school are very interested in you. They give suggestions every day as to what we should name you. Also, every time I mention a musical person to emphasize a point, they think I brought it up because that's what we're naming you. Like this morning in jazz when I told them the recording had Maynard Ferguson on it who was a screamer. Three kids then said "that's it, you're naming it Maynard!" They will say anything to waste time!
I still eat a lot, but it's hard to tell how much my belly is really growing. My students tell me which shirts make me look more pregnant and which ones don't. Lately my favorite foods include fruity pebbles, lettuce salad with thousand island dressing, bars, and peanut butter and banana sandwiches. (I've tried to stay away from the sandwich meat after all that talk about listeria. Not quite sure how I'll be able to give up my subway, but maybe I'll just find a new favorite sandwich.)
And all that talk of food has made me hungry again.......I'll go finish off last nights fettucine alfredo.
Talk to you next week!