Merry Christmas!

We three made the trip to Alpharetta on Thursday and enjoyed a lovely Christmas Dinner with Caden's Meme and Papa, Aunt Ann and Ken. Caden was relatively well-behaved, but got a little cranky towards the end of the night. Fortunately we were able to enjoy dinner and I even had a glass of wine! Many thanks to Meme, Papa, and Ann for the lovely gifts!

Yesterday we gave Caden his first real bath! He was a trooper and didn't cry until we were all done and he started getting chilly. What a big boy!

Today begins what is sure to be an exciting week of College Football. Caden is looking forward to seeing his Hokies AND his Dawgs play January 1st. Thank goodness they're not on at the same time!

Our first walk!

Caden and I took the dogs for our first walk this morning! Thing have been a little rough the past couple of days - I think he's going through a growth spurt - and we wanted to get up and start the day on a positive note. So we got all bundled up and headed out! It was wonderful, and Caden snoozed in the Moby Wrap the whole time. Many thanks to our neighbor, Frances, for snapping a few pics!

Today was our first day using cloth diapers and so far I'm pleased with their performance - no poo anywhere it doesn't belong! I'll keep you posted!

P.S. - I know you're diggin' that homemade hat!

Last night Tripp and I hosted our Centering Pregnancy group for a reunion dinner. All four couples, new babies, and Susan came together for food and fellowship and it was awesome. It was fun catching up on each other's new lives, getting advice and sharing new-mommy and -daddy tips. Tripp and I genuinely hope to keep everyone in close touch as we move forward in this new adventure and look forward to many more get-togethers with our new-parent friends!

On Saturday, Meme and Papa came for a visit. We three will be heading to Alpharetta on Thursday for Christmas dinner - it will be our first trip longer than 15-20 minutes. I hope we survive!

I've updated the photo album - click here to see the latest photos of our little guy!

A few updates

We visited the pediatrician for our 2nd checkup on Wednesday, and Caden weighed a whopping 9 pounds 7 ounces! Many peds worry that breastfed babies don't/won't gain/grow as well as they would on formula, but clearly we have a strong growing boy! Otherwise the visit was uneventful - he's happy, healthy and thriving. We go back in 2 weeks to start his vaccinations.

Caden and I went to our first new mommy group today at Full Bloom. I have to say I was a bit overwhelmed by all the people - boy was it was hot, and loud. Caden was the youngest (by 4 weeks) so maybe we'll wait to go back until he's a little bigger and I'm a little less tired. Afterwards, we visited with Heather of Stylized Portraiture to choose our prints and Christmas card/birth announcements. I had no idea how difficult it would be, but after 2 hours I was able to pick out what I wanted. Of course, when he got home from work, Tripp vetoed my 8x10 print choice, so I'll be calling Heather tomorrow to switch it. I can't wait to see them all in print! Heather was kind enough to give us the proofs, so I'll be framing a few of them for myself as well!

Sneak Preview!

Click the photo to see a sneak preview of Caden's photo session!

Newborn Photo Session

Today Caden and I were visited by Heather of Stylized Portraiture for his free newborn photo session! I tried to schedule it during a time when he tends to be soundly sleeping, but how do you know such a thing when he's only a few days old? Three PM sounded like a good time when I made the appointment last Thursday, but when he was still wide-eyed at 2:45, I was beginning to worry he might crash the session. Fortunately, he zonked just minutes before Heather arrived, and was a perfect little sleeping baby for the two-hour shoot. The online proofs should be available tomorrow, so I'll send along the link as soon as I get it!

He's Here!!!

After our appointment Friday we expected to be waiting at least a few more days, but I woke up Saturday morning with contractions! Things progressed slowly throughout the morning, and because my water broke early, we headed to the hospital at 4:00pm expecting to need Pitocin to speed things up. To our surprise, I was already 5 centimeters dilated and well on my way to delivering our little man. After a few hours of bearable labor, a few hours of hard labor and a little over an hour of pushing, Caden Spiers Almy was born at 12:56am, Sunday, December 7th, 2008.

