love her 'pauses'- and the ending is great!

Ah, the infamous pregnancy-induced crazy dreams... Yup, don't miss those one bit!

Congrats on the Baby With Face!

HOORAY that all is well! Congratulations, and hey, could you re-do that bathroom tile, please? KIDDING!!! :)

PHEW glad everything is OK!

Now we can all go back to obsessing over your tile ;-)

Whew! I was worried for you last night, but so relieved to hear all is well.

Take care lady!

I love it! She is so darn cute and incredibly articulate.

Oh, and to weigh in on Tilegate 2009, I think it looks fine and I would be perfectly happy with it. But I'm going to bet that by the time the new baby turns one, the square tile will be gone and the matching tile will be in. I'm basing this on the fact that you two are so into design and your surroundings plus you are the most brave remodelers I've ever heard of...how many couples remodel once and then do it again? Almost none!

I promise not to say "I told you so" when one of you finally cracks and replaces the tile!

I love how little kids tell stories, this summer I need to get mine to do that and record them. Too cute.

Woah! Does anyone else see the 'twitter' bird in the left hand side of the 1st pic?!

I don't think I ever talked about my dreams that had monsters in them when I was Leta's age; so adorable.

Glad that the dreams were nothing more than dreams and that Baby is doing well =)

I am glad to hear all is well! Good job NOT looking anything up on Google, so true what you said.

Thinking and praying for a safe short delivery and a perfect baby girl!

Take care,
Kristen

SQUEEE! Face! Baby face! Duuude.. I had no idea they could even DO that! I know there are those creepy 3-D ultrasounds (am I the only one who's shit those things totally freak?) but that's an actual picture of her FACE... Holy weeping shit. (I'm 12 weeks, by the way, and apparently your story of oh-no-but-actually-oh-yes just kicked me squarely in the ass and knocked me into the tidal pool of hormones I'm going to be splashing around in for the next 6 months. AWE. SOME.) Glad everything's good. Congratulations on... uh... yaknow, still being healthy and stuff.

god she's cute. how can you stand the cuteness?

Glad everything was ok with the baby! and after reading your book, I see why the size of this one's head would cause, shall we say, some anxiety... But that's why god made epidurals!! ;)

And Leta talking about her dream CRACKED. ME. UP!!

So glad you're all okay.

Now, because someone may eventually answer this, can you actually tell the technician "That's a face? Hmmm. Can you point me out the eyes, and mouth, and things like that?" Because I can't see anything in that picture. You could have just randomly set the Face text layer on Not-Maria's bum, and okay, I believe you. But I still have no idea what I'm looking at. I can't even see a nose, and those I can usually see.

So. I have no idea whether the Hamilton mouth is a joke :p I awwwwed, and then became a bit puzzled...

Oh, HONEY! So glad the worry was for naught. My cousin just delivered her third (a "surprise!" pregnancy after she'd given away all her baby stuff, assuming she was done), and the last few weeks were touchy due to a viral infection; she had to have unltrasounds twice a week, and it scared the hell out of her, of course.

Now I am, at this very moment, looking at a photograph of her with her beautiful, perfect, COMPLETELY healthy baby.

You're in the home stretch. All will be well.

xoxo!

Awwwh! Not Maria has a face! I usually can't tell what's what in ultrasound pictures, but the second one made my heart swell a lil' bit.

Leta makes me want to shoot out roughly 6 babies in a row.

And I'm 22, and more or less single.

That's distressing.

I'm glad your younger daughter is gestating at an appropriate level.

Aack! Scary pregnancy stories are just the worst. I hope that the finals weeks are uneventful. Can't wait to see the baby's face in real life!

Don't worry about the large head. Two of my three are that way and they all hurt just the same.

-->I'm glad Not-Maria is doing well. I don't miss the crazy prego dreams I used to have at all.

I hope you know that ultrasound measurements/dating can be way, way off - like, don't let them induce you early just because you're "measuring ahead" or the baby is "too big" or whatever. You could end up with an unnecessary c-section. :(

I love how Leta talks like a 12 year old. She's beautiful and funny - like her parents!

Also, Baby With A Face seems to have a Hamilton chin! That might hurt coming out.... ;)

Wishing you all much happiness!

I love that age. They suddenly sound like a 90's valley girl. "And like I told them to go away and.." I've got two girls who have gone through that and finally moved past it. I also love the hyperventilating breath. Now I have to go ask hubby why we can't have another little girl..

