So, the tech fibbed and told Jake and I that we would get our NT test results back in a week. We didn't actually get them until yesterday. Boo on them!
So I know you're all wondering how we did, right? Well...there's good news!
The first trimester blood screening I had - all results came up negative, which is good.
The baby has a less-than 1 in 100,000 chances of having Trisomy 18 and a less-than 1 in 100,000 chances of having Trisomy 21.
I haven't received the measurements and chances for Down Syndrome, but I'm praying they're also good news.
We have our next appointment next Friday, and I can't wait!
Thank you for all your continued thoughts and prayers. I still can't believe we're finally being blessed with our little Smithling (Jake made that up).
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Weekly video 10/21/10
Tomorrow, I will be out of commission for blogging since our office is moving and I will be helping. So, I am posting my weekly video today.
This song has always been very near and dear to my heart. It can speak to any situation. Lately I have been thinking about how far I've come in my life, and the lessons I have learned along the way. I never would've come out the other side of my trials and struggles had it not been for my wonderful family and friends...but most of all, I do thank God.
I admit through the infertilty Jake and I endured, my faith in God faltered a bit from time to time. I was angry and didn't know why these things were happening to me. But after a while, I realized that God was actually giving me a gift. He was showing me that through faith and hard work, that I would soon see the light at the end of the tunnel. That's why I never gave up. God, and my family have never given up on me, so I couldn't give up on God, my family and myself. Life is too precious to waste on giving up, and now I get to share those lessons and God's love with my child.
So with that, here's the video. It's not so much a video to watch, but a song to listen to the words. It's not a new song, but I love it. I'm hoping Jake and I will be able to show a video of our journey on this blog once the baby is here and I have the time to put it together.
Enjoy!
Seal - Love's Divine
Pedja | Myspace Video
This song has always been very near and dear to my heart. It can speak to any situation. Lately I have been thinking about how far I've come in my life, and the lessons I have learned along the way. I never would've come out the other side of my trials and struggles had it not been for my wonderful family and friends...but most of all, I do thank God.
I admit through the infertilty Jake and I endured, my faith in God faltered a bit from time to time. I was angry and didn't know why these things were happening to me. But after a while, I realized that God was actually giving me a gift. He was showing me that through faith and hard work, that I would soon see the light at the end of the tunnel. That's why I never gave up. God, and my family have never given up on me, so I couldn't give up on God, my family and myself. Life is too precious to waste on giving up, and now I get to share those lessons and God's love with my child.
So with that, here's the video. It's not so much a video to watch, but a song to listen to the words. It's not a new song, but I love it. I'm hoping Jake and I will be able to show a video of our journey on this blog once the baby is here and I have the time to put it together.
Enjoy!
Seal - Love's Divine
Pedja | Myspace Video
Saturday, October 16, 2010
14 weeks!
Today is a milestone in the pregnancy journey. We are 14 weeks along today which begins the 2nd trimester! I feel awesome. I can't believe this is finally here! When I first found out I was pregnant, I thought "wow...I have a loooong time until I get into the 2nd trimester", and time has actually gone by pretty fast.
I have enjoyed every moment of this pregnancy and in a few weeks, we find out what sex our Smithling is!
Today we've read that the baby is about the size of a lemon (or the size of your fist) which is about 3 1/2 to 4 inches long and weighs about an ounce.
So here is a belly pic! We're going to try to start taking pictures at the week marks rather than weeks and some change.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
The "Beloit Mindset" List
While checking out blogs of some of the ladies I know through an online forum I'm involved with, I came across a post with something called a "Bleoit Mindset List". I guess it's meant to show a gap in generations and their experiences. So I asked the blogger if I could use the list and put it up on my blog, and she agreed (Thanks, M) :) She used the list that was made for college freshman beginning in 2002.
So, I am making my responses to the statemenets below in bold. Let's see here...
1. The people starting college this fall across the nation were born in 1980. (I don't agree with this one because Jake was born in 79 and starting college right after his high school graduation in 1997. So there!
2. They have no recollection of the Reagan era, and did not know he'd ever been shot. (I don't really remember the era, but I've known since a young age that he was shot.)
3. They were prepubescent when the Persian Gulf War was waged. I believe I was in elementary school. I remember when my mom brought out my beach ball globe and showed me where Iraq was an explained to me what war is.
4. Black Monday 1987 is as significant to them as the Great Depression. Umm...no. What is Black Monday 1987? I was 3.
5. There has been only one Pope. They can only remember one President. Yes for only one Pope, but I can remember Bush Sr., Clinton, and Bush Jr.
6. They were 11 when the Soviet Union broke apart, and do not remember the Cold War. True.
7. They have never feared a nuclear war. "The Day After" is a pill to them - not a movie. I have feared nuclear war. It was a topic of great discussion in my World History class in my Junior year, which was 2001, by the way.
