15 weeks 2 days

Some interesting facts about my little developing baby:
-He/She is about the size of an orange
-His/Her bones are getting harder
-He/She is inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid
-He/She is forming taste buds
-His/Her legs are longer than his/her arms
-His/Her fingernails are fully formed
-He/She can hear my voice
-Despite his/her eyelids being fused shut he/she can sense light

We have another physician's appointment tomorrow. I am not sure that I will be having an ultrasound but at the very least we will hear our little one's heartbeat.

14 weeks 1 day

I cannot believe that my first trimester is over! I am sure the next several months will pass by really quickly.

Although I don't have a visible "bump" I certainly have a palpable one. I have been trying to sleep on my left side throughout the night (lots of health benefits for mama and baby by doing so) when I wake in the morning I can actually feel a chicken's egg sized bump in the lower left abdomen. Now that I have found the location I poke and feel around all the time. Some times the "egg" is in the center in line with my belly button other times on the right side of my lower abdomen. I still haven't felt any thing apparent like a kick or movement but I feel what seems to be the consequences of those kicks and shifting. I will feel some discomfort every once in a while, similar to pressure, in certain areas of my lower abdomen but applying some counter pressure relieves the discomfort.

What is driving me the craziest right now is when people come up and pat my belly as though a bump will be present...well it isn't! Instead those hands are touching my pudge! It isn't that bad but it is funny because I feel like I owe them some explaination/excuse.

12 weeks 3 days

Today I had another doctor's appointment. I had a first trimester screening performed. Since I have a relative with Down's Syndrome my OBGYN suggested this screening to identify the risks of certain chromosomal abnormalities like Down's Syndrome and Trisomy 18. It is a noninvasive evaluation which combines maternal blood tests and ultrasound. It is quite remarkable how far prenatal testing has advanced. This first trimester screening is 85% accurate. Many people think that the only way to determine the risk of chromosomal abnormalities is with an amniocentesis. We don't have any results yet but we already know the risk for us is relatively low. Many people are mistaken in their assumptions that risk of Down's Syndrome is primarily when the mother is older. There are in fact 3 types of Down's Syndrome--Trisomy 21 which is commonly linked to maternal age which accounts for 95% of cases; mosaicism which is a defect in fertilization representing 2% of cases; and lastly Robertson Translocation which is also a defect in fertilization but is hereditary from either mother, father or both this accounts for 3-4% of cases. I am not really nervous about the results. I know that either way Sean and I will love this child immensely and provide the best possible upbringing possible.

Below are the sonograms from the screening today. It was a wonderful moment. Due to the extensive use of ultrasound in this screening I was able to see the baby from all sorts of vantage points. I believe the technician printed about 14 images that the doctor will use in conjunction with the blood test to determine if we are "at risk." I am not entirely sure but I think I caught our little one sucking his/her thumb. I will keep every one posted on the test results.