Glad the baby is ok. With my first the doc said I was 'too big' and said I would have an 8lb baby. she was 6lbs. Same doc said my son would be about 6lb and he was over 8.. Like I told you at the book signing in Portland, I practically needed reconstructive surgery after my daughters birth but no issues with my second. Thinking safe va-jay-jay thoughts for you in the next few weeks.

I'm so happy to hear that everything is going well.

I am at 25 weeks and I hate pregnancy dreams. They seem so real, even after you wake up. The fun dreams do not begin to make up for the bad ones. I have woken up the past two nights convinced that I had lost the baby. Then, after dreaming I had lost the baby, I dreamed that my stomach was translucent and I could see and hear the baby. At one point, the baby sat up inside my translucent belly and started talking to me. I cannot handle any more of these dreams.

I can't believe they made you wait overnight for the ultrasound. That's just cruel. As if a pregnant woman needs a REASON to dream about giving birth to a walking, talking monkey with talons for nails and big fangs. Oh, wait, those were my dreams.

Also, I'm happy to know my three-year-old will still be telling stories like that at Leta's age. They are hilarious.

It's cool to see a 35 week ultrasound. My last was at 28 weeks and based on the pics I'm pretty sure there's an alien in there. Glad everything is good.

That video reminds me of the oldest daughter from "Knocked Up" and her description about where babies come from... Seriously... Too cute!

Are you sure that's not ETs head in the upper right of the first picture?

Scary shit, Heather. As a mom [and also grandmom] I would be having nightmares too, although I'm not sure I'm strong enough to resist the Call of the Google.

But dayum if those pictures didn't get ME crying too!

God, how I hate hormones.

Sheesh.

glad to hear everything is ok! why is it that i can NEVER SEE the baby in those pics? even though you clearly labeled "face" i can't see anything!

Leta reminds me of the little girl in the movie My Girl. So sweet!

Oh my goodness, she is adorable! Love how excited kids get when they tell stories!

is it just me, or in the first scan, the wee one looks like she's holding a little dragon? could explain all the heartburn and indigestion...

I actually went to bed and woke up thinking about how you were and hoping for an update. Glad that the doctors were stupid and everything is fine. Just the way it should be....

Are you sure Leta's not like totally from the Valley or something? She sounds utterly Californian!

Heather, just when I think I hate you because you won't answer my emails, you make me laugh so hard I nearly had food come out my nose. Damn you! Why do you have to be such a good writer?

Leta is so darn cute! She sounded pretty convincing so when she was over with her dream I was: YEAH, TOTALLY.

She's so funny. Glad to hear the baby and you are in perfect condition!

You are great: funny, witty, excellent writer, and so on. Please let it go to your head; you've earned it. And your daughter is adorable. Best wishes for a happy and successful delivery, and a healthy baby.

1) If Leta's eyes were any bigger, well, I don't know what, but that child has beautiful eyes.

2) My girl has that same princess cup, and now I'm going to call it her Leta cup.

3) I'm anxiously awaiting the comment that says, "OMG you are so selfish for having an ultrasound when WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!" because I had no idea until recently that half of your blog's awesome is in the comments.

4) So glad the baby's ok.

5) Still love you, even if we can't be FB friends.

they sure like to scare the crap out of the pregnant lady! my dr did something similar. sort of 'not to alarm you but...' same kind of situation with the ultrasound. it just didn't measure right and they thought the due date was off, then maybe it was a downs baby, i was 'high risk' being all of 35, then they wanted to do a cvs (not the pharmacy but similar to an amnio but in the 1st trimester) they had me so freaked out. and turns out it was nothing. the estimated ten pound baby turned out to be 7lbs 8oz and is very healthy.
you and your baby are in my thoughts!

You really can't trust those tape measures! I went to the OB this morning for my 30 week appointment only to be told that my belly is measuring 36 weeks! Yep, 6 weeks BIGGER! Had an ultrasound that confirmed that baby is at a healthy 30 week, 1 day weight! Wish I had your problem, but I blame it all on the tape measure!

I'm thoroughly impressed by your Google-resistance. When I first got an IUD, I immediately found a conversation thread full of people who were all, "And then I got pregnant and my baby was born with an IUD sticking OUT OF ITS CHEST AND THEN IT DIED!!!!!"

Those Interweb nut-jobs with their holey-chested IUD babies.

I'm so glad everything is okay. The ultrasound pics are adorable, as is Leta! ♥ (pardon the facebook hearts...I have hard time passing up an opportunity to use them).

