Good News

Time for an update....and it's alllllll good. After a rather harrowing week of trying not to overthink everything and just trusting God to help us be at peace with whatever the outcome - we finally had our appointment this morning - and everything is great!
The baby is fine - and hubs and I feel about 500 thousand pounds lighter.
Turns out, my due date was miscalculated - and instead of being 19 weeks, I'm actually only 17 weeks. They resubmitted our test with the new date, and it was negative...everything is hunky dory.
We did have an ultrasound and it was so neat to finally see our critter on screen! Our stubborn genes are already in effect because the kid wasn't in the right position to see it's face...and despite much poking and prodding, refused to budge except for stretching some arms and legs. In fact, the coolest part of all was when we saw an arm shoot out, splay out it's fingers in jazz hands position...and then give us a thumbs up!
Observe:

Hubs and I looked at each other with wide eyes and of course that's when I started to cry. We just knew right then that our kid was telling us everything is okay. As if to say "Hey you two..quit worryin I'm A-OK in here!"

*big sigh* I tell you what - that is exactly the sign we both needed at that moment. I walked out of that doctor's office and just fell apart...it was like every emotion and worry I'd been stuffing into my "I'm fine" responses just poured out of me at that moment. I feel such immense relief, and like I can go back to enjoying this pregnancy instead of having a cloud of worry hanging over my head. OUR heads. So it's over - and it was nothing to worry about after all. Next time, I will know better and I won't be taking that stupid test. Knowing that I love my baby no matter what - I've realized that ignorance is bliss as far as this test is concerned. I'll rely on the ultrasounds thankyouverymuch.

My new due date is April 6th - and I'll be having another ultrasound on Nov. 19th to see if "the bun" cooperates and shows us some face shots!

By the way - I promptly showed up wearing my "not finding out" t-shirt and the tech walked in and looked at me and said "well...that WAS going to be my first question" ha-HA! We told him didn't we Amanda???

Fun Stuff

So I can't remember if I've mentioned it before, but hubs and I have decided not to find out what we're having. Even if I end up getting an amnio which means we would know for SURE which gender it is...we still decided (okay I should say I decided...because honestly I think hubs would find out in a hot second given the chance - too bad he's not the one with the uterus!) to wait and keep it a surprise.
It's interesting the responses we've gotten regarding this subject...some people think it's lame and we should just find out because it makes shopping easier and what's the point of having a baby in this day and age if you can't plan ahead - and other people think it's cool because it's so rare that people keep it a surprise anymore.


At any rate - how awesome is my friend Amanda for sending me this maternity t-shirt????I laughed so hard - it's PERFECT - and I'm totally wearing this to the ultrasound on Tuesday!She also sent this adorable onesie:

And just for kicks...hubs and I visited a Hot Topics store a couple weeks ago and HAD to buy this one:

haha - I wanted one that said "I listen to Led Zeppelin with my mommy" - but no dice - Daddy will have to do, even though he didn't even know who Led Zeppelin WAS until we met. Had to teach that boy everything I know about good rock and roll.

Anyway - THANK YOU AMANDA...you rock girl - I will be sporting this shirt proudly every chance I get!

Belly Pic!

Okay - it's a bit odd for me to see it myself...I get a completely different view most of the time - hee...but anyway - here be the belly at 18 weeks.