8lbs 8oz
21-1/4 inches long

We've been at home since mid-day Monday and we're all very tired. Dad has been a real trooper, and has slept the least of all, so remember him when you lay your head down tonight - he needs some rest. Updates to follow!

Click here for photos of Caden's first few days on the outside!

Still Waiting...

No baby as of Friday evening! We visited Susan again today, and the nonstress test and ultrasound were fine - we scored a 10 out of 10. No change in my cervix, and the baby may actually be a little higher then he was on Monday, which is a bummer, but we're going to do some walking and yoga this weekend to see if we can't get him motivated.

We'll be back to see Susan on Monday morning and if nothing has changed, we will most likely have the induction discussion. No matter how you slice it, we should have a baby by next Friday at the latest. The full moon isn't until December 13th, so if he's waiting for that, he most likely won't make it.

We need everyone to get out there and do a little baby dance for us!!

The Baby-Wait Continues...

We saw our midwife, Susan, on Monday. No change from last week - 0cm dilated, 50% effaced and "buttery" soft. We have an appointment Friday for a nonstress test and ultrasound. They'll hook me up to a monitor and listen to the baby's heartbeat for about 20 minutes to make sure it's strong, then take a look at him on ultrasound to make sure he's growing right. I really hope we don't make it that far, even if it is just 1 week past our due date. Susan is off Thurs - Sunday so we're hoping for something during that time - or SOONER! Maybe we'll head out tomorrow night for some eggplant parmesan...

The baby was less active during the last week and I was sleeping poorly over the weekend, but today he's been moving around pretty much all day and I slept like a log last night....good signs? I really want to believe things are moving along, but I also don't want to get my hopes up, so I'm trying to ignore everything. I've been knitting like a fiend and tomorrow I'll be sewing; two perfect baby-waiting distractions. I can't imagine being home with no hobbies! I couldn't go back to work either though - I'm having a tough time moving and having to sit at a desk all day was terrible for my body.

Tripp and I are both trying to "go with the flow" but we're getting a little impatient. He must be really happy in there!

Gentlemen, Place Your Bets!

Because our due date is drawing nigh, we visited with our midwife, Susan, today to get "checked." Many of you are already familiar with the concept, but in general terms, it means she stuck her hand up there to see what my cervix is up to. It is about 50% effaced and "buttery soft" - but completely closed. Basically that means while I haven't started dilating at all yet, the cervix is definitely doing something to prepare for the birth. Interested in the details? Read more here.

Additionally, Susan said the baby is at
-2 station on a -4 / +4 scale.

On a less graphic note, I got my "I'm pregnant and I deserve it" pedicure today and couldn't be more excited! My toes are sparkling and my feet are soft as can be!

Also, I'm officially on Maternity Leave! My last day of work was Thursday so I'll be home "relaxing" for a few days (I hope) before the baby arrives, and don't have to report back until March SECOND! I had to take a few weeks un-paid to get three full months of leave, but we believe it's worth it. So, I'm available to chat anytime if you're looking for something to do!

Just in case

Baby Shower Madness!

The women in my department at work held a lovely shower for me at Transmetropolitan on Friday (Halloween!). We received some really terrific gifts including the Spot Mobile from my supervisor, Jennifer! Tripp took a few minutes to disassemble the mobile's innards in order to disable the musicbox so now we can play whatever lullabies we feel like, and don't have to hear "Twinkle, Twinkle" 800,000 times!

Then on Sunday, a couple of neighbors held a little get-together for me! It was really nice to hang out with them, and to get to know everyone a little more. AND - They went in together to purchase the Pack 'n Play!We'll put the Pack 'n Play (or, playpen) in the family room so I won't always have to lug the little guy upstairs to his crib when he's ready for a nap. Phew!

Hospital Tour

One of the dads in our Centering Group brought his camera to our hospital tour 2 weeks ago. Yesterday he posted some pics of the labor and delivery room. Take a look at the room where it all "goes down" (7 photos). Especially worth checking out - Tripp demonstrates how to get an epidural.

