First Trimester Screen Update in The REAL Baby Journey!

So the First Trimester Screening appointment was today and it went great! So far nothing came back concerning but I will get formal blood results and ultrasound reports next week. Nothing alarming per the tech (who was a charming man in his 50s who had been a radiology tech for 22 years!) so at least the first round of information was good.

The next is a 3D image the baby is tucked along the right side of the frame with no little feet sticking out to the left and its left arm raised up near its face.

It was fascinating to watch the baby move, bounce, kick its legs, swirl around and generally be so active while I can't feel a thing! The baby had the worst case of hiccups at the end of the scan and it was oddly cute watching it laying across the bottom of my uterus then hiccup and bounce up into the middle of my uterus then slowly settle back down, floating side to side like a feather in the wind. Then, a few seconds later, hiccup! and back it would go into the air. At one point of the hiccups was so strong the baby ended up on its head, completely upside, as it flailed its little arms and legs to right itself. So weird and cool and adorable and funny and I could have watched it on the big screen all day :)

The baby also kept sucking its hands and thumb, kicking happily and kept putting its hands near its face. The tech did comment that the baby was particularly more active than most at this age and he joked "I feel for you when you can start feeling this one - it's constantly on the go!" The heart rate has constantly been in the 150s-170s and the baby is just chugging along in there, growing and happy and healthy! :)

As we walked out, Rob put up his hand & high fived. He said "You can grow a baby like a boss. Great job, babe." Ha! Such a guy way of showing appreciation :)

Now that we've officially hit 12 weeks and the baby looks so good, you'd think it would be time to share with everyone! Oddly, I find myself protective of this information - almost not wanting to share our little secret. So far only our nearest and dearest (and my creeps on the Internet) know and there is a sweetness to that. I kinda like having a Huge Secret and have it be ours, held close, protected, kept safe from the pressing and prying eyes and ears and mouths and questions of The World. Rob would like to be able to start sharing it and I understand that. I just am savoring these last few days of this information being ours and the intimacy that has come with that. I will miss this time when it's public knowledge and I am asked about it out in the open. Weird, I know :)

My mother in law is bursting at the seams about us telling and is barely able to have kept it a secret this long. I called her today on my way back from the appointment (Rob and I drove separately as he needed to get back to work quickly) and my MIL was so touched that I updated her. She clearly wants to be as involved as I'll let her and she's done a great job keeping her distance while very clearly showing that she is excited and there for us if we need anything. She is the most extroverted, outgoing, talkative, over the top person you'll meet so I give her a lot of credit for having kept quiet for nearly 8 weeks now. She may just pop if we wait much longer!

No other news to update. Had a great day with my sister running 6 miles (it is getting more and more difficult but we're sticking with it!) then a sushi lunch then lounging by the pool, napping and reading. Time for a grilled out dinner with my main squeeze and then catching up on laundry and household chores before a weekend of work. We leave next Friday for two weeks in California, exploring San Francisco, Yosemite National Park, Sequoia National Park and visiting Malibu for a wedding. I'm hoping my morning sickness reigns itself in a bit and that I'll be able to thoroughly enjoy that time out there. It may be our last big trip as just the two of us! :)