Week 23 Brings Holiday Fun!

Last night, my mom hosted an early holiday get-together. Aunt Lynn, Uncle Rick, Danny, and Mikey are headed to Ohio today for Christmas and we wanted to make sure we all got together before they left. My Dad and Mikey were the only two missing. My Dad was out to dinner collecting on a World Series bet and Mikey was home with a fever. We definitely missed them! Mom made it easy by ordering Jet's Pizza, Aunt Lynn brought the salad and of course there were plenty of Christmas cookies! As always, we had a great time. There were presents exchanged and of course lots of chatting and laughing. I love my family!

Trippy received a present from one of my mom's friends! It was two holiday hankerchiefs...here are a few pictures of her opening the present and then us trying to get them on her! Yes, it looks like we're wrestling her...she wouldn't sit still!

there was a red one and a snowman one

we let her pick which one she wanted to wear...she picked the snowman one!

trying to get it on!

me, kissing my squishy faced girl...as you can see we got the red one on her...the snowman one didn't fit!

How McKenna is growing this week -

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as Tripsy barking/howling or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

40 inches...

big belly bump!

McKenna's Dad opened her Christmas gift for her from Aunt Lynn, Uncle Rick, Danny, and Mikey...how cute are these Nike sandals! I can't wait to put them on her!

First pair of NIKE'S!!! They are soooo little!

McKenna isn't even here yet and she's already getting such wonderful gifts! Thank you sooo much Aunt Lynn, Uncle Rick, Danny, and Mikey...we are so blessed! Love you!

Aunt Lynn and her gift from Kristen - super cute!

Here are more pictures that were taken throughout the evening...

family picture!

Brian, Lizzie, Kristen, Aunt Lynn, Uncle Rick, Danny

Mom, Me, Mackenzie

sisters!

McKenna & her AB (Aunt Beanie)

we can never resist trying to dress up our dogs!

what a sweet girl!

...in the next few pictures we were trying to make Tripsy look like a pirate...she never let us!

...and lastly a few pictures of Brian & I with our puppy. She was getting so tired by the end of the night. She is loving the holidays so far. The Holidays = all of Trip's favorite things - Family, Snow, and Playing. I also think it's because her mom is home with her all day on Winter Break! Her mom is loving being home with her too! ;)

giving her Momma a kiss

...finally looking...kinda

I love this picture...but Trippy isn't looking!

Week 22

Week 22 info:
At 11 inches and almost 1 pound, McKenna is starting to look like a miniature newborn. Her lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and she's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath her gums. Her eyes have formed, but her irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers her body and the deep wrinkles on her skin, which she'll sport until she adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside her belly, her pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

This week I really look and feel pregnant. I don't know how many times my dad said last night, "wow, you are really pregnant!" My teacher friends at school have also taken a notice in how much I'm starting to show. It is AWESOME! Another thing I have realized that I have now lost the ability to suck in my stomach. ;)

For the first time in 22 weeks, the whole family was at home on Tuesday night dinner! We had a delicious meal of sausage, green peppers, and onions, with potatoes and fruit. After dinner, we ended up sitting in the living room talking for most of the evening. Mackenzie even read "The Night Before Christmas" to McKenna as we sat by the fire together - it was Lizzie's version that she made for my parents in 1991. I think it was the best dinner yet.

40 inches - ugh!

I love this picture. McKenna will have to have a framed one for her room. I think that it is the perfect depiction of how loved she is...

Lizzie being silly - giving McKenna a nuzzle

The Milazzo Sisters

the proud grandparents

The Results

Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers the last couple of days. We couldn't thank you enough for the kind and encouraging words as we embarked on yet another worrisome doctor's appointment.

Brian & I met at the hospital for our Level Two ultrasound with very calm hearts. The nurse first took us to the room to complete the ultrasound. She told us that they the Echogenic Foci are VERY common and usually it turns out that the baby is just fine. This type of ultrasound was really quite amazing. We could really see right into McKenna's cramped environment. (yes, it's still a girl!) She was moving around a lot, kicking her legs and moving her arms all about. The nurse took measurements of everything - the length of her legs and feet, the size of her kidneys, the thickness of her neck, the size of her head and body - everything. We looked right into her heart and saw her four chambers just pumping away. We could even see the calcium deposits sitting right in her valve. It was just amazing. She was beautiful.

Among all of the measurements, the nurse also looked for her nasal bone. The absence (or shortened) nasal bone often indicates Down Syndrome. McKenna's nasal bone shown brightly on the screen, they took a measurement of it too. All in all the nurse said that nothing she saw indicated any abnormalities, but that the doctor would be in to talk to us too.

It turns out that many years ago, doctors were trying to decrease the number of patients needing further screening for abnormalities found in their ultrasounds. They decided to research "markers" that would indicate whether or not the fetus had Down Syndrome or any other irregularity, so that only the women found with these markers would be referred on for further testing. So, they researched children with Down Syndrome and found that they all had common traits found in their ultrasounds, one of them being the Echogenic Foci. What they didn't realize is that many typical fetuses have the Echogenic Foci as well. Rather than decreasing the number of patients, referrred it has actually increased, he said that he sees this every day. More and more women go through this freak out for no reason at all.

