IT'S A....

I went to work the morning of the ultrasound and as always picked up my daughter so we could all see the baby.  I truly feel that the more involved I let her be the more she will adjust and be okay with the end result, us not bringing a baby home.

Mrs. California flew in the morning of the ultrasound and thankfully the weather permitted and she made it alive and safely.  The day prior to her flying in they had literally shut down the airport for ice and snow on the runways.  It was beautiful the day she came in though!

We went straight down to the ultrasound and we were able to see this little pea.  He was moving like crazy and was making it difficult for the tech to get good readings on everything but she managed to get everything we needed.  When we first got to the ultrasound they were thinking it was just the gender reveal when it was actually the BIG anatomy scan.  Thankfully the tech just did the anatomy scan as well which also meant that Mrs. C was able to get a CD of the entire scan!

The tech took her time looking at everything and made sure to get lots of pictures of everything for the family and one or two for me!

So the big reveal of this little pea is that it is most DEFINITELY...

A BOY!!!!!

I wasn't sure if Mrs. California would find out what he was since she was going back and forth of whether they would find out or not.  I am so glad that she decided to find out because I was so worried that I would slip on what it was.

As soon as the tech put the wand on my belly you could instantly see his parts.  This baby is not shy at all and made it very clear and without a doubt that he was in fact a he!  They would have been fine with whatever God intended this baby to be but I could tell they were very excited that it was a boy!!

18 weeks or 122 days left

20 weeks along!!  Halfway baby!

21 weeks and 1 day

With Jen and we are a week and a half apart.  12/10/2013

12/12/2013

22 weeks along

Christmas Eve, 22 weeks and a few days

I'm big enough that things can officially rest on the belly.

On our way to the big ultrasound appointment with Mrs. California!!

I am probably only going to be updating every month or so from now on.  Life has been so crazy and hectic with the holidays that I was wanting to update but just didn't have time or didn't make the time.  I will be 23 weeks this Saturday and am doing really great besides the usual aches and pains that come with pregnancy.  We had our BIG ultrasound on the 20th and Mrs. California flew out to see her cute little pea!  I have started to take Prilosec OTC and that has seriously helped with the acid reflux/heart burn that I was having.  I can't believe I even waited as long as I did because it has helped so much.  This little pea moves around like crazy and like I was thinking is breech right now which makes more sense to why I'm getting kicks in the crotch a ton.

As much as this pregnancy as been so different then what I experienced with my daughter the fact that it is getting closer to the end makes me sad just the same.  I have really enjoyed helping this sweet family and know how loved this little pea is already.  He is one special and very loved little one!

Weight Gain: I have gained a whopping 22 pounds so far.  I gained so much with my daughter and I see that happening this time around too.

Cravings: Mexican food and anything with a kick or spice to it.  So not like me at all to like spicy foods.  ha  I had a to die for smothered burrito that was just amazing and just what this little pea was wanting!!

Symptoms: Some heart burn episodes, LOTS of pelvic pressure, back pain, sciatic episodes which are mostly when it is too cold, baby is kicking and moving like crazy and on a somewhat schedule too (It is always around the same time that it is having a dance party), braxton hicks all day long

What I miss: Sleeping comfortably, being able to paint my toes and shaving normally, my pants not ripping up the seam....

Their baby's the size of a papaya!

During month five, the average fetus measures about 10.5 to 11.8 inches and weighs about 12.7 to 20.8 ounces.

Their baby at 22 weeks!

• Now that he's got more developed eyes and lips, he's looking even more like a newborn.
• He's sleeping in cycles -- about 12 to 14 hours per day.

AFP

It is normal for most OB offices to do a routine test called an Alpha-Fetoprotein (AFP) which checks for certain markers in the baby.  I had mine a few weeks ago and was able to get the results within the following week.

Alpha-fetoprotein Screening (AFP) -- A simple blood test that poses no risk to the fetus, AFP screening measures the levels of alpha-fetoprotein in the mother's blood. Abnormal levels can indicate a brain or spinal cord defect, the presence of twins, a miscalculated due date, or an increased risk of Down syndrome. Since AFP levels can be elevated for a number of reasons, a positive test is usually repeated or followed up by other tests before a diagnosis is made. Very few women with elevated AFP levels are found later to have babies with birth defects

The test was actually really simple and non-invasive, it is a simple blood draw and that is it.  With this test they ask you quite a few questions to best determine what the blood says for results.  Since this is not my baby we just used the age and other information with the Intended Parents and a few questions about me.  They ask how old the egg donor was and that would be the age that my Intended Mother was when they retrieved her eggs.  They ask if there is any history of family genetic anomalies to get a history and go from there.

Results came back all negative for everything!!  This was great news and as for the blood work it proves that the baby is healthy and without any genetic anomalies.  We have our big ultrasound in a few weeks and the parents will decide from there if they want any further testing.

I do have to add that being a phlebotomist I have gotten a few calls from main lab saying such and such patient came back with a positive.  With this particular test if it comes back positive it does NOT mean that your unborn child does indeed have whatever came back positive.  It gives you a number such as 1 in 204 chance of having this, that is not a yes your baby has this anomaly.  If this had come back positive I am certain that my Intended Parents would have requested for me to have an amniocentesis which is a little more invasive and in my eye's can be risky (that is my opinion though).  That is a bit more accurate then the simple blood draw.