Maternity Photos

A few months ago I attended the Athens Maternity and Baby Fair, an all-out babypalooza held each summer at the Civic Center. There were vendors from all over Georgia selling their wares and inviting attendees to use their services. Like many such fairs, nearly every vendor had some type of drawing or another, so of course I entered every single one. I found out the following week that I'd won a photo session with Stylized Portraiture, a photography studio in Athens. I won their Belly to Baby package worth $500!

This package includes a maternity session and a newborn session in your home, and a 20 page hardcover 8×8 book at the end of the sessions and 15% off all prints.

It was a little tricky getting the session scheduled because, as luck would have it, the photographer, Frankie, is ALSO PREGNANT! She is due in late October, so we were really glad she was able to squeeze us in before her big day! So Sunday morning Tripp and I got ready, gathered the dogs, and headed out to the studio for a little us-time. We had a great time, and hope it shows in the photos. You are welcome to look at them if you'd like.

1) Click here.
2) Click on our gallery
3) Enter in the following access code: 5b994f8b

The photos should be available until November 2nd, so enjoy them while you can!

Getting Ready for Baby!

I just wanted to post a quick picture of the changing table. Not that the room didn't look like a baby's room before with the crib and all, but I feel like it's finally starting to seem like there will soon be a baby living in there! Now if I could just get all the gifts unpacked and the new clothes washed, we might just be ready to welcome this little guy home!

In other news, Tripp and I started our birth preparation class last week.

Preparing for Birth - – With the philosophy that “there is no ‘one right way’ to have a baby,” Full Bloom’s classes will inform and enlighten you. You’ll learn about:
- the normal, natural process of labor and birth
- health care practices that support normal birth
- communicating with your care provider
- the role pain plays in normal birth & a variety of strategies to help manage labor pain
- developing a birth plan and the importance of labor support
- medical interventions – indications, risks and alternatives
- breastfeeding and the postpartum/newborn period

We'll meet for a total of six classes with four other couples - two of which are in our midwifery centering group. The instructor, Pat Nielson, is a registered nurse who has worked for 15+ years in the childbirth field. She used to teach and work at Athens Regional in the midwifery department. We are excited to have such a committed birth educator in Athens and look forward to learning everything she has to teach us!

Baby Shower

Many thanks to all of our friends and family who came to help us prepare to welcome our little one into the world. My mom was a generous host to more than 20 people - college friends, aunts and uncles, close family friends, cousins from far and wide and 4 little ones under 2! The weather was perfect and the food was delicious! It was the perfect party and well worth the drive from Georgia to D.C.! Thank you!

The Chair is IN!

We got a call this weekend that the nursery chair had arrived, but due to UGA football and a last-minute roadtrip to Florida, it's been hanging out in the warehouse until today. Tripp was able to make the "quick" trip to Duluth to pick it up and now all the furniture is in! Yahoo! AND -

Circus Man was completed and picked up Saturday!

Apologies for the less-than-quality pics - I'm in Tallahassee with the digital camera so my wonderful husband took these with his cell phone so I could get them up here so you could all enjoy them sooner rather than later. Better shots to come at the end of the week!

Test Results

Before our prenatal group meeting last Friday I had some blood work done. Assuming the whole, "If you don't hear from us everything is normal," I called today anyway to check on the results. My blood glucose level was 126 which is within the normal range (below 140) and my hematocrit was 35.6 so no gestational diabetes or iron deficiency! Yahoo!

Busy, Busy, Busy

Tripp and I were lucky to have my mom this weekend for a last-minute visit and enjoyed a thoroughly baby-filled 3 days! Mom flew down Friday and returned home Monday (just in time). While she was here we visited Trader Joe's in Midtown, and did some baby shopping (of course).

Friday afternoon we stopped at Georgia Baby and Kids to try some wheelin' and dealin' for those prints Tripp and I wanted so badly. Hillary, our friendly and helpful sales associate, "made a call" and said she could offer us 20% off the three prints. I wasn't happy with that (still over $400 - and one of the prints needed to be re-framed) so we were ready to leave without them, again. On our way out, Hillary asked, "So if I could do better on the price you'd buy them?" I said, "Yes, I really like them but I just can't justify that price."

