12 weeks!

So 12 weeks is a big deal. According to one baby website, "Congratulations, you've reached the end of your first trimester!"... although others have told me that the first trimester isn't over until 14 weeks. Anyway, it's supposedly a big accomplishment. So yeah, we're here! I met my doctor for the first time this past Thursday. He's very nice and was very patient with me... and also treated me like an intelligent person, which was good. Then, on Friday, I had my "genetic testing" ultrasounds. One of the  benefits of being "advanced maternal age" is that I'll get tons of ultrasounds throughout the next 6 months or so. This one was specifically to check size and to do what they call a "nuchal translucency" test, which can indicate Down's Syndrome or worse chromosomal disorders. I wasn't nervous about the test, I was excited to see the baby on screen for the first time since my 7 week "dating" ultrasound, and was extra excited that Shaun was there too.

I couldn't believe how much bigger the baby is now - it looks like a baby! There was one arm in the air (as if to say "over here! over here!") and the kid was flipping around so much that the tech had a hard time getting it still enough to get the measurements for the test. It's just weird because it's moving, and it's inside of me, I just can't feel it yet. Shaun was really excited by it too. We passed nuchal translucency with flying colors, and then had a meeting with the genetic counselor to talk about our family histories and potential risks. At the next ultrasound they will take closer looks at the heart chambers, since there is family history of congenital heart defects on my side, and just check in to make sure everything is progressing as planned.

One of the highlights for me was that as they were asking me about my family, they asked if my sister had any children, and if there was anything wrong with my 16 month old niece that they should know about. Shaun's response? "She doesn't share." I had to laugh out loud. Now Eden is just about the most perfect child on earth - beautiful, smart, etc.... but she went out of her way over Christmas to let Shaun & I know that we were not in her "inner circle." I guess he's still a little hurt from that.

So once we got the thumbs up from the doctors that everything looks good, I made it "facebook official" by posting the news there, and now it's officially out. I'm glad that I was able to make a "facebook announcement" because it would be awkward to try to tell people individually, especially at work - this makes it easy, and everyone know that it's not a secret too. It has been awesome to see people's responses and shows of support. I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about the prospect, but a lot of people not related to me saying that I'll be a good Mom was certainly reassuring.

Here are some ultrasound pictures from Friday: