The results are in...

I got my NT scan results back this week and things are looking very good! So you have your base chances by age and those can go up or down based on the results of your tests. Both Scooter's chance for Downs, as well as Trisomy 18 & 13 went down! Chance of Downs is 1 in 10,000, the lowest that test goes, and chance of the trisomies was 1 in 6800. Reassuring news most definitely :) Also, apparently the blood test can sometimes indicate problems later in pregnancy  (I'm guessing the alpha fetal proteins? Not sure and the genetic counselor didn't seem to understand the question) like preterm labor and preeclampsia  and those came back fine also. Good news all around!

Pictures from the NT scan

Hey Peeps!

I'm at work so I can actually scan pictures so I thought you may want to see.

Right next to his/her face is the left hand, waving Hi!!!!! Or scratching the nose, whatevs :o) Its crazy to me how much clearer everything is in four weeks. I mean, at 8 weeks I was excited to see some nubs and now you can see a profile! Madness.

So supposedly this is Scoot's arm, I guess I can kinda see it, but this is one of those that looks fuzzy to me. If you can see it, well then I'm glad I posted!

And in other news (and possible TMI, so consider yourselves warned!)

Ha, don't worry, still talking about the baby! Sorry if anyone is bored with it, but right now this is the center of the universe for me. In addition to getting the NT scan on Friday, I also had a consultation with perinatalogist. About 6 years ago, I had an abnormal pap smear and was treated in various fun and fabulous ways. The one that bought me the consultation however was called a LEEP, and basically they remove the affected part of your cervix. Mine was very small, and the doctor was very conservative. As a matter of fact, I've have several different doctors tell me that my cervix looks great. However, this is one of those procedures they don't play with, if you've had it, they want to monitor you closely because it can lead to cervical incompetence (meaning my cervix could start dilating early and I could lose the baby). Since cervical incompetence is a relatively easy fix (they sew your cervix closed until the end of the third trimester), they start checking you at 15-16 weeks and continue every two weeks for the remainder of the pregnancy to make sure things are tight.

Personally, I'm fine with this, because it means I get to check in on Scooter every two weeks. I might even get to find out the sex early since we're having all these ultrasounds. I'm really not worried about it, but appreciate the conservative take on it.

Modern technology is amazing

Today I had my NT scan and consult with the maternal fetal specialist. For those of you who are curious below is a quick low down of the NT scan:

What is the nuchal translucency screening test?

This prenatal test (also called the NT or nuchal fold scan) can help your healthcare practitioner assess your baby's risk of having Down syndrome (DS) and some other chromosomal abnormalities as well as major congenital heart problems.

The NT test uses ultrasound to measure the clear (translucent) space in the tissue at the back of your developing baby's neck. Babies with abnormalities tend to accumulate more fluid at the back of their neck during the first trimester, causing this clear space to be larger than average.

The NT scan must be done when you're between 11 and 14 weeks pregnant. (The last day you can have it done is the day you turn 13 weeks and 6 days pregnant.) It's usually offered along with a blood test in what's known as first-trimester combined screening.

Like other screening tests, an NT scan won't give you a diagnosis. But it can assess your baby's risk for certain problems and help you decide whether you want to have chorionic villus sampling (CVS) or amniocentesis to find out whether your baby is actually affected.


In addition to checking the space behind the babies neck, they also check to see if a nasal bone is present, as many babies with Down's don't have the nasal bone present at this age. Although we won't get the official results for about a week, it looks like Scooter is most likely perfectly awesome! They look for the space to measure less than 2.8 mm and Scoot was 1.4! His/her nasal bone was also present and accounted for. We'll see what the blood test says but we are looking really good!

Most of you know my beliefs and feelings on kids, so more than determining if the child had any issues, I really just wanted a peek at my littler squirmer. It is amazing what 4 weeks can do, everything was so clear! I saw the arms and the legs, the hands, the feet, even the little toes. And I saw the baby move for the first time, in addition to hearing the most beautiful sound in the world- an amazing heartbeat at 161 bpm.

This is all starting to feel real. I was always excited and certainly felt pregnant, but I couldn't quite wrap my head around the fact that I'm going to have a baby. I think I was scared to truly accept it and then have it all taken away. But today is 12 weeks...and my baby is beautiful. My. Baby. Just writing those words brings tears to my eyes. I didn't know if I would ever get here, if my dreams were God's plan. I know that nothing is ever guaranteed, but today is magical and I'm going to embrace it.

Insomnia alternately titled Why I almost pushed my husband out of bed

Another week, another symptom! This one has actually been rearing its ugly head for awhile but this week it seems to really be kicking it into gear. I'm exhausted. I fall into bed at 10:00 (which for those of you who know me is EARLY) but somewhere between 2 and 4, I'm wide awake. I toss and turn trying to get to bed and curse my sweet husband who is slumbering loudly next to me, because of course, HE is the reason I can't get back to bed. I normally end up going downstairs and watching some tv and then slinking back to bed around 6 to try to catch up with a little sleep. Sometimes, I'll have the joy of getting sick during the middle of the night sessions too. And then I end up getting a headache from lack of sleep. Is the first trimester over yet?? (I still maintain I am grateful for all of this though, but sometimes I do ask myself what the heck I was thinking!!)

My new right hip

Fat Dog (aka Rodney) snuggling on the couch

Even before I knew I was pregnant (at least for sure!), I noticed that our lab was all up in my grill. And sure enough, his attention continues. Everywhere I go, he follows me. I sit on the couch, he begs to come up next to me. Even  the bathroom is no longer sacred, which I guess is great practice for when the kid won't let me go to the bathroom by myself! Since he was little he's always been Scott's dog, so it particularly amusing that he's now my best friend. Maybe he's just trying to soak up all the attention before there's a new chief in town! I'll be interested to see if he starts stalking the baby after s/he is out, or if he just feels the need to be near the gestating. Either way, you know me! I love attention any way I can get it! LOL

Happy Fetus Day!

Today's a big day in Scooter land! He/she is no longer an embryo and has officially entered fetushood! This is actually a very cool thing because it means that all vital organs and body parts are now in place and the main thing is growing now. In case anyone is wondering, below is a synopsis from baby center about where Scoot is in the developmental process:

How your baby's growing:

Though he's barely the size of a kumquat — a little over an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, your baby has now completed the most critical portion of his development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in his body rapidly grow and mature.

He's swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including his kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy.

If you could take a peek inside your womb, you'd spot minute details, like tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin.

In other developments: Your baby's limbs can bend now. His hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over his heart, and his feet may be long enough to meet in front of his body. The outline of his spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from his spinal cord. Your baby's forehead temporarily bulges with his developing brain and sits very high on his head, which measures half the length of his body. From crown to rump, he's about 1 1/4 inches long. In the coming weeks, your baby will again double in size — to nearly 3 inches.