"How about $300 for all three?"

"Sold."

Tripp and I had discussed offering $250 for all three, which would have been a little less than 50% off, but we all agreed $300 was a good deal and we loaded them in the car. Tripp hung Chloe and Walking the Dog on Saturday morning and I dropped Circus Man off at the frame shop for a new frame.

Almost finished!

Saturday we hit Rattles and Rhymes which was, of course, sold-out of almost everything I wanted to show Mom. Luckily, while we were there, I was able to fill her in on the latest in our long-running carseat debate. Although it seems like it should be, it is not easy to pick out a carseat. After literally months of discussion, Tripp and I finally came down to two choices: Chicco KeyFit 30 or Peg Perego Primo Viaggio SIP 30/30. Things didn't get any easier when, a few weeks ago, we met the sales rep for Peg Perego and were given the run-down on the safety features and benefits of the that seat ($100 more) vs. any other. Ultimately, though, our concerns boiled down to comfort - the Peg doesn't look like it would be comfortable for a larger baby and the Chicco just seems more cushy and comfy. So we got the Chicco (ON SALE!).

The rest of Saturday was spent at the mall, visiting various children's clothing stores (Gymboree was our favorite) and spending too much money on what is sure to be the best-dressed baby in Athens. (We shopped the sales racks, honestly!)

Sunday, Mom and I went to Kohls and then met Tripp for dinner at Doc Chey's in downtown Athens and Monday we stopped at REI to buy the BOB - 20% OFF! I was worried they wouldn't have the color I wanted in stock (no one ever seems to) but they did! WOOHOO!

It's called Mesa Orange but
I like to think of it as HOKIE Orange!

So, yeah, we had a great visit with my mom and feel like we're finally "ready" to bring this little guy home when he's ready to come out. At our last midwifery group meeting we were reminded that babies born after 26 weeks are considered "viable" - that is, able to survive outside of the womb. So while we would prefer that he continue to bake until at least mid-November, if he decides to make his entrance sooner, I feel like we're actually prepared to care for him. Scary, huh?

Spot has arrived!

And we couldn't be more pleased! The colors are rich, the patterns bold, and the fleecy parts are squeezably soft! We both agree it is the perfect fit for our family and can't WAIT to see it in action! Check the nursery gallery for more photos of the crib.

The dogs love it too!

Closeup of the sheets!

After weeks of searching all over Athens and Atlanta, we have finally found a glider for the nursery. Our insistence that the chair be affordable, comfortable and not too big was beginning to make me think we might never find what we wanted. Luckily, we made a stop in a furniture store in Atlanta (while looking for a dresser for US) and found just the chair. AND - because it's not a baby store, we were able to order it for nearly 1/2 the price of a "Nursery Glider" - and we got a custom fabric at no extra cost!

This may not be the exact chair,
or fabric, but it's pretty close.

Finally, we have been searching for unique artwork for the baby's room and have been really drawn to two artists we discovered at Georgia Baby and Kids in Atlanta. Unfortunately, we've had a little trouble finding any...eh hem...affordable prints, so the search continues.

The first artist is Annora Spence. We really love the bold colors, exciting scenery, and of course the ANIMALS! Here are some of our favorites.

Circus Man

Lady and Cat

Man and Giraffe

Walking the Goat

The other artist we like is Mackenzie Thorpe. It turns out we prefer his early work because the prints on his website now are very modern and some are pretty dark. Nothing like this:

Chloe

Together

Other than nursery changes, we've been plugging along with no problems or concerns. The baby is becoming more active, especially at work in the morning and after dinner. In the morning he tends to kick low - like my cervix - which is not the most comfortable thing in the world. But at night he kicks much harder and primarily on my right side. Although I thought Tripp felt the baby move 2 weeks ago, he insists he hasn't felt anything yet. Because he isn't active around the clock yet, it's hard to get Tripp to feel it. Soon, though.