Leta is toooooooo cute.

I am glad all is okay. xx

I do not wish to alarm you, and I admit that I am not an expert in interpreting ultrasound photos, but it appears that your child is armed with a set of brass knuckles in those photos. BAD ASS.

Leta's adorable! I love that in your dream, baby Armstrong is wearing a patriotic scarf. It's the details that count!

So glad everything is hunky dory! Even though we've known beyond forever that a woman can grow another human being inside her, it still just baffles the mind. Oh, and Leta is so super duper cute. She seems like a cool girl to hang out with:)

Leta sounds sooooo old compared to my nine-months-younger child. I get the "can I see" every time I take a picture or video, too.

So glad that all is well in baby-land!

Love the video. Leta is so sweet.

Is that a new video camera? Seems like the quality is improved over previous videos?

Also Leta might look like Jon, but she sounds like you.

:)

Sounds like someone is getting an APLEASEMEODMY.... :)
P.S. make sure you get pictures if you so....

Sometimes, doctors end up knowing just enough to make you crazy. My sister-in-law and I have both had to have extra ultrasounds with our current pregnancies. Her first ultrasound found a cyst in her son's brain. Mine showed possible markers for Down Syndrome. When we had our follow-up ultrasounds, her son's cyst was gone and my daughter looked completely normal. In the meantime, we each got a month to stress about the health of our children. And I got to have the ultrasound Dr. try to talk me into an amnio because my risk for Downs was FIVE TIMES GREATER (when I finally asked her what that meant in real terms, she admitted that it put my risk at a whopping one percent).

I'm glad that everything is ok with your baby. And I'm glad you only had to wait one day to find that out.

So glad to hear everything is going well. Crazy pregnancy dreams are getting the best of me lately too (I'm 25 weeks along). A week or so ago I dreamed I was in a Batman cartoon being attacked by the Joker - wtf?

I had the exact same thing happen with my first. Doc was concerned b/c I was measuring really small, and she estimated a 5 pounder, and sent me to get an U/S at 36 weeks. The U/S measured 8+ lbs and so my doc decided we should induce early for fear of having a 10pounder. Turns out he weighed 7lb 10 oz came on his own the day before induction, at 39 weeks... It's all a guessing game.
:) Rest up.

i saw your twitter yesterday (tweet? twit? i dont know what they are called) and got all worried with you! i'm SO glad to hear you are both ok.

and i just had a dream that we had these 2 teeny little horses (each about 2 inches big) and they died because we forgot to feed them. Or maybe i couldn't figure out what you feed a 2" horse? anyway, it was really sad that they died and i had to leave the house so my husband could conduct their funeral in the backyard (i was too distraught to attend). it was one of those dreams where i woke up all out of breath like i had actually been crying. i hate those.

So glad to hear everything is okay with the baby.

I'm so glad all is well. Docs don't always know nothing . . . I had exactly the same thing happen (measuring small) except the u/s showed low amniotic fluid. Turned out my baby had kidney disease. The internet told me she would die, the doc said she might make it. She did . . . had a kidney transplant . . . I donated one to her . . . and we're all fine now! I'm glad all is well for YOU now and will continue to be . . . and remember, the docs are our friends!

can i request subtitles to all future videos where leta or not-maria talks? kid-speak is impossible to decipher for us non-moms. kthxbye!

Glad to hear that everything is okay. Good luck with birthing that head! My daugther came out sunny side up (forhead first), so I know the pain you will likely experience! But it's all worth it when you see their little face.

It looks like there's a little toy car in there with her in that first picture.

Your little girl looks so much like Jon and yet has your fun personality! Wonder what daughter #2 will be like!

Is it me or is your baby smuggling a toy car in your uterus

The video is awesome but that princess cup cracked me up - mostly because I saw it in the store like two hours ago and sooooooo wanted to buy it for my Anna. But then I figured that Anna's sister would need one too and I wasn't spending that much money for two cups to hold liquid that my daughters would refuse to drink.

And what a face on that little baby!

oh my god! leta is sooooo grown up. i love it. love the story. and glad that the little one is okay.

I had to skip reading everyone else's comments because my computer is malfunctioning and not showing that part, and I don't want to spoil the ending!

You made me laugh so hard I had to turn away and it took me about 3 minutes to swallow my drink of water, for fear that it would shoot out my nose - I'm so glad your baby has a face! :) You are funny!

