21 Weeks and Counting...

Yesterday was an exciting day for us! Don and I dropped the boys off at Ms. Natalie's (their sitter) and were off to D.C. for our ultrasound and genetic counseling. We got stuck in traffic and took a scenic route (aka got a lil lost) but made it there a little late but safely.

I am 36 years old and, apparently, anytime you are pregnant after 35 years of age, they consider it "Advanced Maternal Age." So, this pregnancy is my first in this exciting category which necessitated the genetic counseling part. So, first we went over all the chromosomes and how they can get confused and result in different outcomes for the baby. I was offered the option of an amniocentesis and opted not to take that route. So, we were then brought back for the ultrasound!

As many of you know, I love surprises! While Don claims he does not. (My theory is that everyone truly loves surprises but some people just can't help themselves when given an option. Not a bad thing. Just a difference in how Don and I are). With that said, NO "we" did not find out the baby's gender. However, Don did find out and is sworn to secrecy until our new little Chapman baby arrives.

Even though we did not find out the baby's gender, I do have to say that the ultrasound is an exciting time in the pregnancy. I was thrilled to see what is actually going on in there and, of course, the confirmation that the baby appears to be healthy is a blessing to us. This baby has been extremely active already and he/she didn't even want to sit still for most of the ultrasound. If you have been fortunate enough to witness a baby's ultrasound, you'll agree that it's truly amazing the detail of the baby.

The ultrasound photos I'm including in this post are mostly of the baby's profile. The bottom photo is kind of a 3D shot of the baby's face against the uterine wall. He/she looks pretty cozied up in there.

All went well and the technician said that the baby is about 1 pound at this point and all seems to be on target for a July 21 due date.