I posted a belly picture in the photo gallery for an update. There are a lot of pregnant people around to compare myself to, and I'm constantly being told I "barely look pregnant." Is that supposed to be a compliment? I most certainly do look pregnant and I definitely feel pregnant. The belly is constantly being bumped on doorways that I can no longer shimmy through, and Tripp can definitely feel the difference when I sit in his lap!

Our visits with the midwives have changed a little. Instead of going in to the clinic every four weeks, we're attending a prenatal group every two weeks in a different location. There are 3 other coupls, all due in November, and one midwife. We, the moms, are responsible for performing our own urinalysis and getting our weight and then the dad's take our blood pressure, do belly measurements, and use the doppler to find the baby's heartrate. It's a very different environment designed to emphasize the "normalness" of pregnancy. So far we are really pleased and have met some neat people too!

I'm looking forward to starting our birth classes next month and our breastfeeding class in October. It seems like the time is going by more quickly lately so our days are running out to get prepared for our little one. We talk to and about him all the time - we just can't WAIT!

Now THAT looks like a nursery!

When Tripp went home yesterday for lunch he found that the Fishy bedding had arrived, so last night he drove to Atlanta to pick up the furniture which arrived last Friday. Tripp picked up the crib (un-assembled) and the dresser (assembled) and I bought the crib mattress at our local baby store.

It didn't take very long to get it put together,
thanks of course to Kaya's professional supervision.

And now we have a crib! Yay!

In other news, our first batch of cloth diapers arrived yesterday as well! I ordered 6 small diapers in butter yellow for use at night and when out and about. I've also ordered one dozen Kissaluvs diapers for use during the day when I'm at home. The Kissaluvs are not waterproof but will be much cheaper than buying all Happy Heinys. Totally exciting stuff!

We Have Finally Decided!

Ever since we found out this little bean is a boy, we've been looking far and wide for the perfect crib bedding set. You'd think it would be easy - we were expecting very few choices compared to girls' bedding - but we were all wrong! Your choices are quite literally endless and that only adds to the frustration when two otherwise reasonable adults cannot come to a compromise! He doesn't want it to be too baby-ish, I want it to be cute. He wants modern, I want timeless. Ugh! We went back and forth with emails and pictures,

Me: "What about this one?"

Him: "Too girly"

Him: "How about this one?"

Me: "Not quite right"

What a mess! I never thought we'd agree. But today, it finally happened! After weeks of back and forth, I instructed Tripp to choose his top FIVE sets and I would just choose one and that would be that. So this morning, while he was at "work" he finally narrowed down his choices. And ONE that I liked made the top five. (That's right, ONE, sheesh.) Anyway, I'll keep you waiting no longer. We have finally ordered this!We found it on sale at JCPenny.com and just couldn't resist! How could two dog people say no to the cutest dang dog bedding out there? Let's just hope it coordinates with the crib itself!

And just to prove how seriously in the tank we are for this kid already, Tripp found yet another set this morning (see what I mean?) on super-duper deep discount at Overstock.com and we agreed it was too cute to pass up and ORDERED IT TOO!I can hear my mom now, "Oh for heaven sakes!" and I agree, it's insane. But seriously, it was really cheap and got rave reviews (on Amazon.com too) and considering the little guy will be born in winter but still sleeping in his crib next spring/summer, we wanted to have something fresh and bright too.

I know. Spoiled rotten before he even arrives. What can I say?

Furniture!

Yesterday we went furniture shopping! Tripp discovered "the largest specialty baby store in the southeast" last week so we just had to check it out! Georgia Baby and Kids is about an hour away from Athens, just outside Atlanta in Norcross, Georgia. And they definitely had a LARGE selection. They carry some of the harder to find furniture brands and some designer baby bedding, like NAVA Designs, a company that sells they're stuff for over $1,000! HOLY COW! Anyway, we shopped around online and in a few stores and found that we really liked the quality and longevity of Stanley Furniture's line of nursery and youth furniture called Young America, and when we found out Georgia Baby was selling theirs for 45% OFF we new if we liked what we saw we'd be getting it from them. And we did. We looked through the entire store multiple times and kept coming back to the 4 Seasons Serenity Collection in a Cinnamon finish. We ordered two pieces at 45% off retail (no shipping) and bought two pieces off the showroom floor at 55% off retail, so we're very happy with what we got for the money.

