12 Weeks!

Lots of excitement this week!

Baby Rice is the size of a PLUM!

First, We decided to do the optional 12 week nuchal translucency ultrasound which tests for risks of trisomy 13, 18, and 21. Even though I knew my risk was pretty low I really just wanted to see the baby again. Boy, was it worth it! He/she went from looking like a tiny bean to an actual baby in my belly! Of course I sobbed like any hormonal pregnant woman. I had spent the days leading up to the test very anxious. I have had zero "normal" pregnancy symptoms. Which to me meeant something was ultimately wrong. However, the scan confirmed that everything was 100% a-ok! On top of the scan we got to hear the heartbeat for the first time [swoon]. Ever since nursing school I have been obsessed with fetal heartbeats. There is just something so magical about that sound. Hearing my own baby's heaartbeat was everything. There are no words to explain. I couldn't hold back those tears of relief.

The ultrasound tech gave us her guess on the gender but the doctor said it was way too early at 11 weeks 6 days (exactly) to give a guess so it is still just a 50-50 guess.

Yes, I am obsessed with looking at these pictures!

Second, this week we got to share the news with our closest friends! It has been so hard keeping it secret from them especially when some were starting to catch on. We invited 25ish of our friends to a cookout on Friday, Septemeber 11, where we planned to surprise them. I fake drank a glass of white wine (mostly water) to trick the suspicious people. Just before dinner Jared gave the sweetest toast about how everyone there had played such an important role in our lives and how thankful we were for them. Then topped it off with something that went a little like "hope you all are ready to go through one more thing with us...March 25th were going to have another little Rice joining us!" You could feel the excitement. The rest of the night was spent filled with congratulations and ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the ultrasound pictures.

Finally, ended the weekend with a tailgate and game where I no longer had a secret to keep! Man, did that feel good!