McKenna is practically perfect in every way. All of the measurements came back normal. Everything was working the way it is supposed to. The Foci will dissipate with time. They are not hurting her heart in any way. It is pumping along just fine. Thank God!

The bonus of this appointment was getting to see our little girl once again and this time we really got to SEE her. Check out the pictures and see for yourself!

just look at that face!

that's her umbilical cord up by her tummy

the best profile shot we've gotten!

Week 21

Echogenic Foci of the Fetal Heart....

I started my week hearing those words...

Echogenic Foci of the Fetal Heart....

I had my monthly OB appointment on Monday the 7th after school at 4:50pm. I went by myself. All they typically do for your monthly appointment is listen to the baby's heartbeat, measure your stomach, test your urine, and answer any questions you may have. Because these appointments are so quick and the doctor's office is near my school, Brian & I figured that I could go it alone rather than have him try to rush there after work.

On Monday, that's just how my appointment started. I heard McKenna's heartbeat, which was 144 bpm. I even taped it to my phone and then texted it to my family - which the nurse said I was first person to ever do! (If you want me to send it to you, text me!)

After the heartbeat, we continued as usual, my urine came back fine - no protein and whatever else they test for - then she measured my stomach. She measured from the top of my rounded belly (where my uterus begins) to my pelvic bone. I measured 21 inches - which is perfect! She said that you should measure as many inches as you are weeks along in your pregnancy.

When we were done with all of the basic things, the nurse stepped out and said that Dr. Kagan would be in shortly.

Dr. Kagan then came into the room. He told me that he had the results of our ultrasound.

Results? what do you mean results? We were already told that it's a girl. What other results could there be?

He then began to tell me that they found something in the baby's heart when they reviewed the ultrasound pictures. It's called Echogenic Foci of the Fetal Heart. Dr. Kagan tells me not to freak out....and I begin to wonder why I'm at this appointment by myself. I'm trying to keep my cool...all I know is I just heard that something is wrong with her heart....

Echogenic Foci of the Fetal Heart are calcium deposits within the heart muscle. McKenna's is in her ventricular valve. They don't cause any problems with form or function of the heart. Her heart is healthy. They won't be there all of her life, they could dissipate as early as the 3rd trimester.

Echogenic Foci of the Fetal Heart is a marker for Down Syndrome. There are several other items that can be found during an ultrasound exam that some researchers have felt that may have a significant association with Down Syndrome. These findings may be seen in normal fetuses, but some obstetricians believe that their presence increases the risk of the fetus having Down syndrome or other chromosomal abnormality. Some of these "markers" include foreshortened thigh and upper arm bones, echogenic bowel, nuchal (or neck) thickening, kidney abnormalities, choroid plexus cysts and structural fetal abnormalities, such as a heart defect.

With that being said, we have a level two ultrasound scheduled for tomorrow, Friday, December 11th at 11:00am. They want to take a closer look at McKenna to see if there are any more indicators - the more markers they find the higher the likelihood of McKenna having Down Syndrome. If that is the only marker she has, then the chance is very very unlikely.

Does it matter what the outcome? No.

Do we care if our daughter has Down Syndrome? No.

Do I still have worries? Yes.

I'm a Special Education Teacher. My most favorite student at school has Down Syndrome. I would be SO blessed to have a child just like him. I couldn't love a child more. But, I would be lying if I didn't express my nervousness for tomorrow and I don't know why.

I have the best husband in the world. He didn't flinch at the news one bit. He didn't care. It doesn't matter one way or another to him. He just gave me a big hug when I got home. McKenna has the best Dad. She'll probably be a Daddy's Girl.

My family responded exactly as I thought they would. They are so so supportive. They love her so much - the outcome doesn't matter.

We'll know more tomorrow after our 11:00am ultrasound.

Trip & I headed to my parent's house on Wednesday for our week 21 dinner. It was just Mom, Kris, & I.

same 'ol same 'ol 39 in.

Week 21 info:
Baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long - the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now, and if you're having a girl, her vagina has begun to form as well. (she's not happy I just told you that!)

Snow Dog!

The first snow came this week here in Illinois...it was Trip's first experience with snow and she couldn't be any more excited. She loves to jump in it, run in it, eat it, and dig her nose in it. She just can't get enough, she ALWAYS wants to be outside playing in it! She can't wait until her sister is here to play with her!

while we were outside I took a picture of the SOLD sign on our townhouse

Meet Delilah and Leah!

Today I went over to my friend, Laura's house for a small get together. Laura just gave birth to her daughter, Delilah, on November 5th. She just came home from the hospital last week, so a few of us got together to welcome little Lilah home. I also got to finally meet our friend's, Russ & Kristen Pozen's, four month old daughter, Leah. It was a fun afternoon of catching up with the girls and holding little baby girls!

me & little Lilah

the girls from left to right:

Kristen, Carolyn, Laura, Megan & Beth

LEAH!!!

look at that expression! she really wanted to be on the blog!

Mommy & Baby

me & a snoozing Leah

Lilah & her big sister, Ella

precious Lilah

I can't wait for Lilah and Leah to meet McKenna!