This is the crib we bought (without the drawer on the bottom). We purchased the conversion kit as well, so we will be able to turn the crib into a full-size bed as the baby grows.

This is the dresser/changer. We did not buy the $200 changing station that holds the changing pad; we'll just lay the pad on top and secure it from behind.

This is the dresser/chest.

This is the nightstand.

The crib and dresser/changer will be delivered to the store in 3-4 weeks (maybe sooner) but the other two pieces are in the baby's room already! I will post updated nursery pictures soon - it's raining and dark today so I'm afraid they wouldn't come out very well.

The thing that we really like about Young America is that they sell so many more pieces than just the crib and dresser suites you see with many baby furniture companies. We will be able to expand the collection in the future if necessary to include a desk or bookcases or who knows what. Plus, it's very high quality furniture (and the chest is even made in the USA!) so we know it will last a long time. Like, forever, if we're lucky! We even found the collection we'd like to get if our next child is a girl, if you'd like to have a look. Overall it was an exciting day and we can't wait to get the crib set up and fill it with cute baby bedding and someday even a BABY!

Happy Birthday!

While I was out of town Tripp worked (literally) night and day to turn our guest room into a true nursery fit for our little king! You cannot truly appreciate the workmanship from mere photos so you'll all have to wait and see for yourself in person someday! What a wonderful birthday surprise! Click here for the transformation!

The results are in!!!

That's right folks - for the first time ever in "public," our little man is exposing himself to the world! It's a boy! Tripp and I were just happy to see the baby - growing well, again measuring ~1 week ahead - and were thrilled to learn that come November the Almy household will welcome a BOY into our rag-tag mix!

Coming in for the closeup!

Much to my chagrin, I'm still not feeling any movement, but I anticipate feeling it very soon. My placenta is low-lying and anterior (that means towards my belly button) so the little guy's tiny kicks are still hard to differentiate from gas or other tummy rumblings. But as his strength improves, I expect to start feeling the first bumps and pokes any day!

As I said above, he's measuring about 1 week ahead (9 days) and while that is considered within normal limits (Ultrasound tech said 8-10 days doc said 14 days difference) we would not be at all surprised if he makes his grand entrance a little earlier than first predicted. Only time will tell!

I'm sorry that I can't post more pictures right now; my html editing software is loaded on my work computer. I hope to have more pictures up first thing Tuesday morning when I return from visiting family in Illinois for the 4th of July holiday.

Our next appointment will be our regular prenatal visit with the midwives on July 9th.

July 1 Stats: Heart rate 142bpm, ~12oz.

He's lookin' at you!

The Littlest Almy Diaper Fund

I've decided to start a Diaper Fund for the baby. As many of you know, we have elected to use cloth diapers for our little one instead of disposables. While the cost can seem significant up front, we believe that over time the savings will be tremendous because we will be able to use them for our 2nd child, literally cutting our diaper expense in HALF. In preparation for the baby's arrival, I've decided to start saving up some money for diaper purchases so that we'll have an adequate stash before he or she arrives. So, if you feel so led, please consider making a donation to the Diaper Fund!

Next Appointment

We've decided to keep both appointmets. We will see Dr. Rosemond on July 1st for the anatomy screen and gender and then we'll see the midwives the following week for our regularly scheduled prenatal visit. Just 3 weeks till we know what we're growing - we can't WAIT!!!

15 weeks, 5 days and everything NORMAL!

