10 Day Countdown

10 Day Countdown

I can feel the baby moving. No I am not imagining it or mistaking gas for a swimming baby. I know this because I had a doctor’s appointment last week and as the ultrasound was being performed the doctor pointed out that the baby was moving and at the same time I felt the little fluttering bump, that bump that can totally be mistaken for gas but as the monitor was clearly showing was an active baby. It was a great gift to know that the sensation I had been feeling all week was a baby and not my imagination. Now when I feel it I pat my stomach or say, “HI” out loud just in case he can hear me. That’s right I now know that I am having a baby boy. Since having Allison a few years have passed, I have aged and technology has advanced. I will be 36 in just 10 short little days and that is the magic number for pregnant women. Once you pass that age numbers and stats change dramatically for complications. So today I am fine and have an even chance of something going wrong but in 10 days life spirals out of control and things look bleak, just because I will be 36 years old. I am already a high risk pregnancy because the gestational diabetes has returned, this was to be expected, and I had it last time. Now with the added advantage of being “over the hill” I have a double risk whammy! So because of my age the usual genetics tests, usually a simple blood test, are accompanied with a counseling session with a genetics counselor. She was very knowledgeable and explains the difference between a genetic screening and a genetic diagnosis, and then she went over my family history. This entire session was, to be honest, fairly intimidating. I thought I was going in for a blood test and then was told that I should not have taken Sudafed when I was sick because it can cause physical deformities specifically around the abdomen section and sometimes paralysis of the face. HOLY CRAP! Sudafed was on the list! I showed it to her. She politely stated that it had been taken off just that month and that the baby was probably just fine. Although she told me that after going through the list of possible effects my “drug use” could have had on the baby. Past tense because I had already taken it and stopping doesn't change the outcome if there was to be an abnormality. Good grief. So back to the genetic screenings, there is a new blood test. It basically pulls out genetic material, differentiates between my own and the baby's and then does a chromosome count. This is very effective for screening out Down Syndrome, Trisomy 18 and 13. Those last two are doozies and are fatal. The other added benefit is the XY or XX chromosome. They can see what the sex will be.  So instead of waiting for week 18 or so I get to know at three months. I don’t even look pregnant and I get to know that I will be having a baby boy. And from the results of the screening test I will be having a healthy baby boy. Terry and I discussed names and rather quickly decided on one, William Joseph Kyo Miller. I am so happy and excited to meet my son. Holy smokes a son and a daughter, I am pretty lucky. My life is pretty much following along with the plan I wanted.

Have fun this week and enjoy everything that is coming your way, even if it is hard. I may sound like everything is “peaches and cream” all of the time but really there are plenty of things and people (many annoying people!) that have been getting on my last nerve but really who wants to hear someone whine about that? I want to know all the good stuff that is coming your way and I want to share all the good stuff that comes mine.

Talk to you soon!