Good news!

Today my doctor told me that my penta screen came back negative! This is the blood test that checks for Down Syndrome and spina bifida, among other things. I had no real reason to worry, but it's always a relief to know that everything is okay! Now we're just waiting for the level 2 ultrasound on March 23, but hopefully we'll be able to move it up a little bit. I'm still waiting to hear if we can get an earlier appointment if we're willing to drive to Orlando.

Kicks!

I think I may have felt the baby moving as early as 12 weeks, but I'm not sure. Last time I never was sure that I felt Ada until 20 weeks. Anyway, over the last few days I have definitely felt the baby! I'm 17 weeks today, and she was kicking a little bit this morning. I hope the kicks will get strong enough soon for Hunter to feel them!

Cloth diapers

We definitely plan to go the cloth diaper route. First and foremost, it is so much better for the environment. On top of that, I've heard that babies get less diaper rash with cloth (although I've heard that the opposite is true, too, so I'm not sure what to believe) and it will definitely save money. A friend sent me this link today and I thought it was a good comparison of the different types of diaper use. #1 is interesting - I've thought about trying that at 6 months or so. I have a friend who was potty trained by 6 months and potty trained her own child by 12 months, so I might as well give it a try! I won't be too let down if it doesn't work out though.

The nursery

The nursery is still a work in progress, but I finally found the quilt set that I want to use! First of all, the theme is world animals. I bought this painting when I was pregnant with Ada.

The quilt set is called Payton and it's from Pottery Barn. Unfortunately it's been discontinued, but I found it new on ebay. I ordered the quilt, bumper pad, sheet set, skirt, and the sham for that little pillow you see on the floor that has the sheep on it. I LOVE the colors and it will definitely go with the yellow and white walls! It cost a little more than I had intended to spend, but I plan to use it again with the next baby since it's gender neutral.

Ultrasound picture

I just wanted to post the latest picture from our last ultrasound. The head is on the left, the body is on the right. This picture and the others that were taken really aren't as good as some of the previous ones. We hope to get good ones at the big ultrasound though!

"Don't buy pink yet, but...

...I think it's a girl."

That's what the doctor said this afternoon! She did another ultrasound, which I'm starting to think she might do at every appointment. Everything looks great and I'll have to post the pictures on here soon. The baby moved around a lot, waving at us and even stretching out. The heart rate was 170, and the baby is now 10 cm long. Of course, finding out that the baby is healthy is the most important thing to me. But also, we were both very curious about the sex of the baby so the doctor checked for us. We didn't see anything to make us think it's a boy, and I'm 16 weeks today so I think that's far enough along to tell. She said not to buy pink yet, but that her "educated guess" is that it's a girl!

I'm going to have a quad screen (blood test) done soon, and we're also being scheduled for a level 2 ultrasound. I believe that's more thorough than the one I had last time with Ada. I hate what I had to go through to get here, but I am thankful for all of the special treatment from my doctor. Today when I told her I was hoping for an ultrasound but I didn't want to ask for one, she said, "You can have anything you want during this pregnancy." She's so nice, and it definitely gives me peace of mind. Surprisingly, I am more calm and less worried about this pregnancy than I was with Ada. From the beginning last time I had this feeling that something was going to go wrong, and I don't have that this time. I know it's weird, but it's true. Also, I think I learned that some things are just out of our hands and there's nothing we can do about it. So, I'm just trying to enjoy my pregnancy as much as possible - without forgetting about my sweet Ada.