1st Ultrasound

What an amazing day we have had! We had our first ultrasound today and it was so exciting. Jimmie and I couldn't believe how active the baby was. He/she moved the left hand toward the face and back down again several times (we joked that he/she was waving at us). We even got to see the right leg kick and a few seconds of hiccups. Of course, he/she is still so small that I cannot feel any of this. He/she bounced around the entire time. We were also really surprised at how recognizable the face, spinal cord, and limbs were. The ultrasound today was part of a chromosome abnormality screening to assess our risk for Down Syndrome, Trisomy 18, and Trisomy 13. The screening is normally done later in pregnancy (about 20 weeks) but this earlier test is more accurate because it takes into account ultrasound measurements and laboratory results. The later test is based on laboratory results only. Based on our medical history and family history, we don't appear to have any increased risk for chromosome abnormalities so we anticipate that we will get good results for this test. We should get our results sometime next week.

A full body shot....

Check out that tiny little hand. The ultrasound showed it much more clear but he/she wouldn't hold still long enough to get a clear picture.

If you follow the two long lines going through the middle of the baby, the heart is circled and beating very strong. The heart rate is along the bottom and is a bit higher that what is normally expected but that is because he/she was so active.