Twelve weeks looks weird.

Twelve is one of those words that looks REALLY weird when you actually look at it and focus on it. And say it out loud a few times.

Anyway, almost in the second trimester! Holy cow!

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Hmm. Making some progress. But I'd like to be in that fourth line. I've never been in the fourth line before. Sniff, sniff.

We had the NT scan this morning and all looked good. We won't get the official results that take the blood tests into account for another week or so, but the nuchal translucency measurement was about 1.5 and nasal bones were present, which are both excellent signs.

In other news, I believe that we're having a gnome. Or maybe Jesus. Or Santa Claus? I see a beard on this baby.

Do you see the hand at the top of the picture above? You can see two fingers and the thumb. 

The bright white line that you can see under the baby's back in some pictures is the amniotic sac. And seriously, what's with the beard??? The doctor didn't mention anything about it and I didn't notice it until after we'd gotten home. I mean, I'd love the world's first bearded baby, but it might take some getting used to.

OR! Maybe the baby is a PHAROH. Like King Tut!

 

I totally see it. 

Out of the Closet

Yikes! We are officially out of the closet to our families.  I just have to keep reminding myself that I can't jinx things by telling people.  In other news, I picked up the heartbeat with the doppler a few days ago, so now we just have to have good news at the NT scan and....and what? I won't stop worrying, but it will be another step in the right direction.  Just 195 more steps in the right direction, and we'll hopefully have a baby in our arms! A LIVE one, even! Holy cow!

10 Week Pictures

I called the doctor's office today because I was concerned about a possibly UTI (oh, the many small perils of being pregnant), and when I was there to get it checked out, they said that since I was there, they might as well check on the baby, too!  Opie is doing great - measuring 11 weeks, 1 day (I'm 10 weeks, 4 days) (oh, god, am I going to give birth to a giant?) (ouch) (oh, phew, no worries...I don't have to push him or her out! Yay TAC!). Heartbeat right on track, but I forgot to look at what it was.  Little arms and legs waving around. I have to remember to take video of the NT scan in two weeks. I immediately regretted not doing it at Caleb's and still regret it to this day - he was SO. CUTE. And the pictures don't capture the essence very well.

I love the new doctor's office - they are so responsive and focus on prevention - but every time I see a new doctor (well, both times) they question why I got the TAC. You can tell that they think I should have tried a vaginal cerclage first, though they haven't said as much. I just try to explain we weren't comfortable with the success rates associated with the TVC, but I'm glad it's done and over with so I don't have to fight for it. I trust Dr. Haney was truly looking out for the best interests of me and my future babies - as he does for hundreds of other women.

Optimus Prime, aged 10 weeks, 4 days:

Ten Weeks!

Holy crap, I'm 10.5 weeks.  Hopefully the "flying by" part has started and will continue straight through late June. I cannot wait.

CAN.
NOT.
WAIT.

I've been trying to find the heartbeat with the doppler to tide me over until the NT scan, but so far nothing. I'm hoping to find it before Christmas - I'd like some confirmation this pregnancy is still progressing before we announce it.   So this little one has 10 days to work out that heart and get it beating loud enough for the doppler to pick up.

OH SHIT CHRISTMAS IS IN 10 DAYS I HAVEN'T DONE ANY SHOPPING OR SENT OUT CARDS AND I DON'T EVEN HAVE A SINGLE IDEA ABOUT WHAT TO GET CHRIS HOLY SHIT.

Um, anyone out there have ideas?

Just want to remember this.

This is just an exchange I want to remember, because it was pretty adorable in its ignorance.

A few weeks ago, I was telling Chris about some spotting I was having, and he replied, "Couldn't that just be from it planting? Or did it already plant?"  I know there's not much difference between "implanting" and "planting," but the mental image is pretty darn awesome.

Baby's First Vacation

Baby and I just got back from a trip to Australia, where we cuddled kangaroos (really), petted a koala (really), and ate crocodile (not really, but it was on the menu).


It was a great trip, full of good food and hot guys with Aussie accents, and tons of little school kids in super cute school uniforms. Seriously, the little girls looked like Madeline. And their uniforms came complete with sunhats and Peter Pan collars. I'm going to convince Chris to move to Sydney so that our kid will grow up with the accent. The hot guys with the accent (calling everyone "darling") were, well, hot, but the little kids were just adorable. Plus, it's warmer there. And there are palm trees. And cockatoos just flying around all wild. I mean, obviously cockatoos come from SOMEWHERE, but I just always assumed it was a pet store.


Sideways koala proof!


And thus ends my Australia trip pictures - because my laptop fried and I lost almost all of the pictures from the trip. SOB. I have a few more that I was able to recover that I'll post someday...maybe....but for now, you just get to see sideways me with a koala. 

Baby's First Pictures

Sorry so small. The second one down on the right in the montage is the rapidly disappearing yolk sac. The others are all various views of the occupant and his tiny living space.

He or she is upside down here.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Appointment Update

And it's great news!  I'll post pics in a second, but I mean, basically it's a jelly bean/gummy bear hybrid in a under-inflated black balloon. I think it's awesome, but I'm pretty sure all 8 week ultrasounds look pretty identical.  Anyway. We have a heartbeat: 172 bpm.  Caleb's was always around 160, if I remember correctly. So...girl?  Also, morning sickness this time and none last time, which according to my mom, also means girl (since she had morning sickness with the three girls and none with my brother). Optimus Raspberry Prime was measuring right on time - actually a day ahead! - at 8 weeks and 2 days.

My next appointment is December 30, where we'll have the NT scan, and then starting in January I'll be seen twice a month.  Hopefully we'll get in a good seven more months of appointments!