Doctor... yesterday was a very interesting day.  We saw the high-risk doctor, and were very impressed with him.  He is very well-known in the medical community as a great doctor and a big patient advocate.  Not only is he a perinatalogist (high-risk OB), he is also a certified genetic counselor.  Apparently, my appointment was not only to discuss the Muscular Dystrophy risks, but also to have a first-trimester screening done on the baby.  Apparently, this test has been done in the second trimester for many years, but the version I did yesterday is supposed to be more accurate, so it's the "latest and greatest."  The neat part about it is that we got to see the baby on an ultrasound again, and everything looks great.  I'll try to get the pics scanned and posted soon.

We discussed my personal MD genetics issues, and with his guidance, we have decided to come back in four weeks, at which point we will determine the gender, and use that information to help us decide whether or not to be tested.  I explained to the doctor that we will not do any kind of invasive testing, such as amniocentesis or CVS (both tests involve going into the placenta and removing fluid or tissue and carry a risk of harm to the baby), and there is absolutely no way we would ever terminate the pregnancy.  We talked in great detail about all of the different options and angles, and he mentioned a few things that I hadn't considered: first, if I am found to be a carrier, we could have insurance issues with me and with the baby (not to mention that our insurance will not cover the testing); second, he said that the majority of patients in my situation opt NOT to be tested, because the results will in no way affect their pregnancy; third, he feels very strongly that Ryan's chromosomal mutation was probably a new or spontaneous mutation, because there is no family history of MD, which means that I would not be a carrier.  So, we are praying about it, and not making a decision until the end of January. 

Another very strange twist in the course of my crazy day yesterday is that I got a call from my regular OB's office, letting me know that they had gotten results back on some blood work from last week's appointment.  It turns out that I AM a carrier of Cystic Fibrosis.  She said that it happens to about 1 in 25 caucasian women.  In order for our child to be affected, Walt would also have to be a carrier, so they've asked him to have blood drawn next time I am in the office.  The odds are low, but it's another possibility. 

I really feel that God is asking me to trust Him with the life of our precious child, and to believe that He truly is in control.  Regardless of what happens with our child, we are going to love him or her and be the best parents we can be.  I think that, with any pregnancy, there are genetic risks that sometimes aren't even considered... and even when you think you only have one thing to worry about, there are sooo many other possibilities out there, and I can't control any of it.  It's so scary, but it's also an opportunity to trust that God knows what's best and that He won't give us more than we can handle.

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How your baby's growing:

The most dramatic development this week: Reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder.

Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously. His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over two inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce.

Ok, first off, this is very weird for me.  I'm not a journal keeper, writer or blogger in any sense of the imagination.  However, I think I'm going to try it out for a while.

 Well, a week ago today was Melinda's Bday.  We were getting ready for work and got a call from David saying that Kristi was on her way to the hospital for delivery of Abby!  So we started off the day with excitement.  At some point in the morning, I guess Melinda thought she was pregnant and tried a home pregnancy test.  Somehow the test was messed up and so at lunch she told me about it and she wanted to go the store to get another one.  Well, at some point that afternoon she called me over to her office.  When I got there she pulled out the test and it was positive.

I can't really remember the timing exactly but somewhere during that same time I got a call from David saying that Abby was born and everyone was doing well. 

 So we had a pretty exciting day, to say the least. 

 Ok so, I'm not one for showing an extreme amount of emotions.  This whole pregnancy thing for me was very mixed emotions.  I was/am excited that I'm going to be a daddy, however it wasn't in my perfect little time plan.  I wanted to have the condo sold and be in a house before we started trying to have kids.  I had figured some time around spring we would start trying.  Our timing isn't always God's timing so I accepted the fact that we were going to be parents.  Over the weekend I really started to take it to heart and have become more excited.  For example, I had to be the first to buy something...LOL  So I went and bought some Disney baby stuff late Saturday night after everyone had gone to bed.  Thank goodness because we told some people Sunday and they bought something and brought it to us Sunday night.