12w3d... NT Scan!!!

Well we got to see our little one again!!! He/She was bouncing all over the place, it was crazy to watch, and amazing to know that our little one is perfectly healthy.

Ok, first of all, we went in today for an NT Scan. What is an NT Scan? Well here is a good description I found.
"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 fold is considered at a risky level when it measures anything above 2.5mm, well our little one measured in at 1.33mm so is considered low risk. What a relief! We also had a small blood test that will be combined with the ultrasound results to give us our risk levels. We should know the results to that in about a week.

Anyways, it was amazing to see how much this little one has grown in the past month. It is 5.5cm from head to rump at this point, which is about the size of a chapstick tube. I am pretty sure that this little one has Brian's chin. We saw its nose, and its stomach and its heart. I really am in awe about the miracle of life with this little one growing inside of me.

Brian and I have set up a gender poll on our family blog http://themclaughlinsblog.blogspot.com,
so if you are interested in guessing whether it is a boy or girl, make sure to vote before May 28th, because we are going to have a big ultrasound that morning to check all of the organs and we should find out the sex at that point.

12w... Tons of updates!

Wow where to begin. Well I apologize for not updating lately, life has been kind of hectic.

Update #1: Brian's family now knows! The big news is officially out. We are starting to tell people at work and everything. Brian's family is incredibly excited for us, and couldn't be happier about having another grandchild coming soon. Everyone is guessing the sex and the name, but since we don't know the sex, and we aren't telling the names, we are keeping people in the dark once again.

Update #2: Gestationally we are in the 2nd trimester!!! The baby is fully formed! It has every organ, and everything it needs to be a little person. The second trimester consists of letting everything mature and continue to grow. The third trimester is mostly for adding fat before birth. We are so incredibly excited to have made it this far, it really feels like a dream.

Update #3: Well I broke down right before we went to Charlotte and invested in a couple of pairs of maternity pants. They must be the most comfortable pieces of clothing I have EVER owned. I keep asking myself why I didn't get some sooner, and I have to admit it was because I was afraid of something bad happening again. Well if the amount of morning sickness and exhaustion that I have had are any sign, this little one is doing just fine.

Update #4: We are looking forward to our NT Scan on Wednesday morning, we are certain everything will be wonderful. We are looking forward to seeing the little one again soon, and getting some beautiful pictures of him/or her.

As a side note, I just wanted to send my love to a fellow blogger and online friend, Schmoodle. She tragically lost her twins this week in her 23rd week due to a placental abruption. My heart really goes out to her, I was terribly heart broken for her when I heard. She is in my prayers.