This week was a good one for baby watching.  We're now in the homestretch and I'm having weekly visits with Dr. Cook to check on my status.  Tuesday we had the appointment with him, although he was not in the office.  Brandi took care of me, and I always enjoy visiting with her.  She checked me out and announced that Thomas's head was "really far down, right there up against your little cervix and your little bladder."  Not news to me.  We looked at the ultrasound and giggled at his male parts, which really do look like a little turtle, as she had described them.  She printed up a cute picture of them, but I figured it would just be too much to put it on the website.  Instead we'll save it for when Thomas starts bringing dates home.  She tried to get a good picture of his face, but he was too far down for her.  She declared everything to be beautiful, said I was doing a wonderful job, and told me all that extra weight I have is just fluid and it'll come right off.  True or not, I just loved hearing it.  Brandi is just wonderful!  And typical of most our visits, we were in and out within an hour. (Bleh! to the annoying office staff)

Thursday we got to go to the paradise that is Hermann Hospital for our ultrasound.  Those of you who will be at the hospital with us will know what I'm talking about when you see the place.  I'm impressed everytime I go there, especially when I remember what Park Plaza is like.  The office person and the tech, Angie, that helped us were very warm and friendly.  And Angie showed us all sorts of things on the ultrasound.  She said everything looked wonderful to her, including the spine, heart, placenta, legs.  Of course she was quite impressed with his size.  He's as big as baby a week and a half further along.  And his head is as big as a baby two and a half weeks further along! She kept commenting on how big his head was, but did note that it was nice and round and full of brains.  When we were looking at the heart, we could see his chest move up and down as he practiced his breathing, which really made me think that, yes, this baby will one day be external.  It really is a strange feeling, like wondering what being in love is like before you've ever experienced it, but you know you one day will.   I really get struck by it, particularly when I see Marcela and Santiago.  I mean, of course the baby will come out, that's the whole point.  But it's just something you know you can't prepare for and can never really be ready for until it happens.  Which hopefully will be sooner than later, with his size.  He's certainly taking after the Lafleur side in this aspect.  If he goes to term, we're looking at at least a good 9 pounds.  A real butterball, just like my mom says I was as an infant.

Another great moment was when we got to see his face (click here to see what everything is).  Angie really got some good shots, and it was really touching to see the pudgy little face that is our son.  He no longer looks like a scary little mummy.  Of course, now he looks like a scary little ghost baby, but at least he looks like a baby.  I really enjoyed seeing so much of him during the ultrasound and it was over way too soon for me.  I could just watch him fidget and move all day long.  Which is I guess exactly what I'll be doing once he's born.  If I can get his head out.

This week I went and took pictures of Marcela, Enrique and Santiago.  They came out quite well, despite the trouble at the Target One-Hour-Photo (a big never-go-there-again).  Look here for more. The whole family looks like they are doing well. Marcela, of course, looks great, like she never gave birth.  Except for that happy, satisfied air of maternal love.  Santiago is gradually adapting to this new world, and when I went and dropped off copies of the photos, Enrique looked quite adept, toting the sleeping boy around the apartment like it was second nature.  If they are any example of post-birth happiness, dealing with Thomas's Sputnik-sized head is worth it.