So as you know, I decided that Friday's on the blog would be dedicated to my now end-nearing pregnancy status.
I know it's not something everyone wants to read about but it is something I really wanted to do - so I'm doing it - after all, being pregnant and having a new baby is a huge thing to be happening in my life and I really wanted to share bits and pieces of what is going on amongst these pages.
So here we go
~ Baby Baker Friday ~
Ever since I found out I was expecting Baby Baker - after over three long years of trying - I seem to have been totally overwhelmed on more than one occasion.
It's such a huge, fantastic thing to happen - especially when you've waited for it for so long.
One such "overwhelming occasion" came when I went to my twenty week scan and I was told we were expecting a little girl.
A GIRL??
*watch as mini meltdown of excitement occurs*
There is no way on earth that I expected to be having a girl - no way, no how, not ever.
I'd been told so many times that "Baker's don't have girls" - the last girl born in my Hubby's family was his younger sister and she turns 30 in October...
...so no girls in thirty years...is it any wonder I was adamant this was a boy...
But it was a very welcome surprise, one that took me a long time to get my head around though...even after weeks had passed and pink things had been bought, there was still a little niggling feeling that maybe it wasn't true after all...
And then I attended an Expectant Parents Event at Mothercare and was introduced to Babybond where I discovered that apart of what they do is offer 3D and 4D scans to mums-to-be.
I knew immediately that I had to have one
As well as actually getting to see the little bundle growing inside my stomach I would be able to get pritty much a definite boy or girl decision.
A second opinion, but in 3D?
Yes please!
And I mean, who knows, this may be the last baby that we have - I want to make sure I do everything and try as much as I can whilst I can.
These options weren't around when I had my son a massive ten years ago, and if they were I certainly didn't know about them, so I really wanted to make sure I got myself booked in to have the experience this time around - just to be able to see the results at least once - and that's exactly what I did.
On the day of my appointment I headed inside to the back of the huge Mothercare store at Crown Point, Leeds where I was met by a really friendly member of staff who showed us to a small, comfortable waiting room where I signed the necessary paperwork and excitedly waited for my turn.
The scanning room itself was again very clean, comfortable and set out pritty much as I expected - a bed, scanning machinery, a wall mounted monitor and seats for partners and family members to watch too.
The lady carrying out the scan was really chatty and friendly and made me feel at ease straight away.
As the scan began - with warm gel (all important!) for the tummy - we were talked through everything step-by-step
The initial images showed up the same as I remember from my hospital scans - everything in 2D and black and white - which allowed estimations to be made about baby's growth and important checks to be made on the heart, diaphragm, bones and other organs.
And then came all of the crazy stuff - trying to see Baby Baker in 3D
Now, obviously, she - yep we got that all important confirmation of a little lady - decided to be a cheeky madam and wouldn't play ball at all.
Personally I think we got some really lovely, cute pictures, but because baby seemed to enjoy using my placenta as a pillow they were all missing half of her face which was squished up, all comfy
I even went for a walk around the store and ate some sugary food before heading back in to be scanned again, but nope, Baby Baker knows what she likes and obviously isn't going to do anything she doesn't want to do.
And today, she was not moving.
We were taken pity on and were very kindly invited back for a re-scan, to try our luck, but on a different day.
Babybond offer this re-scan as part of some of their packages and I think it's a great idea, especially as a few of the options available are quite expensive.
If baby isn't doing what is needed to get a good look during the first attempt then at least there is that option to try again another day.
We re-booked and then headed back to the store a week later.
This time we were seen by a different lady who was equally as nice as the first and she got started straight away...
...and was immediately confronted with this...
Well...
...needless to say no one actually knew what to say or do except laugh.
I mean, can you believe it!
Something is telling me that my little girl is going to be a teeny but stubborn
Off I went, for another walk around Mothercare - I even managed a little bit of jogging up and down the stairs, much to the amusement of the other shoppers - and then back in we went to try again...
It seemed that this time, Baby Baker was playing a little bit nicer for us.
We at least had the opportunity to see snippets of her full face, but those arms and hands kept slipping from either side of her head across her face time and time again...
But thankfully not before I managed to see her cute little button nose...
...and beautiful pouty lips...
~ I'm in love already ~
I actually can't believe how clear the pictures are, it's totally amazing and definitely an experience I'm so, so pleased that I had.
Babybond offer a range of different scan packages for different stages along in pregnancy, all with varying price tags
The package I had was option one from the 4D Bonding Scan range and it really was just that - a total bonding experience.
Being able to see little yawns and stretches and funny, quirky images like the one above gives everything a real "ah, so this is actually happening then" realisation.
For me, the whole scan experience made Baby Baker seem more real, almost as though she already has this funny, cheeky little personality developing - it really is very beautiful and something I would highly recommend to anyone.
Also by being able to include my son in the experience we've had lots of conversations since the scan regarding how naughty he thinks his little sister is going to be once she is born.
He loves nothing more than giggling over the antics he thinks they'll get up to and the pranks they can play on us.
He's even taken the lead when it comes to telling other family members about what he saw and this is something priceless to us - to have him happy, excited and openly accept the fact that, after 10 years as an only child, there is a new member of our family arriving.
And thanks to Babybond we certainly have a few more fabulous stories to help us along this track.
Pregnant? - I highly recommend you give Babybond a go!
* scan was discounted for an honest review. All thoughts, opinions & pictures are 100% my own
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