I am glad everything worked out - that is always scary. When I was 36 weeks pregnat with my first baby the doctor could not find the heartbeat no matter how many times she tried; then she finally did, and it was 190 bpm's.

I was PANICKED - but she calmly reasured me that she was just going to send me over to the hospital for a non-stress test and possibly and emergency c-section, no big deal, right? It all turned out fine, he even managed to stay in for an extra two weeks past my dd for good measure.

Btw, Jon really cleans up nice, love the suit.

I love it when baby doctors say something along the lines of, 'hmmm, I'm a little bit worried about that, but don't you worry'.

It's like Henny Penny letting everyone know the sky is falling but not to worry because WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE.

I'm so glad to hear confirmation that your belly is measuring small b/c I swear every week when you post those pics, I'm like whaaaaaaat? 34 weeks? Huh?

Also, usually ultrasounds are all crazy and blurry and you can't see shit, so how in the world do you get one where your kid looks all angelic and beautiful? (And by the way, I had to squint a lot to figure out where everything was in the beginning - at first, I thought the first pic made it seem like she had those crazy pilot binocular googly-eye glasses on).

Wondrous Being of Light and Splendor, I am so glad to hear that everything is okay with your pregnancy.
I know it's hard not to get worried when you doctor says something like that.
Love the video of Leta; she's so precious!

so, so glad to hear everything is ok. i hope you have a sense of relief and peace.

leta is a beauty. reminded me of when my youngest son tells me his dreams. so cute!

Just do your kick counts. Because pregnant women panic for a reason: bad awful things can happen.

So glad/relieved that everything is going well for you, and I hope that you bring home a beautiful healthy baby girl!

Very relieved that not-maria is alright.

Ok...I mean this is the nicest way possible. Ever see the movie American Pie? I kept expecting Leta to say 'and this one time at band camp...'

She is so adorable...can't wait to see what a good big sister she makes. Or how much she freaks when the baby looks at her. :)

Haha, oh my gosh. Leta reminds me so much of my 5 year old little sister (yes there's a big age gap). Just the way she talks and describes things - awesome! She must never stop talking eh?

Leta's adorable, of course, and not-Maria looks like she'll be cute too, but the man in the suit up there....he's a looker. Thanks for sharing that picture. :)

I think I saw a teddy bear in there with the baby.

So glad to hear everything's okay, and I'll add my voice to those who think it was cruel of your doctor to make you wait overnight for the ultrasound.

And now to sound like a crazy stalker (because you don't get enough crazy in the comments already?)...I dreamed about both your baby and your bathroom last night. I dreamed you guys were giving tours of your bathroom to prove to everyone that the tile difference would be fine. You were showing the bathroom to my daughter and me when you suddenly went into labor Hollywood-style...gasp of pain and tragic clasping of abdomen whilst crumpling onto the floor, you know what I mean.

So we end up in your bathroom, with Leta joining us, and the three of us attempted to deliver the baby for you with Jon shouting instructions through the doorway. I woke up before the baby arrived, so I can't tell you what you named her.

(No, I'm not pregnant, just perimenopausal...and if you think the hormones are fun now, just wait.)

Oh. My. Gawd. That face pic has to be the most glorious ultrasound I have ever seen! I go in for my 20-week scan on Monday and I'm scared shitless. SO glad you got such great, reassuring news. Congrats!! :)

Milla, #114, I thought it was just me. Maybe this is something mothers learn when they join their secret club.
And maybe that's also where they learn to read U/S, because I see ET, a robot and a Praying Mantis, but no baby, no matter how hard I try. :)
Anyway, Dooce, glad both you and Not-Maria are healthy.
Happy last month of pregnancy!

Sorry, there is no baby in there. It's two muppets (one wearing a cowboy hat) and a manual can opener. Better luck next time Heather! S.

Leta is so cute. I teach 4th grade and I have kids in my class who can not speak that well. And these are the kids that were born in the U.S. Don't even get me started on the ones who were not. Poor babies.

Glad the baby is doing well. I just had a friend have twin girls, each 6 pounds...at least there is only one face floating around in there. Not that it helps your vag any.

LOL! Brass Knuckles it is! I thought it was a set of keys but brass knuckles seems much more likely. And BTW if NotMaria is weighing a little big right now start walking, running, whatever one week before your due date because let me tell you my last two came out over 9 lbs. Let's not give NotMaria time to become a giant. Upside to giant babies? I pushed them out fast to get the horrific pain over with. Wait, will that freak you out?

