The Coolest Day

Friday was one of the coolest days of my life to date.  I’m sure a future of pregnancy and motherhood promises to bring many more – But for now, Friday almost tops it all.

We got to see our baby again.  But this time, it actually looked like a baby and not a fish.

We had our NT Scan on Friday, which is part one of a three-part screening that assesses the level of risk of chromosomal and/or genetic issues (Down Syndrome, etc.).  During the NT Scan, the ultrasound tech measures the fluid at the back of the baby’s neck, then combines those results with blood they drew Friday and more blood they will draw in about a month.  Anywho, we won’t have any results back for awhile.  But the good news is – There’s definitely a baby in there!

The ultrasound tech squirted the jelly on my stomach, started the machine, and there he/she was… And the tech’s first words were, “Wow, now that’s a big baby!”  Mind you, my husband was over ten pounds when he was born, so the fact that our little squirt was measuring a week big did not surprise me in the slightest bit.

After telling us how big he/she is the tech went on to say over and over again how active the baby is!  It took her awhile to get the measurements she needed, because OUR BABY (it feels so good typing that) kept kicking his/her little legs, flipping over, putting his/her hands up by his/her mouth… It was so incredible to see.  I cannot believe how much things have changed since our first ultrasound a month ago.

Also, I loved that it took her awhile, because I could have stared at that screen all afternoon.

And another also – it’s going to get annoying typing his/her for the next twenty-eight weeks, but it’s a small price to pay for a delivery room surprise.

So we got a few more pics of our little one…

A little blurry - But there's our sweet baby!!  From his/her head down to his/her little legs sticking straight out!

And, as I typed in a previous post, our doctor’s office is awesome and updates a dvd every time you have an ultrasound.  I’m tempted to walk up to random people on the street, flip open my laptop, and show them the ultrasound dvd, like “Look!!  That’s our baby!!”

         I think my hub and I have both been on Cloud 9 since Friday.  It sure is nice up here.

Along with an awesome day at the doctor’s office, I then headed to Charleston for the Cooper River Bridge Run.  A few years ago, my family decided to make this a tradition, and I had been looking forward to it for weeks.  Unfortunately, my hub couldn’t go because of work, so I trekked down south and east (luckily hitching a ride with my parents for part of the way) and had an AWESOME weekend.  I have an incredible family.  And the weekend went by way too quickly.  Baby Peele rocked his/her first Bridge Run walk, and all I kept thinking about was being there next year, pushing a stroller.

I continue to feel better, though I’ve noticed that when I’m overly tired, I revert back to the nausea-headaches-queasy-I’m-gonna-toss-my-cookies nonsense.  So after a long drive, a busy weekend, and sleepless nights, I’m struggling today.  But the weekend was totally worth it.

Also, I still don’t really have any specific cravings.  My food desires are more like, “Okay, I have to have this right now.”  (insert cheeseburger Happy Meal I walked out of McDonalds with after I only went into to relieve my ever-full bladder.)  But it’s not like there’s any food item I want over and over again.  Well, other than having to have the Ruby Tuesday’s salad bar on Friday and then again today when I got back into town.  I guess we’ll see if that sticks. 

Our next appointment is actually tomorrow (yippee!) for our monthly OB checkup.  I think they just weigh me (oh joy) and listen for the heartbeat.  We won’t get to see our little stinker again until the anatomy scan somewhere around twenty weeks (an ETERNITY away), so thank goodness for the dvd.

The second trimester continues to get closer and closer… I’m not necessarily looking forward to the next two months of my job, for they are the busiest and most stressful; however, there are certain parts of pregnancy you want to put on fast forward, just to get to more solid ground, so I’m hopeful that the busy weeks ahead will help me focus on something other than the little life growing inside of me.

I am so thankful always – but especially today.  For the incredible love and support of the man of my dreams, for the miracle that my hub and I are experiencing firsthand, for a family who makes me feel so special every time we are together, and for the answered and unanswered prayers from God.  He has a Plan… and while it may not always be clear, and while it may take awhile to unveil itself, the Plan is always there, waiting on us – waiting on us to realize just how the steps of our past promised to lead us to the brightness of our future.  We just have to Trust…

12 Week Baby Bump

12 Week Bump (under one of my new maternity shirts!)