My still-baking baby girl is ironically camera shy.

Maybe it’s because Dorothy knows she’s going to be one of the world’s most un-famous photographed children… maybe she’s just stubborn like her big brother… maybe we keep scheduling appointments when she’s trying to sleep.

Whatever the cause, I’m not annoyed. It’s really quite amusing, and just another layer to the miracle that is the growth and birth of a baby. Here we are, two months before she’s going to be born, and she’s already got such a feisty little personality. Love it!

This past Saturday, Mack and Jack and I took my parents with us to StorkVision in Fort Worth, a local franchise of a national chain of 3D/4D sonogram offices. Before I tell you how wonderful our experience was (it was) and get to the pictures (they’re cute), I’m going to give my readers a warning about our first experience.

See, not all stand-alone prenatal sonogram facilities are created equal. Much like wedding photographers (PLUG! 😉 ), customer service and price and package customization and EVERYTHING varies from place to place. Before Christmas, I picked a place and made an appointment, thinking it was a pretty standard operation, and that everything would go smoothly.

Boy, was I wrong! Since then, I’ve heard of a number of people who’ve had bad experiences with Miracle To Behold in Fort Worth, and have added myself to the list. I can say without hesitation that I’ve never been treated so poorly as the paying client of any sort of operation. I mean, it’s bad enough to treat ANY client poorly, especially in such a competitive market. But seriously… when your clientele is 100% pregnant women, you’d think a little finesse would be part of the job description, right?

Notsomuch. I got my money back, and got a formal apology from the president of the company, but what I did NOT receive was any sort of assurance that my experience was out of the ordinary. Since my readers are overwhelmingly young people just starting their lives together, I think it’s valid to say that my recommendation (while not worth a TON) is worth something. And my recommendation is thus:

When/if you want to see your unborn baby’s face in a 3D/4D sonogram, call Rebecca at StorkVision. And maybe throw eggs at the other place. 😉

Rebecca was SO kind to us! The StorkVision office is absolutely adorable and homey, and we enjoyed every aspect of our experience there. Here’s my favorite picture of Dorothy… or, as Jack calls her, “My Baby Dot”.

Isn’t that the most incredible thing you’ve ever seen???

Okay… so yeah… it’s probably not the most incredible thing YOU’VE ever seen. After all, she’s not yours.

But for us, being able to actually see that our daughter has a Browning nose (my mom’s family) and perfect sweet little lips was so amazing. Crying a little bit right now, actually.

Mack took a few pictures of me and my big ole belly on the table…

But really, who cares about the belly? That’s just a casing for the cuteness. Here’s a few more shots we got, when Dorothy was less cooperative:

At one point, we tried to get her to move by playing music. And, as usual, it absolutely worked! Unfortunately, she moved even MORE away from the viewable area, and put her hands up so I swear she’s trying to plug her ears… the little toot…

A profile shot with her ear and that little pug nose again…

And lastly, just like her mom, my baby girl dramatically threw her hands up over her face and said, “Oy vey!!” (I’m pretty sure…) 😉

All in all, our second attempt at a 3D sonogram was a rousing success, and I’m so glad I found StorkVision. I’m looking forward to our next trip, the last week in February. By then, Dorothy should be good and fat!

Before I sign off, I’ll leave you with another momento of Family McGowan’s Day of Fun… I heart photobooths: