It's A......Baby SISTER!!

I better get this posted before she actually COMES! Which by the way our due date is October 4, 2011. So I have a little saying to go along with it....."10/4, over and out!" yeah? =D

Yeesh, how can I be so bad at keeping up with somethings that I love so much? I love her, I love my family, I love blogging, etc. 

Anyhow, you can see the date on this Ultrasound was 5/26/11. This is her 6 month Ultrasound(US). John got work off, my mom and dad came too. It was so exciting, not only to find out the gender, but I was more concerned about her health because of the infection and scarring etc. that I had from the complications after Bryce. I had nightmares about a mutant baby...and honestly I still do. I mean, US are amazing technology, but they still don't tell all. But some of the most important stuff we know....she has a head, limbs, hands, feet. One of my favorites is to see the 4 chambers in her heart and all the organs were accounted for too. 
          I am currently 31 weeks and HUGE (everyone thinks I'm due any day now or have twins. And they tell me that too. hee hee). But truthfully I feel due any day now. I feel now like I did in my last 2 weeks with Bryce. I've decided that for anyone that wants to know what it is like to live day to day at 7-9 months pregnant like me, there is a way. Duct tape a basketball around your waist for 1 week. Wouldn't that be fairly accurate? You can't bend over or suck in, you can't reach beyond your stomach, you hit things with the belly bc hey, you aren't used to having it there =) etc. etc. My frustration is when I'm trying to compensate for room in the front, so I don't hit my belly on something, and then I end up knocking something over with my rear end. I mean seriously, how rude is that? Geez.
So, back to the US. Some of my impressions really quick. First off, for some reason I thought that the pictures would pretty much look just like Bryce did. I honestly didn't think or know or expect or something along those lines...that these two children of mine could be that physically different at this "age". I was astounded that there were actual physical differences. Her legs and feet especially. Her legs are long and lean. Her feet are long and narrow. Bryce's legs and feet at his US are like little athlete legs and box feet. He still has box feet and athlete legs. Ha ha, I love that! I love that they are different. I love that she is feminine and he is so BOY...and always has been, you know?  It is true what they say, "Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose." -The Family Proclamation. It's awesome.
            K- So I had to include some precious pictures of my masculine little boy gearing up for his baby sister. He doesn't know that, but I do =D Quick precious moments....We currently live with my parents and she had all girls so there are plenty of dolls in the toy corner. So, he gets the toy babies and puts them down for Happy Nappies. He takes his blanket and wraps the toy baby up. He bends down and gives it a hug and kiss. He then will turn to us and say "shhhh" with his finger up to his lips. Hee Hee....he is going to be such a great daddy. Another thing....he has a push toy with a little compartment at the bottom. He likes to sit in that compartment and have John push him around the house. Well, he is getting to big for it and the wheel keeps falling off when they take corners. Soooo, now he gets the toy baby and puts her in the little compartment and pushes her around house. So Sweet!!!!!
            Latest pregnancy update from this week. I took a very unexpected ambulance trip to the ER. Yes, it is true. Such a strange day. So....it was Tuesday 8/2/11. I was at Serrano's at a work lunch celebrating one of my dearest friends and co-workers Birthday. We had about 15 min. left before the lunch hour was over. I hadn't even really touched my food, just the rice, bean dip, salsa and chips. Ha Ha Ha...that is all...just ALL that "other" food that I apparently don't count as "my" food. Anyway anyway, I dropped my napkin on the floor right between my legs. So I backed up my chair a little, bent my legs out and such and reached down with an extra *hmph* to close the gap between me and that napkin that I couldn't reach because of the cute basketball I have around my waist ;-) Well when I came back up there was this pain in the back of my left thigh just above my knee. It felt like a pinch, or poke, or tweak of some kind. So I was moving it and trying to help relieve the pain of whatever I just did. Then I looked up and realized that I was about to faint. So I grabbed my sisters arm and said, (Thanks to Gina for my exact quote ;-) "I'm going to pass out. (then I turned to my co-worker)" and said, "Happy Birthday" and went unconscious. I laugh so hard now hearing that. But we were not laughing then. I went in and out of consciousness 3 times for about 30 seconds each time, they said, and in between I couldn't quite gain complete consciousness back, I remember that too. Whole thing lasting about 10-15 minutes. Eventually we elevated my legs and then I finally stopped fainting. They had already called the ambulance and so I took a ride from Queen Creek to Banner Gateway ER in Mesa/Gilbert. First ambulance ride for me and I remember them saying "She's a bleeder!" when they were starting my IV and when they stuck my finger for my glucose reading. The pain in my thigh got a little worse and spread over the hours, but nothing came of it. They did a doppler on the baby first thing and she was at 160. Which they said was great and fine, maybe a little water would help her. For me they did a full leg US, an EKG, blood work, and hooked me up to a Cardiac monitor. In the end all the results came back and the Dr. came in and said, "You are the healthiest person on paper we have seen all day!". Everything was normal. What a great blessing! They think what happened is that when I bent down I somehow restricted the circulation to one of my main arteries. Because of the position I was in and being pregnant, it didn't allow for full blood flow so I couldn't regain consciousness completely until my legs were elevated which allowed the passage of blood more freely. So an ironic tidbit...on the same day all during this same time my dad went to his cardiologist appointment. The cardiologist sent him to Banner Baywood hospital to have an US done on his leg because of a hematoma he had from his procedure at the hospital about a week prior. They wanted to be sure it wasn't still bleeding. So, the same day....two different hospitals....my dad and I are laying around having the same exam done. HA HA! My cute cousin said the next time we make it a family hospital day it needs to be with a healthy baby and a healthy labor and delivery. So I say to that....."10/4 there good buddy, OVER and OUT!" 

Only Profile picture she would give us, it's not the best. For example, hope she has a nose, upper lip or both ;-) 

Barlow babies are PROUD of their gender! Never bashful and apparently very obvious, they say ;-)

Sweet little lean girl legs. SO opposite of Bryce's legs in his US (Ultrasound)

Gotta love those feet! Long thin girl feet. Still looks like she has the toe spread from John and I.

Keepin' her "seat warm"

Practicing for her Grand Arrival. Brotherly love and adoration!