8. They are too young to remember the Space Shuttle Challenger blowing up. I don't remember the actual occurence, but my mom taped the news reports of it so I did see it via the news at that time.
9. Their lifetime has always included AIDS. True.
10. They never had a polio shot, and likely, do not know what it is. I don't know about the shot, but I DO know what polio is.
11. Bottle caps have not always been screw off, but have always been plastic. Umm...no. I've had experiences with bottle caps throughout my life, thankyouverymuch.
12. Atari pre-dates them, as do vinyl albums. Wrong! I played Atari (hello Centipede!) for years and my mom always played her vinyl records for me (oh yes...the Muppets Christmas with John Denver!)
13. The expression "you sound like a broken record" means nothing to them. I know exactly what it means.
14. They have never owned a record player. I was one of the few who did have a record player in my parents' giant stereo set. I loved that thing!
15. They have likely never played Pac Man, and have never heard of "Pong". Pac Man was part of my Atari game selection and I know what Pong is.
16. Star Wars looks very fake to them, and the special effects are pathetic. I don't agree with this at all. I like the effects in Star Wars.
17. There have always been red M&Ms, and blue ones are not new. I remember beige/tan M&Ms and I participated in the nation-wide vote for the new M&Ms color when the choices were pink, purple and blue (I chose Blue)
18. They may have never heard of an 8-track, and chances are they've never heard or seen one. Wrong! My dad's old truck (that was originally my grandfather's) had an 8-track player in it. I remember listening to The Bay City Rollers on the way to pick up a Christmas tree!
19. The compact disc was introduced when they were one year old. I don't know about that, but I didn't own a CD until I was in junior high.
20. As far as they know, stamps have always cost about 32 cents. No. I remember when they were 29 cents (which wasn't that long ago)
21. They have always had an answering machine. True.
22. Most have never seen a TV set with only 13 channels, nor have they seen a B&W TV. I have seen a TV with only 13 channels, and my grandfather had one of the first portable TVs that only played in B&W.
23. They have always had cable. I don't know about this. Mom? Dad? Chime in?
24. There have always been VCRs, but they have no idea was Beta is. Isn't that the movies that looked like records in the giant thin cartridges that were a PITA to play because they kept skipping from the dust?
25. They cannot fathom what it was like not having a remote control. The TV I grew up with didn't have a remote control and you had to change the channels using a dial on the actual set.
26. They were born the year Walkmen were introduced by Sony. I don't know.
27. Roller-skating has always meant in-line for them. In-line skates were introduced when I was in elementary school. My cousin Megan taught me to roller skate when I was about 6-7 years old.
28. "The Tonight Show" has always been with Jay Leno. We never watched it, so this might be true.
29. They have no idea when or why Jordache jeans were cool. I owned a pair of Jordache jeans.
30. Popcorn has always been cooked in the microwave. Wrong. I remember sitting on the counter while my mom and I popped air-popped popcorn in her popcorn popper thingy with the see-through yellow top.
31. They have never seen Larry Bird play, and Kareen Abdul-Jabbar is a football player. I was never into sports as a kid, so it could be true.
32. They never took a swim and thought about Jaws. True.
33. The Vietnam War is as ancient history to the as WWI and WWII or even the Civil War. Not true. It only took place about 15 years before I was born. That's not ancient.
34. They have no idea that Americans were ever held hostage in Iran. True.
35. They can't imagine was hard contact lenses are. Wrong.
36. They don't know who Mork was, or where he was from. Wrong! Nanu-Nanu! oh..and he was from Ork!
37. They never heard the terms "Where's the Beef", "I'd walk a mile for a Camel" or "De plane, de plane!" Oh yes I have.
38. They do not care who shot J.R. and have no idea who J.R. is. True.
39. The Titanic was found? I thought we always knew where it was. Wrong.
40. Michael Jackson has always been white. Nope. I grew up during his "transition".
41. Kansas, Boston, Chicago, American and Alabama are all places - not music groups. Nuh-uh! I grew up with Boston playing in my Pocket Rocker, and Alabama was one of my mom's favorite bands.
42. McDonald's never came in styrofoam containers. Yes they did. I remember when they did. There was a white one, a yellow one and even a blue one.
43. There has always been MTV, and it has always included non-musical shows. There has always been MTV, but I'm not sure about it always including non-musical shows.
It's amazing what some people think my generation knows/doesn't know. I guess I'm more well-rounded than I thought.
So, I am making my responses to the statemenets below in bold. Let's see here...
1. The people starting college this fall across the nation were born in 1980. (I don't agree with this one because Jake was born in 79 and starting college right after his high school graduation in 1997. So there!
2. They have no recollection of the Reagan era, and did not know he'd ever been shot. (I don't really remember the era, but I've known since a young age that he was shot.)
