Week 12 - It's a.....

Girl?..... Maybe? It's a baby, for sure! Today was our ultrasound and quite possibly one of the most exciting days of my life thus far. I will have Chris add his two cents tonight, so if you want to see his addition to the blog, and his perception of this so far, come on back by tomorrow.

So what do they look for in this ultrasound, you ask? Plenty. The very lovely woman who was working with us today was examining the heart, fluid in the back of the neck (indicating genetic abnormalities), spine, body movement, size, and facial features.

Educational (read at your own risk):

Heart: 155 beats/minute (perfectly normal)

Neck: If fluid in the back of the neck exceeds 3 mm, this is thought to indicate Down Syndrome or other possible genetic disorders. Our little one: 1.45mm (perfectly normal)

Spine: Nothing exterior or showing, so most likely no spina bifida or such.

Size: 2-2.5 inches long. (tiny little thing)

Facial Features: Distinct nose, eyes and mouth. A lack of distinct nose, would again indicate potential genetic disorders. The profile was adorable, though the frontal looked alien-like.....Chris inquired about paternity and potential abduction and probing. Yeah, laugh...he's already making fun of his own kid.

Movement: Most little ones are moving, but not much...so to test this the lovely tech decided to shake the ultrasound wand over my stomach causing what I called the "earthquake drill." And yes, our little one did NOT like that drill. She kicked, she flung her arms and she was a mover. This does...or maybe does not bode well for the future. She'll be kicking my bladder in no time.

Gender: Did I say she? Well, again remember that the baby is only a couple inches long, and a mover, so it was hard to get a good read. So with very little certainty, we were told that she might be a girl. They look for (and I expect a giggle from Erik and Mike) genital tubes. If horizontal, that means girl, if vertical (yes, laugh again) that means boy. When she was still, they looked horizontal. This means, Chris wins the bet...or perhaps Erik since he voted for something not quite human...and well, check out the pictures for yourself!

Future: We had blood work done today, we go back in 5 weeks for another blood draw, and then in 6 weeks (a week after the second draw) we get a second ultrasound and the results. The blood work will have more certainty regarding genetic disorders and the ultrasound at 17-18 weeks will have more certainty on gender. So April 7th is the next ultrasound, unless our other doctor gives us one in the mean time.

In the mean time, I hope these pictures will keep you busy :)

Above you see a look from up top. That's the head, and the right arm, elbow, and hand with little fingers. Below are two profile pictures. So you'll see the head (nose, eyes, mouth), body, and little feet.

And finally, the alien picture.... the baby's face. :)

Love you all! Congrats Uncles, Aunts, Nanas, Popis, Mops and Pops! We are so lucky and blessed to have your support! Oh, and we are wrapping up the first trimester, so telling extended family or friends is okay by us. :) Oh and if you cannot see these clearly or want them emailed to you, please let me know and I will be happy to send them your way!

LOVE!

Jules