I had an early ultrasound this time around.

With all my other pregnancies, the first ultrasound was performed after the first trimester.  However, the early ones confirm the age of the little invader with more accuracy, and as my cycle had been thrown out the window since I started using the old pills, finding out the actual due date was important.  Not to mention that my waist had already expanded two sizes within the past couple weeks.  As round as I was becoming, the possibility of twins was often on my mind. 

The downside of the early ultrasounds is where the equipment is placed on the mother's body.  I never did mind the cold gel squirted on my belly.  However, this type is not done on the abdomen.  Call me shy, but there are areas of my body I don't care to share with anyone other than my husband, even if it is a doctor!  I know I'll have to deal with this eventually, as the birthing process tends to have a greater attendance than a simple ultrasound.  But the miseries of pregnancy give women this amazing willingness to go through anything to get it over with.  The other downside was that the blob on the screen looked more like a peanut than anything else.  Or maybe a mexican jumping bean.  And here I'd given up caffeine to avoid having another hyper-active child.  But the heart was beating strong, the due date was determined, and the total offspring growing inside was confirmed to be only one.