3. They were prepubescent when the Persian Gulf War was waged. I believe I was in elementary school. I remember when my mom brought out my beach ball globe and showed me where Iraq was an explained to me what war is.
4. Black Monday 1987 is as significant to them as the Great Depression. Umm...no. What is Black Monday 1987? I was 3.
5. There has been only one Pope. They can only remember one President. Yes for only one Pope, but I can remember Bush Sr., Clinton, and Bush Jr.
6. They were 11 when the Soviet Union broke apart, and do not remember the Cold War. True.
7. They have never feared a nuclear war. "The Day After" is a pill to them - not a movie. I have feared nuclear war. It was a topic of great discussion in my World History class in my Junior year, which was 2001, by the way.
8. They are too young to remember the Space Shuttle Challenger blowing up. I don't remember the actual occurence, but my mom taped the news reports of it so I did see it via the news at that time.
9. Their lifetime has always included AIDS. True.
10. They never had a polio shot, and likely, do not know what it is. I don't know about the shot, but I DO know what polio is.
11. Bottle caps have not always been screw off, but have always been plastic. Umm...no. I've had experiences with bottle caps throughout my life, thankyouverymuch.
12. Atari pre-dates them, as do vinyl albums. Wrong! I played Atari (hello Centipede!) for years and my mom always played her vinyl records for me (oh yes...the Muppets Christmas with John Denver!)
13. The expression "you sound like a broken record" means nothing to them. I know exactly what it means.
14. They have never owned a record player. I was one of the few who did have a record player in my parents' giant stereo set. I loved that thing!
15. They have likely never played Pac Man, and have never heard of "Pong". Pac Man was part of my Atari game selection and I know what Pong is.
16. Star Wars looks very fake to them, and the special effects are pathetic. I don't agree with this at all. I like the effects in Star Wars.
17. There have always been red M&Ms, and blue ones are not new. I remember beige/tan M&Ms and I participated in the nation-wide vote for the new M&Ms color when the choices were pink, purple and blue (I chose Blue)
18. They may have never heard of an 8-track, and chances are they've never heard or seen one. Wrong! My dad's old truck (that was originally my grandfather's) had an 8-track player in it. I remember listening to The Bay City Rollers on the way to pick up a Christmas tree!
19. The compact disc was introduced when they were one year old. I don't know about that, but I didn't own a CD until I was in junior high.
20. As far as they know, stamps have always cost about 32 cents. No. I remember when they were 29 cents (which wasn't that long ago)
21. They have always had an answering machine. True.
22. Most have never seen a TV set with only 13 channels, nor have they seen a B&W TV. I have seen a TV with only 13 channels, and my grandfather had one of the first portable TVs that only played in B&W.
23. They have always had cable. I don't know about this. Mom? Dad? Chime in?
24. There have always been VCRs, but they have no idea was Beta is. Isn't that the movies that looked like records in the giant thin cartridges that were a PITA to play because they kept skipping from the dust?
25. They cannot fathom what it was like not having a remote control. The TV I grew up with didn't have a remote control and you had to change the channels using a dial on the actual set.
26. They were born the year Walkmen were introduced by Sony. I don't know.
27. Roller-skating has always meant in-line for them. In-line skates were introduced when I was in elementary school. My cousin Megan taught me to roller skate when I was about 6-7 years old.
28. "The Tonight Show" has always been with Jay Leno. We never watched it, so this might be true.
29. They have no idea when or why Jordache jeans were cool. I owned a pair of Jordache jeans.
30. Popcorn has always been cooked in the microwave. Wrong. I remember sitting on the counter while my mom and I popped air-popped popcorn in her popcorn popper thingy with the see-through yellow top.
31. They have never seen Larry Bird play, and Kareen Abdul-Jabbar is a football player. I was never into sports as a kid, so it could be true.
32. They never took a swim and thought about Jaws. True.
33. The Vietnam War is as ancient history to the as WWI and WWII or even the Civil War. Not true. It only took place about 15 years before I was born. That's not ancient.
34. They have no idea that Americans were ever held hostage in Iran. True.
35. They can't imagine was hard contact lenses are. Wrong.
36. They don't know who Mork was, or where he was from. Wrong! Nanu-Nanu! oh..and he was from Ork!
37. They never heard the terms "Where's the Beef", "I'd walk a mile for a Camel" or "De plane, de plane!" Oh yes I have.
38. They do not care who shot J.R. and have no idea who J.R. is. True.
39. The Titanic was found? I thought we always knew where it was. Wrong.
40. Michael Jackson has always been white. Nope. I grew up during his "transition".
41. Kansas, Boston, Chicago, American and Alabama are all places - not music groups. Nuh-uh! I grew up with Boston playing in my Pocket Rocker, and Alabama was one of my mom's favorite bands.
42. McDonald's never came in styrofoam containers. Yes they did. I remember when they did. There was a white one, a yellow one and even a blue one.
