You do the Hokey Pokey...

And you turn yourself about, just like the baby did!  Hallelujah, she's finally vertex!  (I suspected she had turned around 3 or so weeks ago at 29 1/2 weeks, but today's ultrasound confirmed it.)  She and I are growing well - she weighs about 5 pounds or so, and I weigh about... a little more than that.

Forearm and hand

Frontal view of face.  The white spot in the center of the picture is the nose, and the dark circular depressions just above that are the eyes.  Still hoping she's prettier than this upon arrival.

The dark blob outlined in white in the center of the frame is her foot.  The white area to the bottom right is probably the side view of her head.

Last night Braden was really cute.  I invited him to come to the doctor with me and told him he would be able to see another ultrasound.  His response:  " I would LOVE to!"  Then he asked, "Mom, is the baby still breech?"  I told him probably not, but he had lots of questions about what it means to be breech and when I told him it was better for a baby to be head down so the mom doesn't have to have surgery when the baby comes, he said, "I don't want you to need surgery."  I thought, "Awwww," until he continued with, "Because then you wouldn't be able to make us lunch!"  By the end of the conversation he had a firm grasp of the meanings of 'vertex' and 'breech' and I hope he didn't go inform the kindergarten all about it today.  I can just see the little five year olds chanting, 'Vertex!  Vertex!' as if it were a dirty word.

He was very well-behaved and appropriately excited to see the baby on the screen at the doctor's office.  On the way there he listed all the similarities between the ultrasound conduction gel and his toothpaste.  He decided the only differences were that his toothpaste has sparkles and tastes better.  Afterwards we went to get a Frosty.  I offered to let him get one of the new Frosty shakes or blended candy Frosties, but all he wanted was "a grown-up sized regular chocolate one."  So that's what we both had, and it was so nice to spend 20 minutes just the two of us having a treat.  He kept kicking the supports underneath the table and trying to convince me that 'a million flies were attacking underneath the table' and trying to fly away with it.

Another word about strangers and their need to comment on pregnancies:  Yesterday I took the younger two kids to lunch at Burger King.  I know - with Wendy's and BK under our belts, we only have Carl's Jr., Mickey D's, and Article Circle to hit to complete our fast food tour - but I had a reason!  (Our carpets had just been cleaned and the kitchen was full of chairs and barstools while we waited for the carpets to dry.)  I was standing by the counter waiting for our food order to be ready, and this very hairy-beardy Middle Eastern man approached me on his way to the fountain drinks.  His eyes widened as he noticed my pregnant belly, and with a simultaneously friendly but silly expression on his face, he looked me in the eye and said, "Congratulations!!!"  Um, thanks, I guess.