Catch the Smile

Here's another video of the new internet sensation.  See if you can catch Dahlia laughing at her father's joke!

 

New Dahlia Photos

We had the opportunity to see Dahlia again today. We had more 3D images taken of her and after about 20 minutes of sleeping, she woke up to give us plenty to see... including a smile. Check out the pictures below in the slideshow.

3D Images

Today we went to a place in Manhattan that takes 3D ultrasounds.  We were able to see our little girl almost as if she were sitting in front of us.  Throughout the entire process she was quite bashful, keeping her hands in front of her face.  Below is a quick video and 6 pictures of our little Dahlia Jude.

Things That You're Forced To Do When Your Wife's Pregnant

"Matt, I need to do this!  I'll go without you, I'm just saying, I need to do this before the baby comes."

This was the tough predicament I was put into last month when my pregnant wife demanded we go on one last vacation to someplace warm before the baby comes. 

I know what most of you are thinking.  You're thinking, 'Man, Matt!  You really have it rough.'

Well, I appreciate it, but don't worry about me. I can handle it as it comes. 

As only a good husband would, I got on the Internet right away and started searching for, "someplace warm," to take my unreasonable wife.  

After a painstakingly long search of sold out or overpriced islands, we found a deal in Aruba. We had already been to the island once before, but that made it even more intriguing. We wouldn't feel the need to do any site seeing. Just sit on the beach and soak up the sun for a few days. 

So now here we are.  The sandy beaches of Aruba. So sandy that my pants have already gotten... well, sandy. The blue waters of the Caribbean. So blue that I can't tell where the sea ends and sky begins.  The warm island sun.  So warm that I have already had to move out of it because it's too hot.   

Please don't feel too bad for me, though.  I was fully aware that this was part of the trials and tribulations when I signed up to start a family with Heather. 

We've only been on the island for about 18 hours and Heather has already said on numerous occasions how overwhelmingly happy she is right now. 
 
As I sit here typing this post, staring out into the clear blue ocean, I am reminded that this is what it's all about. Sacrificing for the ones you love.

It's a...Girl!

We just had our 20-week anatomy scan and everything checked out normal.  The ultrasound technician immediately informed us that she would be taking the photographs, but that the doctor would be in to give us the analysis.  She calmly, and without emotion, perused the inside of Heather’s belly identifying the body parts one by one. 

“One arm… There’s the other...”  

Heather and I are smiling at the screen, at each other, back at the screen.

“Eye lids...

“Nose...

“Lips…”

“Does everything look normal?” I asked.

“The doctor will be in to tell you that!” 

Oh, sorry.  

“There’s a foot… here’s the other...

“Femur...

“Abdomen...

“It’s a girl.”

Wait, hold it… It’s a girl?

And just like that, as if she was just reading us the daily special at a run-of-the-mill diner, she announced that we were having a daughter. 

It didn’t matter, though, the tone of the announcement.  I looked at Heather and I could see the happiness gleaming out of her.

“A GIRL!”  Heather cried softly in joy.

And so there it is.  I am soon to be the proud father of a baby girl. 

Below are some pictures from the ultrasound. 

The last one might be a bit X-rated… Just saying.

                              Here is a profile of the little girl.

                            Her two feet.  So cute!

 

                          My Little Girl is not shy.  I'm not sure how I feel about that right now.

Three Months Down - Seven to Go

We went for our ever-so important Nuchal Translucency (NT) Scan today.  Basically it is an ultrasound where they look at the fluid under the skin in the back of the baby’s neck.  This will assess the likelihood of the baby having Down’s Syndrome.  This test is done soon after 12 weeks.  They won’t be able to tell us for sure either way, just a percentage as to the chances of it developing Down’s.  The nurse told us that they would be concerned if it was over 2.5 mm, and that normal is around 1mm – 1.5mm. 

We got to the hospital right on time and had to wait for only 15 minutes, but don’t tell that to Heather’s bladder!  I can’t say I can completely relate to Heather’s experience.  I mean I don’t think I’ve ever had to drink a gallon of water and then have somebody poke and push on my stomach for 40+ minutes.  It must have felt awful!  But I was in such awe with our little guy dancing on the computer screen that, in my mind, it seemed to justify Heather’s discomfort.   And since this blog is named after my mind…  Well, sorry Heather, but because the little guy wouldn’t give us a perfect profile picture (what is needed to take the NT measurements) we were able to look at him/her for about 40 minutes. 

In that 40 minutes, we saw our unborn child turn, flip, wave, turn some more, and touch its head.  To see the our little guy move his hand like that and to its head had to be one of the cutest things I’ve seen.  Ok, I admit, that sounds cliché, but up until this touch of the head it has been a number, a percentage, a heartbeat, an ultrasound, a fetus, a “Teddy Bear.”  Now it was making human movements.  This really might have been the cutest thing I have ever seen. 

After a while the stubborn little guy gave the nurse a profile picture (see below) and allowed her to take a measurement of the fluid.  It measured at 1.01mm.  We are at 12 weeks 2 days.  We still have to hold our breaths for the next 8 weeks until the 20 week scan to see if everything is progressing as it should, but as of now everything is normal once again.


ps.  If you're reading this blog already, you obviously know already.  But we are starting our 2nd trimester, so please feel free to tell any friends or family of our pregnancy... if you want to.

Pps. Follow me on Twitter.

Follow ITMOTM on Twitter!

Okay 21st century people, it's time to step it up and follow me on Twitter.
Whether you like it or not, Twitter is here to stay and it is a great way to keep connected - especially to this blog.
If this seems appealing to you, here are a few ways to follow ITMOTM (InTheMindOfTheMan) on Twitter:

1. If you already have an account just sign in and follow @TheMindOfTheMan
2. If you don't have an account click on the Follow me on Twitter link on the left side of this page.  Sign up for an account and search for TheMindOfTheMan and follow.
2a. If you are still confused on how to sign up for a Twitter account, click on this LINK and it will walk you through the steps to sign up for an account.