How fast things can change

Yesterday morning I was all excited because I felt the baby move...and I was pumped to go home and get our room all cleaned and spruced up. But by noon, we got a phone call that changed everything.
My doctor called me himself Yesterday afternoon and told me that my AFP test came back with an abnormal result. The AFP test is for Down Syndrome, Spina Bifida, and Trisomy 18. I have a friend who's child had Spina Bifida and she was able to have surgery in utero to help her baby and now everything is fine - so after much thought, and knowing it was a simple blood test - we decided to go ahead.
Today - after all the research I've done...and finding out just how high of a false positive rate this test has - (even my doctor said he gets 2-3 abnormal results a week) I wish I would have known earlier so I would have opted not to get this test.
At any rate - we tested positive for Downs Syndrome...with a 1 out of 100 probability rate.
Of course it's hard not to think the worst - but with the false positive rate being so high and reading story after story of others who worried unneccesarily - we have a good gut feeling that everything is fine.
My ultrasound on Friday was canceled and my OB scheduled us with a high risk pregnancy specialist who will be able to perform a level 2 ultrasound (this means it takes about an hour and they do alot of measurements of bones and such) and from there...if they feel we should - they will recommend doing an amnio as well as meeting with a genetic counselor. I REAAAALLY don't want an amnio - so please pray that it doesn't go that far. In fact, because it's Downs...I'm not sure I would do it anyway because it could put the baby in danger. We'll have to wait and see - baby steps, right?
My main frustration at this point is that the specialist can't get me in until next Tuesday - which means an entire week of waiting. I'm currently on a back up list in case there are any cancellations - which is good and bad. Good because we will find out sooner - Bad because hubs won't be with me to see our baby on screen.

We're trying really hard to be positive and keep our chin up - but there is a definate cloud of worry over both of us. We just have to keep reminding ourselves that it's probably nothing - but having peace of mind would be GREAT right about now.

Movement

Since I've neglected this blog for over a month now...and TODAY I felt the baby move for the first time - I figured it would be a good time to update.


Last Monday I had a doctor's appointment - and my doc said it would happen any day. He said I should definately be feeling movement by my next appointment - and lo and behold, this morning I felt a light tapping...like popcorn popping. So flippin wierd, I can't even explain it.


We're getting our first and possibly only Ultrasound on Friday. It's going to be a 4-dimensional ultrasound...I'm not quite sure what to expect - but apparantly what we'll see will look more like a baby and less like a blob on a black background.


I'm feeling pretty good - although I have my ups and downs in the energy department. I'm also fighting a cold and of course I can't take anything for it, so that sucks. Yesterday, I had a burst of nesting instinct and cleaned the living room and kitchen spotlessly. Our wood floors are polished and shined, everything is dusted and picked up and vacuumed and CLEAN...*sigh* it's so nice to wake up in a house that's actually clean, and actually SMELLS clean. Febreeze is the bomb.


Tonight we'll be working on our bedroom which still looks like a hurricane went through it. Our bedroom is really narrow and to make room for our dresser - we shoved the bed as close to one wall as we could...like so:

If I turn sideways - I could usually fit through that space just fine.....but now that I have this growth on the front of me...and I have to wedge myself in and out of that space many times a night, what with all the peeing I do nowadays - it's getting tougher and tougher to manage and fit my girth between the wall and the bed...so hubs and I are switching sides. This will take some getting used to I'm sure - because we've had our same sides of the bed almost 6 years now...but as for me getting up 3-4 times in the middle of the night, it will be a LIFESAVER. Plus, I figure once we get the cradle in place - we'd have to switch sides anyway... so tonight I plan on washing alllll the bedding and vacuuming every nook and cranny of that room - cat beds and all. I need my little haven back, and we've been really slacking in the "clean bedroom" department.

Eventually, we're going to have to roll up our sleeves and get crackin on that baby's room. I look in there and just shrug and walk out...I'm not sure why - I just haven't had the slightest bit of excitement about decorating that room. I have no plans to actually decorate anyway...just paint and we've got to sand and paint some of the furniture in there. I think we might end up with a soft green color on the walls and white furniture with some green accents. Nothing special - but neutral enough to go for either gender. I'm not really into cartoon characters or anything like that - so whatever bedding I choose will probably be really simple...sister in law suggested bugs or frogs...but I don't know - I don't want a THEME...and bugs or frogs would be too themelike for me. I guess one of these days I'll have to see what I can find that suits my fancy (or not-so-fancy as it may be)

I brought my camera with me today so I can take some belly pics...but I've got to wait until I'm alone because taking pictures like that with coworkers around is borderline creepy.

18 week belly pictures to be posted today!