1st Perinatologist vist today

So, I went in for my first visit with the Perinatologist today.  They commented more than once how beautiful and perfect baby looked and was measuring...yay!.  It's always amazes me to be able to see my LO in utero, kicking and waving.  My youngest said the baby looked gross...lol..said it looked like a skeleton.  So, I had to explain why.  HB good at 169 bpm.  They did a VERY thorough scan and checked all the organs and parts and took measurements, so it took a awhile.  The Dr. came in and looked awhile also.  He said the name of what I am dealing with is called "Duffy A".  Good news is, since I've had my last baby (10yrs ago), they've come up with better ways of testing.  Instead of the Amniocentesis, they can now look at the blood flow in baby's head, through u/s, to help determine whether baby's red blood cells are being affected negatively.  But, it's still a little too early to do this.  If worst comes to worst and baby needs help they will do an intrauterine blood transfusion.  But, hopefully, it will never get to that point.  My next appt is in 4wks and the next steps are to: 1. Have my DH come and give a blood sample.  The dr. believes the antigen could likely be coming from DH, so they will test him for it.  If one strein shows up that's no biggie, if two streins show up that could be more of a potential problem, so they really need to rule him out.  2. They also will be getting all my medical records from the hospital where I had my last DS, so they can look over every detail of what happened last time and that will provide them with much more info. and direction.  Sooooo,,,,,looks like Jan 16th will the day I find out what I'm having!!  I'll be in my 18th wk.
This is all still pretty confusing and I wish I could explain it better, but I don't fully understand it all myself.  I guess I'll get a better understanding as I go through it.  But, the main thing is baby is doing beautifully and doesn't seem to be phased by any of this.

My little "shrimp" is growing!

How your baby's growing:

Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of her body size now. If you're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Your baby is almost 3 inches long (the size of a medium shrimp) and weighs nearly an ounce.

12 week check in..

12 weeks finds me dealing with a cold...yuck...sneezing, stuffy nose, post nasal drip and itchy throat...total grossness.  Baby's doing well though and that's all the matters.  Hopefully, this cold will pass quickly.  My belly's starting to pop out a little bit more now, so I'm hoping to go do a little maternity clothes shopping this weekend.

Good news, my nurse called me with the second blood results testing the Antibody in my blood.  The results how that it has remain stabilized, which is good.  If baby has done well with this level, it should not affect baby in the future.  They will continue to test the levels once a month to keep an eye on it.  My first appt. with the Perintologist is in 10 days, so hopefully I'll get a better understanding of what all this means, I may even get to see my little babe again.

12 Weeks!! My little lime :-)

How your baby's growing:

The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder.
Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously. His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over 2 inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce.

The Announcement has been made!!

It was a beautiful and exciting Thanksgiving Day!  An exciting day because I would finally be sharing with all of my dearest friends and family my sweet secret!  I'm really proud of myself for maintaining my secret for as long as I did (1 day shy of 11wks)!  I was so nervous at the beginning of the pregnancy and couldn't bare going through another mc in front of everyone.  I'm glad I waited and most of all I'm glad this pregnancy has continued on and has been a very strong and healthy one.  Thankful for answered prayers!!  A select few already knew, but the majority did not.  I was waiting til Thanksgiving so we could tell DH's family in person.  I wasn't sure how I was going to break the news, just figured I'd let it happen however it was supposed to happen.  But, I did have plans to take some "Announcement" pics later that day.  Pics that would say it all!  As soon as we got in my FIL's house, he started showing me his new liquor and wondering what I wanted to drink.  At first, I just nonchalantly mentioned I was good with water and did not want anything else.  But, he continued making comments about drinking, which we usually enjoy to do when we're together, so I knew I had to just come out with it already.  I shared the news and everyone was surprised, but happy.  Thankfully, I haven't been met with any negativity this pregnancy, like in the past.  We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with our family.  Then it was out to the porch to take our special pics....

Announcement Pic #1

# 4 Joining The Crew in June!

Announcement Pic #2

Our Little June Bug!



I uploaded our pics to FB and my family web page as soon as we got home, then the word was OUT!

We've received so much love and excitement from everyone.  It feels good to finally have so many to share my joy with!

11 weeks!

How your baby's growing:

Your baby, just over 1 1/2 inches long and about the size of a fig, is now almost fully formed. Her hands will soon open and close into fists, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under her gums, and some of her bones are beginning to harden.
She's already busy kicking and stretching, and her tiny movements are so effortless they look like water ballet. These movements will become more frequent as her body grows and becomes more developed and functional. You won't feel your baby's acrobatics for another month or two — nor will you notice the hiccupping that may be happening now that her diaphragm is forming.

2nd Appt Update!

Appt Update!
All looks great with my little one!  HB nice and high at 183bpm and moving all around, it actually made us all laugh, including the tech, she was like wow look how cute!  Measuring right on target and growing strong! YAY!


One minor issue though with me.  They noticed in my bloodwork that I have certain Antibodies in my red blood cells and if the baby doesn't have these my body may see the baby as a potential harm.  It's worse than it sounds, and I really don't know how to explain it all that well cause it's still kinda of confusing for me.  But, I had this same situation with Jared during my last pregnancy.  And so it will most likely be the same experience.  I have been referred to a high risk specialist called a Perinatologist (sp?).  He will monitor both me and baby closely and make sure we continue to do well.  I will also be seeing my OB as well.  She took another blood sample today to see if the antibodies has increased or are remaining stabilized.  The worst this could do to baby is cause it to be anemic or in the worst case need a blood transfusion, but she doubts it will get that serious.  All I can do is pray that it won't.  She said it was good that I had this same issue with my last son and this isn't a new problem.  So, I'm confident I'm in good hands and all will be well.  The bright side is I'll get lots of extra u/s's.. :-)  Although, I had this issue with my last pregnancy, it never interfered with my baby, so hopefully this will just go the same. I meet with my specialist on Dec. 12th and again with my doc for my next appt. on the 20th. Oh, and good news the cysts on my ovaries are dissolving! whew!