Too bad. I am still hoping something horrible happens to that troll fetus inside of you. What is it like having such a hideous daughter? I wonder what she's going to do when all the kids start picking on her for being ugly? Ugh. It's so disgusting you are bringing another creature into the world. Don't end up in the looney bin this time. LOL

Valley girl!?...Leta, not the baby.

I am so happy to hear everything is great with you and Not-Maria! I got the Tweet yesterday and have been worried for you since. YAY! She has a FACE! That is awesome!
Leta is an absolutely delightful child and I love how animated she is! Thank you for sharing your lives with us!

I'm always glad when people label ultrasounds and the like because they TOTALLY don't mean anything to me otherwise. I wish I could find faces and feet, etc, but man, I'm just lost.

~~~~

However, I did immediately find the break in your toe. I wonder what that means?

Congrats, Heather - glad everything is good!

Side note: am I the only person who has a TERRIBLE time deciphering the images in an ultrasound photo? Seriously, even with your labels, it took me more than 5 minutes to be able to see the face. Ultrasound fail on my part.

http://www.chinatownconnection.com/images/baby/baby9.jpg

Heather,
Your Leta is so adorable. When they perfect cloning, I want one just like her. Or, just pack her up and send her to NY next time she annoys you :)

She is the cutest thing ever. This baby is lucky to have such an awesome big sister. For some reason, I'm so excited for you guys! Haha.

I'm 32 and a half weeks and my baby is measuring almost 3 weeks bigger as well. I have to have a second 3 hour test to make sure I don't have gestational diabetes.

To be fair, that's how I always tell my dreams to my friends and I'm an adult. I also end stories with "Can I see it now?" even when I'm not being taped. So what I'm saying is that I should babysit your daughter.

aawww so cute. both of them. I had a hard time locating the face on the ultrasound but then i saw it. somehow it looks like there's a keychain in there too. leta likes the camera... she's starting to look like a 'big girl'. seems like you were pregnant with her just recently. time flies.

Holy cow! Leta is suddenly a big girl - when did this happen?! Also, I think not-Maria is smoking a pipe in pic 1 - perhaps that's the source of your crazy dreams?

Leta may have a future on the Daily Show as a special correspondent.

PLEASE remove comment #162.

Commenter #162, have you ever heard of a little thing called karma? When you throw that kind of nastiness around, it comes right back to you.

Two beautiful girls. Wow!

I am glad everything is fine. I am short so they alway thought that my babies were HUGE. I love it when my kids tell me their dreams.. it's the stuff well.. dream are made of :)

@ #15. Dutchess of Kickball:

We must be the same person because I immediately saw Pikachu as well!

Congratulations on your growing family, Heather! I'm a huge fan of your website!

and omg I'm so skinny! haa haa, and this belt fits around me twice, mmmehhh

I'm glad that everything was normal today and that you and the baby are doing well. I enjoy reading your blog, and usually don't comment, but wanted to comment on your thought of "OUCH", I can relate, my son was born 11 pounds at two weeks early! Good Luck!

Aww! Leta is adorable! I think we have all lost our minds at one time or another. LOL

I am glad everything worked out for you and your pregnancy scare. Don't you hate it when the docs are so wrong? My OB and ultra sound tech said my daughter was going to be more than 10 lbs. She was born at 6lbs. 15 oz and we didn't have one piece of clothing for her that was less than a size 3-6 mos.! It was kind of funny.

I also remember seeing my daughter's giant head on the ultrasound and being deathly afraid that I was going to be ripped in half during childbirth. I ended up with an emergency C-section. I am still not sure which would have been worse because having your belly cut open sucks. And no matter what the OB tells you, you will never get feeling back in your belly after that surgery. They always lie! LOL

I hope all goes well for the remainder of your pregnancy and that you have an easy childbirth and recovery. Here is to a healthy baby and Mommy. :)

P.S.; No matter how hard I try, I cannot see a face on the ultrasound pics. Sorry, they just look like mishmash to me (No offense meant).

When I had my first, I was measuring 3 weeks behind clear up until delivery. I was told time and again I would be lucky to have a baby that weighed 8 pounds.

She was 9 lbs, 3 oz and I couldn't push her out - thus the C-section.

And yeah - I'm tall, too.

Glad all is well. :)

I'm glad to hear that all is well with you and little Not-Maria.

Also, I just wanted to thank you for opening up the comments on your bathroom remodel post from earlier this week. I laughed so hard it hurt. "Where is the damn tub?" indeed! WHERE IS IT? ANONYMOUS COMMENTER NUMBER 421 NEEDS TO KNOW.

