Baby B Update

Hi all,

Just thought I'd do a quick update on me and Baby B. Things are going really well. At 11 1/2 weeks along I find each week that I am feeling a little better. Taking only 1 pill first thing in the morning to help with the nausea and eating much better! We went in last Friday for a checkup, and the baby's heartbeat was good and strong at 168 beats per minute. That is just a precious sound that does my heart so much good! My belly has popped. Actually, it popped pretty early-during my 9th week. There is something nice about looking pregnant and not just feeling pregnant, but it also takes some getting used to as my body seems to change every few days. I will begin posting regular belly shots in a few days. Taylor and I have narrowed down our name choices, and are anxiously awaiting mid-January when we find out what we are having and can officially name our child. We are so excited that in just a few weeks the baby will be able to hear us. Much singing to, talking to, and even reading to will begin in the near future! Hopefully in another month or so, I will begin feeling sweet little flutters of our baby moving around!

We are going to see a perinatal specialist on Monday (the 22nd). We elected to do the genetic screening that screens for indicators of Downs Syndrome, Trisomy 18, and a couple other genetic disorders. We have no fears that this will be the case, but if it is we would like to prepare for how best to take care of our baby if that is the situation. While doing this screening, they will also do a detailed look at the baby's heart. Many of you know that Taylor had a birth defect that was not discovered until he was 19 resulting in him needing to have major open heart surgery at 19 in the middle of his sophomore year of college. It is unlikely that his condition is hereditary, but because of his history we are taking a few simple extra steps to monitor the baby's heart. If for some reason Baby B has the same problem it is a much simpler fix now with a minimally invasive surgery instead of open heart. The screening on Monday will help give us some details, and a pediatric cardiologist will do an exam after the baby is born. Neither of us is worried about this, and we are very thankful and encouraged by how our doctor is helping us prepare and educate ourselves. We are actually really looking forward to Monday cause this screening is really a high tech sonogram, so we will get to see the baby. I think it will be very fascinating as they take very detailed looks at several different parts and major organs in the baby's body documenting exactly how everything is right now.

Anyway, that is a brief update on how things are right now. We are beginning to make preparations for taking some classes at the hospital, reading some books, early choosing of items for the nursery even though we aren't ready to buy, and praying lots! It's so incredibly exciting even when at times a little overwhelming. But, that's okay. We are very ready and are delighting in each step of this process!