Well here we are at 20 weeks and our baby heartbeat monitor, or “fetal doppler” as they’re known in the trade, has just arrived.
We ordered a SonoTrax fetal doppler online from ClinicalGuard.com and although it took over a week to arrive, it is AWESOME!

Our SonoTrax Fetal Doppler

I unpacked the relatively small doppler unit from an overly large USPS box and scrambled around in our garage to find a square 9v battery. Once it was powered up I quickly bumped up the volume and tried to find my own heart beat… It work almost straight away and I have to say, it is a very strange feeling listening to your own “whooshing” heart beat. The clear display monitors and presents a live update of your beats per minute, there is even a line output for listening with headphones or recording the sounds to a computer (We will have to do that for another post).

Katie and I wasted no time, we grabbed one of the tubes of goop that had arrived with the package and set out to find Finley’s heart beat. It didn’t take long and we monitored his wonderful little drum beat for a minute or so. He was making a steady 150 bpm.

I have to say, we love our SonoTrax doppler. It is the basic model but it comes with a 3MHz probe which is supposed to be ideal for listening to baby beats!

So anyway, up until this point I thought that hearing little Finley’s heartbeat was the best thing since sliced bread, but I wasn’t prepared for my next surprise. We were sat watching TV and Katie called me over;

Place your hand right here, she said, and apply a little pressure.

I placed my hand on her belly and we sat for quite a while, glancing every now and then at the ridiculous show on TV (Real Housewives of New Jersey!). After about five minutes we figured he has just gone to sleep so I was ready to sit back down but then Katie told me to quickly put my hand back on the bel-bel!

A KICK, I ACTUALLY FELT A KICK!!!

OK, this is the best thing since sliced bread, it was an amazing feeling and one that I will never forget.

I have to leave on a business trip today but little Finley has given me plenty to think about and I doubt I will be concentrating much on work. I can’t wait to get back home, get a second coat of paint on the nursery walls and feel some more of those amazing kicks.

As promised, here’s the succession of belly pictures so far. Definitely noticing a little rotundness here lately. I think it looks less like a baby belly right now, but more like I just ate a huge bowl of pasta…with garlic bread, a side salad, and a huge piece of cheesecake. Mmmmmm, pasta… Anywho, I think I’m just ready for it to pop a little bit more, even though I actually notice a little roundness now.

6 Weeks 2 Days

8 Weeks 2 Days

11 Weeks

13 Weeks

15 Weeks

17 Weeks

In other big news, we went in for a quick check-up on Wednesday, June 30th when I was 16 weeks. We were hoping for a peek at what’s going on between Papergrape’s legs, but no go. The little one was absolutely not cooperating and was laying really low in my abdomen with most of his lower half hidden behind my pubic bone. We were just there for a medical history visit, so we didn’t have time to try to get Papergrape to move around, and we went home a little disappointed at not knowing what we were having.

We immediately called Stork Vision to set up an appointment for Monday July 5th at 11:30 to have a 2D ultrasound for gender determination. That Monday as soon as we took a peek in side the ole’ uterus, Papergrape was turned around facing my spine, hunched over like nobody’s business. I was kinda proud our little one wasn’t giving up the goods so easily, but also quite frustrated. I was ready to know boy or girl, and ready to do a little shopping! : ) After about 10 min., it was clear we weren’t going to make any progress because PG just wasn’t budging. Our ultrasound tech, Pam, gave us the option of coming back in about 30 minutes after her next appointment to see if there was any change in the baby’s position. We jumped at the chance, even though my bladder was about to burst! I had drank two bottles of water prior to the appointment to try to ensure that my full bladder would push my uterus up and out, hopefully giving us a better view of the babe. Ughhhh!! I needed to pee, but there we were 30 minutes later. Martin calmly waiting to see if there were any changes, me squirming with a grimace on my face trying not to disgrace myself on the ultrasound table. And….NO CHANGE!!! Papergrape had shifted up a little but still no money shot. Pam, the tech, was super nice and said I could try anything to try to get the baby to change positions. I’m trying to imagine myself and Martin getting me into a headstand…maybe I could use the wall…when my genius husband suggested I try a little yoga. He’s a quick thinker, I tell ya!! I immediately got on all fours on the table with my butt in the air and my head on my arms on the table. Then, I moved to the floor and got into a downward dog position to see if maybe it would shake that baby up a bit! The visual now is hilarious, and I forgot to ask if the tech had ever seen that method before.

Following the yoga session I got back on the table and as soon as we got a look, the tech and Martin called out simultaneously, “It’s a boy!!!” And there it was, in all it’s glory, our son’s little frank and beans!! We were elated but also in shock! A son…oh my gosh…a son! So that is exactly what’s growing in my belly (well technically uterus), our son Finley Arthur. We are so excited to meet you, Finley! You are already so loved and anticipated by not only your parents, but so many others. I promise to love you, encourage you, laugh with you, sing with you, dance with you, and appreciate you always. We love you so much, Fin!