Wow, still hilarious every time to see Jon's face with Heather's personality.

Dammit, Heather, stop being so cute.

Is that really what a 3D ultrasound looks like? Nobody here has 3D equipment, hospital and clinics included, so all I have are frightening alien-type pictures of baby-like objects sitting around in my uterus. I can't help but be jealous. It took me a minute to see the face as well, but I think I was expecting it to be more of a 2D thing, so I didn't know what I was looking for at first. Of course, once I figured it out I could point out every little detail to my dearly beloved Penis-Keeper.

However, I should note that this picture reminds me vaguely of an ultrasound picture posted by a woman on a birth board I used to frequent before it turned out that some of the people involved were douchebags.

http://i41.tinypic.com/ndvhtv.jpg

It's a baby, obviously. But it has an EYE OPEN. AND YOU CAN TELL. This phenomenon of babies having EYES that OPEN perplexed and baffled a great number of us until we started arguing about what names classified as "retarded" and what names might actually be socially acceptable.

Damn you for being due the month before I am!

Holy Shit! Does the anonymous troll from #162 hate all women? Or is it just children? Or is it ex-Mormons? Or is it a woman who speaks her mind? Or is it all of the above?

Damn! What a freaking coward! Hey #162, if you don't have the balls to put your name behind your comments, it just makes you a yellow bastard! How dare you attack a child and an unborn baby!

What's the matter? Mommy didn't love you enough? Get over it! Go get some therapy and some serious meds and shut the fuck up!

I would lay bets that you wouldn't have the balls to say something like that to Heather's face. Or anyone's face, for that matter, seeing as how you bought your balls at the 99 cent store. Grow up you stupid piece of shit.

Or is that "avant garde" - like I said, I put the "ass" in "class".

And apparently #162 puts the "assfunkenholery" in "class". Seriously. I almost cried when I read that, and that's not even my kid you're talking about. Back yourself up, holmes.

Oh she is sooooooo adorable. You'll get tired of hearing this, but she really reminds me of my daughter, so how could I not be in love. Leta is gorgeous and brilliant.

Really glad to hear that everything seems to be on track with the new little girl. I know we've got a few good weeks left, but I am anxiously awaiting the wonderful news.

aaaaw, leta is damn cute. so glad to hear that the measuring tape was off .. i had a similar scare when i was 6 months prego although i was told my baby was likely missing a heart valve. two high-tec ultrasounds later, we actually found that i was NOT having a girl BUT a boy and that it was the position of the baby that made it look funky. i LOVE doctors. ha.

anyhow. she has a face. congrats!

.. L

Congrats congrats congrats!

And, yeah, Leta does talk a little like a valley girl, but having seen you in Seattle (or Bellevue or whereever the hell that bookstore is), I have to say I hear at least a little Mama in her. Which is only fair since I only see Jon in her so far.

Also: Dooce is brave or crazy for opening comments on a video of Leta and ultrasounds of her upcoming daughter -- Discuss.

Just curious if anyone else has seen the Old Navy commercial of the mannequins where they say, "Is heather preggers?" Think the commercial writers are dooce fans??? (This is possibly old news, but it just dawned on me when I saw this post...)

Jesus Christ you've got some major assholes who comment on your life!! I thought the tile/bathroom/decor comments were bad...but #162?!?...FLAMING asshole!!...wow!

Anyway...

Pregnancy "what ifs" are the worst!! I remember finally being at ease with my first baby knowing that all tests had come out okay and that she would be born "normal"...but there was that part of me that still worried that she had an enormous birth mark on her face or a cleft palate...I ran through all the things that would be hard to pick up on an ultrasound. And that was just my own self-induced worrying. The real gem came when I was 36+ weeks along, at work, had a bloody nose one day and a co-worker felt compelled to tell me "I knew this girl who got a bloody nose right before she was due...didn't think it was a big deal...then her baby died." As I stood there with my mouth gaping open, wanting to punch her in the throat, she walked out of the room like it was no big deal. HOLY SHIT!! Who says that?...wait...#162?...is that you?

I'm VERY glad to hear that all is okay. Hang in there these last few weeks. And the video of Leta is hilarious. I have 2 young girls - ages 5 & 7 - who never cease to entertain me with stories like that.

Although Leta may look exactly like Jon, she sounds like and has the gestures of YOU Heather! Nature vs. Nurture... that's right baby, nurture always wins! Long live Darwinism!!