We had our normal prenatal visit with the ARMC Midwives today and everything is right on track. The baby's heart rate was 150 which is in the normal range, my growth is good and our midwife (Susan F.) said she could hear the baby moving around with the doppler even though I can't feel anything yet. So far I've gained 6 pounds and am feeling almost completely normal. My appetite has finally returned in full force and I need to start making sure I eat enough iron - many women get a little anemic in the 2nd trimester so I'll be working hard to keep my blood healthy. Also, in case you were wondering, we have been assured that the placenta is no longer covering the cervix so we are not worrying about a C-section (for now). Absolutely everything is A-OK.

Our next appointment will be the GENDER appointment!!!!!!!! We already have an appointmet with Dr. Rosemond (the 18 week appt) but went ahead and made one for the following week with the Midwives. SO, now we have to decide who we'd rather see, and if we'd rather go sooner (July 1, Dr. Rosemond) or later (July 9, the Midwives). We'll keep you posted!

I did some shopping this weekend and have officially started wearing preggo-pants. I was doing ok with my normal pants and a Bella Band but starting to feel a little uncomfortable - too hot and pants sometimes wanted to fall down. At least this way I have all-around stretch and NO zippers or buttons! Honestly, I'm 100% more comfortable and don't even care if you're laughing at me right now! :) I wouldn't say people should feel brave enough to ask me if I'm pregnant yet (not just fat) but it shouldn't be long. I'm traveling with my Dad to a family event over the July 4th weekend so I'm hoping to be a little more visible by then! Perhaps a photo in the next week or so? Stay tuned!

Results - 1st Trimester Screen

Everything came back normal, so we're in the clear! We have a follow-up appointment with the perinatologist at around 18 weeks and we'll of course keep you posted as to the results of that visit. Thanks for keepin up with us!

1st Trimester Screen

Just to be on the safe side, we have decided to pursue a 1st Trimester screen for Down Syndrome. We went to see Dr. Rosemond, the perinatologist in Athens and he performed another ultrasound (Yay! Another peek at the little'n!) and drew some blood. We got a good long look at our little bean (~20 minutes) and I only had to give about 7cc of blood so that's good. The ultrasound revealed a nuchal translucency(1) measurement of 2.4mm; slightly larger than Ali got last week but still within the normal range. The blood test will be checking the levels of two or more pregnancy proteins.

One protein that is always measured is called PAPP-A (pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A). Its levels tend to be lower than usual in pregnant women carrying a fetus with Down syndrome. The other proteins that can be measured are the beta human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), total hCG, and inhibin A. The levels of these proteins tend to be higher than usual in pregnant women carrying a baby with Down syndrome.

Please don't be alarmed - our chances for having a child with Downs are very low but we wanted to check just to be sure. If you'd like to read more about the test click here. Of course we will post again when we receive the results next week.

Our next appointment with the midwives is June 11th and no, they most likely will NOT be able to tell us the gender but we'll keep you posted as to any new developments. Remember to check the Photo Gallery for some new head shots of the little guy/girl. 6.3 cm and 155 bpm for those of you keeping score at home.

(1) "Measure[s] the size of the naturally occurring fluid-filled space at the back of the baby's neck (called nuchal translucency). Thickening in this area can be a sign of Down syndrome, although thickening can also be found in normal fetuses."

S/he's Lookin' at You!

Say hello to our little alien baby! We went in for our re-check appointment this morning and everything is A-OK. The midwife, Susan F., was unable to find the heartbeat with the doppler so she ordered another ultrasound! Woohoo!! Everything was fine, and Ali was able to see that the placenta has moved slightly already, so we are definitely on the road to the C-Section Free Zone. If we end up needing the C-section (they will make that call officially at 26 weeks) we will switch to an OB, but until then we'll wait to see what my body can do! If you're interested, the baby is currently measuring 5.86cm and the heart rate was 156bpm (sounds high, but it's totally normal). Ali did do a nuchal translucency measurement (1.5) and though she said that measurement does not concern her, it is really non-diagnostic without an accompanying blood test. We have set up an appointment for the 1st trimester prenatal screen (which will include another ultrasound) for next week - so stay tuned for more pictures!

Make sure to check the Photo Gallery (Link on the left) for another shot of the little one. Growing like a weed!