43. There has always been MTV, and it has always included non-musical shows. There has always been MTV, but I'm not sure about it always including non-musical shows.
It's amazing what some people think my generation knows/doesn't know. I guess I'm more well-rounded than I thought.
Monday, October 11, 2010
NT Scan
So, as promised, I am updating with the NT scan and pictures of the peach. That's right...the baby is now the size of a peach!
The test had to be performed in Oakland, since that is where the nearest Kaiser Genetics department is. We went in, and the show was on the road. I was given a mirror to watch the ultrasound because the tech had to have full view of the screen (which I totally understand). I noticed the baby wasn't moving too much and I asked her what was going on. She said it appeared that our little one was just taking a nap...I was jealous. She did say that she was going to be moving and pushing, so he/she would wake up and move. Apparently, the baby was in a reclined position with it's feet propped up against the uterine wall. What a life! We got to see everything...the spine, the face, ribs, legs (every bone), feet, hands, but no "bits" yet. We're saving that one for a later date. ;) (no, we didn't find out).
The baby has apparently inherited my stubbornness because it wouldn't cooperate and lay flat to take the NT measurements. So I was made to walk up and down the halls for about 5-7 minutes and then we tried again. The second time, it was OK for about 5 minutes, then the baby went back to it's comfy reclined position. Ugh. So the baby did end up moving enough to take the measurements, and I'll get the results in about a week.
So...here are pictures!
The profile
The baby's face and belly (face is to the left, belly to the right)
Note: I said it looks like an alien, Jake says it looks like Venom from SpiderMan
Sunday, October 10, 2010
So...I owe you...
an apology. I know there are many readers who are dying to know what the heck is going on with me, Jake, school, work, and of course, the baby.
Things are fine. I'm having my NT scan tomorrow morning at 8:30am which checks my chances for the baby having Downs Syndrome. I'm also having my 1st trimester blood screening for Cystic Fibrosis. I have opted for the blood screenings, but do not want to have the amniocentesis, or any other procedure unless both the doctors and I see that it's necessary.
So, I know I posted after my last ultrasound that we were to find out the baby's sex the Monday after Thanksgiving. Well, shortly after that blog was posted, I called Radiology and asked if they could move my appointment to either the Monday or Wednesday before since Jake insists on being there for every single appointment (which I love having him there). So they fit me in at 2pm on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving. So, that means we'll be able to tell our families face to face, like we've wanted, over the holiday weekend. :)
I've also caved and bought my first pairs of maternity pants. I bought two pairs of jeans, a black pair of pants and a gray pair of pants (for work). I must say as soon as I tried them on, I was in love. I mean, why can't they make pants *this* comfortable for people who AREN'T pregnant? It's crazy! I also bought two shirts. One I can wear now, and one I'll have to wait on because at this point, the shirt still looks like a tent.
Tomorrow will be one month until Jake and I go to Texas to visit Jake's Dad and Step-Mom. I can't wait. They've constantly been checking in with Jake to see how I'm doing and they're really excited to see the baby bump. I wish we could tell them what the baby's sex is, but it is what it is and they understand the timing.
Anyways, I promise I will update everyone tomorrow after the NT scan and hopefully we'll have more updated ultrasound pictures of the baby to share. Wish me luck!
Things are fine. I'm having my NT scan tomorrow morning at 8:30am which checks my chances for the baby having Downs Syndrome. I'm also having my 1st trimester blood screening for Cystic Fibrosis. I have opted for the blood screenings, but do not want to have the amniocentesis, or any other procedure unless both the doctors and I see that it's necessary.
So, I know I posted after my last ultrasound that we were to find out the baby's sex the Monday after Thanksgiving. Well, shortly after that blog was posted, I called Radiology and asked if they could move my appointment to either the Monday or Wednesday before since Jake insists on being there for every single appointment (which I love having him there). So they fit me in at 2pm on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving. So, that means we'll be able to tell our families face to face, like we've wanted, over the holiday weekend. :)
I've also caved and bought my first pairs of maternity pants. I bought two pairs of jeans, a black pair of pants and a gray pair of pants (for work). I must say as soon as I tried them on, I was in love. I mean, why can't they make pants *this* comfortable for people who AREN'T pregnant? It's crazy! I also bought two shirts. One I can wear now, and one I'll have to wait on because at this point, the shirt still looks like a tent.
Tomorrow will be one month until Jake and I go to Texas to visit Jake's Dad and Step-Mom. I can't wait. They've constantly been checking in with Jake to see how I'm doing and they're really excited to see the baby bump. I wish we could tell them what the baby's sex is, but it is what it is and they understand the timing.
Anyways, I promise I will update everyone tomorrow after the NT scan and hopefully we'll have more updated ultrasound pictures of the baby to share. Wish me luck!
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