"I lost my mind" I wonder where she got that from??? lol just kidding!!! I can't believe how grown up she is! and so adorable at that...

thinking good thoughts for you and yours

and apparently there's one today too...get a grip #162! Why do you read this website if you have such a dislike for the author??? I mean, seriously...go watch Happy Days or something...or have a bong hit

All the geniuses have crazy dreams.

Loved the video with Leta telling you about her dream. I have a 4 year old and she never ceases to amaze me with her wild, vivid imagination. Sometimes I wonder if she's found my stash of LSD.

Glad things are going good with the pregnancy. She's almost here!!

I LOVE the little kid gasping thing when their talking.

"I've lost my mind..."

How adorable! What beauty and intelligence...

Hang in there, Heather. You guys are amazing.

I seriously can't see a face in EITHER pic. I've tried so hard. I just don't see it.

My Oldest was supposed to have Down's Syndrome according to ultrasounds, doctors and amnio. She is fine, thriving and ready to go to 8th grade while only having a bit of a hard time in math. No issue present EVER outside of what doctors said BEFORE she was born. Once she came out, perfectly healthy, they had nothing to say.

I'm happy to hear the baby is fine. You obviously are naturally small. You'll get her out one way or another; you'll all be fabulous.

Thanks for being smart enough to label the face on the ultrasound. Never having had a kid or an ultrasound, on first glance I was thinking "what the hell is she talking about?". Seriously.

I'm almost as nervous as you are... wishing you all the best - Good health and everything going fine for yourself and the baby.

I couldn't see not-Maria's face in the first pic until I clicked on it and went to your flickr, where the added notes immediately brought about an 'Aha!' moment ;-D But I can so see the weird teddy bear / alien on the left side, too!

Oh, and I hate you (and all tall women) for looking so small when your so far along! At just under 5 feet short, I always looked like a freakin' beach ball from the first trimester! Bah!

Also, I (like way too many other posters here) can't resist just adding this: Those tiles! The tiles! The goddam tiles! For pity sake, hurry up and change the TIIIIIILES!

Elaine in the UK ;-)

Well, I puked green beans while pushing my daughter out. It could happen.

Probably someone has already said this, but anyway, my experience after 2 babies is, don't trust baby size estimates. With my first, I was told the day before his birth, which was 11 days before he was due, that he was already over 4kg. Big freak out of course, with me sure he was going to be 4.5kg or more by the time he was born. He surprised us by arriving 14 hours later, and was only 3.3kg. Then with the second, the midwife got all worried towards the end that my belly was too small so I got an ultrasound... and the verdict was that he was just very low. Which, given his bouncing around on my cervix, I could have told her.

Not saying I don't appreciate the concern, or think the monitoring is completely useless (and even if I did, I would never turn down an ultrasound for another glimpse of my baby!), just that I'm a bit skeptical of the accuracy of size measurements at late stages. So, you know, maybe her head isn't actually too ouch-worthy?

When you tweeted about this the other day I googled it and came up with lots of reassuring stories from other women who had measured small, so I was optimistic that your baby was juuuust fine.

But I just have to say that this may be my all time favorite line:

Like, yeah, my doctor thought I was measuring small, and then three weeks later I woke up in Sri Lanka with a hangover and the severed foot of a wild boar tied around my neck.

Glad to hear Baby Armstrong is doing well. To be honest I've never seen an ultrasound pic with such clear pictures of the baby's face. Craaaazy. And far too cute.

I'm glad everything is ok, Heather. :) I've had an odd pregnancy due to an annoying cervical polyp...but before I knew what it was I spent too much time looking up stuff on the internet. Luckily, none of the bad stuff I read about happened and now I'm sitting at home...a week from my due date...begging the wee babe to come out NOW!!! :)

Anyway, good for you for fighting the temptation to google...and good luck with the last few weeks your pregnancy. (Princess Aurora is adorable!)

I think I see an Armstrong chin in that first picture!!

mental note to self - do not take a mouthful of coffee while reading your blog, when I got to the part about the wild boar foot I just about ruined my laptop as said mouthful of coffee was almost spit out. On that note glad to here that all is well, even if her head is big.

Yay! I knew there was something wrong with that tape. Go babeee!

I'm so happy everything is good!!!! You are in the home stretch now.

I envy you - I'm only at 24 week appt today... I swear I feel 30 - 32 weeks along.

