12 Weeks and Finally Caught Up!

We've passed that momentous occasion - 12 weeks!  It's the week that marks the transition period from bloat to bump as your uterus pops out of your pelvis; it marks a point at which most doctors believe the risk of miscarriage has significantly decreased (especially if you've seen the heartbeat), and it also marks a point at which most mamas start to feel much much better.

I have to say, all of the above is true for us!  I'm noticing a little bumpage going on (finally!), I no longer worry that we'll miscarry and I'm finally allowing myself to look forward to meeting our little one, and I am definitely feeling better.  Not great, but better.  I'm still on a major fruit kick; loving all things fruit!  Juice, smoothies, fresh fruit, sorbet. . .I can't get enough of any of it.  Dinner is my least favorite meal, usually by 5pm I'm feeling a little nauseous again and not wanting to eat much, but my husband, God love him, has turned into the pregnancy police and likes to make sure that I'm getting the requisite 65+ grams of protein per day.

He finally got to go with me for an appointment, our 11 week NT scan.  It definitely made it more real to him, I can tell by the way he is acting and talking about baby Emby.  :)  We went to the appointment at 9am, and met with the ultrasound tech who *finally* was able to use the belly transducer instead of the vaginal one.

What an amazing difference to see baby Emby from week 8 to week 11!

We could watch the baby move and jump on the screen, which if you haven't experienced that yet, just wait.  It's incredible.  The tech even gave us a video of it.

I can't get enough of that video - that little hand pops up and it just melts my heart.  

The tech measured something called the Nuchal Fold, which, if measuring large could indicate a potential problem with Down's Syndrome.  They pair the results of the NF Measurement with the results of a finger prick blood test.

Now, the nurses lied to me.  That finger prick HURT like a son of a gun, and they both laughed and said 'yeah, we don't like to tell people that because they'll freak out!  It's worse than a blood draw!'.

No kidding.  That was not fun.  

All said and done, our risk of Downs Syndrome with this baby is literally zero.  *Insert HUGE Sigh of Relief Here*   We would not likely have terminated, we just wanted to know so we could be prepared, and I'm glad we know now!

Finally this week as well, it's unmistakable; my pants don't fit.  I'm not 'showing' per se, but there is definitely a little bump starting to form!  My uterus can be felt just above my pubic bone, so it's popped out and on it's way to becoming a legitimate baby bump :)  Showing is something I've looked forward too since I was a teenager; it's such a special thing that us women get to experience and I'm so excited to finally start having proof that we're pregnant besides a distaste for chocolate and chicken and an insatiable appetite for orange juice!

Here is my official 12 week bump photo :)