It's a.....

BOY!!!

I realize that it has been a while since I have written in my Blog, and the reason for my absence is because we got some scary news when I got my full NT results that included the blood work. The nurse told us that we are at a high risk for a baby with Down Syndrome. So, even though the ultrasound measurement was good, my blood levels were off and that along with my age (I'm now considered AMA - Advanced Maternal Age) it brought my odds of having a Downs baby to 1:43. It scared us to death, so we decided we would go ahead and get an amniocentesis. We had to wait until I was 16 weeks to do the amnio. That is where they take some of the amniotic fluid from the baby and check for chromosome issues. I had my amnio yesterday. They use the ultrasound machine to find a good place to take the fluid, take a HUGE needle and poke it through the belly all the way through the uterus to where the baby is and take out the fluid. I admit that it was kinda painful, that is all thanks to the baby. They found a nice place to get the fluid, but by the time they clean off my belly and got everything ready, the baby moved right to where they were going to go in, so the dr moved the needle around while it was poked in my skin. Not fun! While they were getting out the fluid, the baby tried to grab the needle!! How in the heck could he see the needle? It is dark in there and I don't think at this age they even open their eyes in there! Well, I'm not sure how he was doing it, but he was trying to grab the needle. The dr decided he got enough, and pulled the needle out. We have 2 weeks of waiting for the results. After the amnio, the ultrasound tech did a detailed ultrasound to check the baby called a "Level II" ultrasound. If the baby has Downs, there are a few things to look for called soft markers - meaning that most babies with Downs have these abnormalities, but sometimes babies that are perfectly fine also have them. They checked for things like a nasal bone, heart problems, short limbs, a crooked pinkie, and a space between the toes. The good news is that our baby didn't have any soft markers! NONE!! He was perfect. YEA!! It was a nice long ultrasound - probably about 45 minutes, and he was moving around all kinds!! During the ultrasound is how we found out he's a boy! So, even though he still might have a problem, things are looking like they will be ok. Benjamin will scan the ultrasound pics, and we'll post them soon. I'm home from work again today because of some cramping where the needle went in. The nurse told me to go home, lay down, and drink lots of water. So, I'm home, watching a movie, and typing my blog. Hey, dr's orders! I guess now, it is just the wait. It will take about 2 weeks for the results, so I'm thinking in those next 2 weeks we can use some prayers that the baby is healthy! I guess we start thinking of boy names! That should be fun! We didn't decide on William's name until the night before I was induced. Maybe this time we will decide sooner. Thanks for reading!!