I hate to tell you this, but in the 2nd ultrasound, I see the sweetest little puppy! Birthing a new baby AND a puppy will be great! And Leta is just a gorgeous little girl!

First, I have an ultrasound of my youngest son and in it he has one eye open. I had never seen an open eye in an ultrasound pic before so I started to cty because I thought something was wrong with my baby...like he was really an alien. He was fine.

Next, big head = big brain. Right?

Lastly, I just don't see the brass knuckles. What I DO see is a sock monkey. Now, I don't what kind of sex you have to have in order to get a baby AND a sock monkey but, well...I am IMPRESSED.

:-)

Ha! She already has the cadence of a teenager down. I was waiting for a bunch of "like, you know?" at the end of her sentences! She's quite the character.

Leta's dreams make about as much sense as mine!

Dear Leta,
Thank you for being the most precious thing I got to see today. You have restored my tolerance of small children, which, to be perfectly honest, had run screaming into the netherworld.
You're a doll.

With love,
XOXO

I knew it! I knew everything would be good, that baby is just mushed in there deep! Can't wait to see her- isn't that weird? But it has been so fun following your pregnancy and my kids are teenagers now. : )

I was so disappointed to see that a few posters mentioned a certain nasty comment. (We all know which one.) I beg of you all to completely ignore such displays of ugliness. People like that only do it for the shock factor and attention. They likely come back to see what kind of delicious chaos they caused. Best to act like it doesn't exist and take all of the 'fun' out of it. Carry on.

I've been thinking about the kind of kid I want.

A homemade boy with dirt and juice stains, slightly chubs, named Gus. Or an information sponge of a girl who majored in theatre in utero with big, clear, infinite eyes, not unlike Leta.

The depth of field going on here - how do you DO that? My camera must just really suck.

It just struck me ... Leta may look a lot like her dad, but she has your mannerisms when she talks: graceful yet bluntly honest and animated at the same time. But I'm amazed: no expressive hand gestures while she talks? Maybe the new one will be blessed with all the family 'talking with the hands' genes. Watch out, some day she might be in the middle of a story and just take flight. Lucky kids to have so many great genes to choose from. Wish you the best.

Oh my - that video was adorable! I am glad I watched through to the end, because the "pink eyes" line was the cutest part. :)

It's amazing what can go through the head of a pregnant woman. I'm glad you are doing good!

I am so moved by Leta and her creativity... She is awesome... I am also really glad that everything is ok with you and your little bundle... after recieving your tweet about the issue I was a little worried having had my own issues with pregnancy...but the part that made me laugh so hard til I cried was the part about google!!! LOL... When I was pregnant I googled every single day to find out what I should expect on this day in this week in my pregnancy...lol. It can make you crazy...Hold on sister...you are almost there

Google is never, ever your friend when it comes to medical stuff. I learned that lesson with gestational diabetes! DO NOT Google lest you spend weeks with a crazy foreboding that the worst things ever seen by mankind is going to happen to you and your baby.

I looked like you with my second child. The best midwife ever knew that I carried the baby squished in towards my back. The other midwife in the doctor's office wanted to do an u/s at 36 weeks. I thought to myself--what is the point if the baby will be born in a few weeks and inside is the safest place now. Know that: inside is safe. Messing around with you/baby is NOT safe. I declined the u/s after talking to the BEST midwife and a few weeks later (on time) proceeded to have an 8 pound child after gaining 22 pounds and eating very well during preg. Your body knows what to do!
--The best to you

So relieved to hear baby is safe and sound. Baby looks like she's smokin' something in the 2nd picture :) Leta's story telling is so freaking adorable! My 6 year old daughter does the same 'looking up' when she's story telling. Sweet!

that is one supercute babyface.
hooray!

I am so glad that you and the baby are healthy.

Leta is so articulate. Obviously you think she's super smart, but let someone unbiased confirm for you: Leta is super smart.

Love your writing, thank you for sharing AND for allowing the public to comment.

I almost responded to your tweet yesterday - but that happened to me 2 weeks ago. Belly too small! Ultrasound! Turns out: Baby is big, I am tall. Thanks for the ulcer, Docs.

The funny thing was that my precious little girl, per the 20-week ultrasound, had a penis in this one. I'm still reeling.

watching that video made me think, "OH MY GOD I NEED ONE OF THOSE RIGHT NOW!!!" (little girls, not pink-eyed monsters that are losing their minds. those sound sorta freaky.)