Yup, still pregnant.

If you look closely at the video while it's playing, the little flickering shadow to the right of the head, towards the middle of the screen is the heart. While I think the head and nose are pretty clear in this one, don't feel bad if you don't see anything but black and white blobs. Pictures that look as clear as could be to moms often make no sense to other people. At least that's been my experience, when I've tried to identify figures in the shadows on friends' ultrasounds.

We had our first trimester genetic screening today, and everything looks good so far.

First we met with Hershey's prenatal genetic counselor, who explained how genetic mutations happen, what three abnormalities for which they screen, how the tests would be done and how family genetics play a role. The tests they do indicate risk for the three most common genetic mutations: Trisomy 21 (Down's Syndrome), Trisomy 13 and Trisomy 18. In all three cases, the defect is an extra copy of a chromosome from either mom or dad, so that rather than having the normal two copies per cell -- one from mom, one from dad -- the 21st, 13th or 18th chromosome has three copies of genetic material. That extra material causes birth defects, developmental defects and retardation.

After taking our family histories (where, by the way, I learned grandma-to-be, Barb, was born without a hip socket -- really!), the counselor concluded we have as risk-free a genetic history as possible.

The screen itself consisted of an NT scan via ultrasound and bloodwork. The Nuchal Translucency measurement (the width of the fluid in the baby's neck, which will eventually turn to neck tissue) was 1.49 mm, and anything under three-point-something is considered normal. The bloodwork (testing for various proteins) and family history will combine with the NT measurement, get plugged into a really complicated formula, and then we'll have our risk score.

So to sum it all up, it looks like we're low risk for any of the three genetic defects based on the family history and the NT measurement, but we have some time to wait to get the bloodwork results and our "official" score.

But the ultrasound was fun! Squirt's heartbeat was 167 beats per minute, and we're measuring at 12 weeks, two days and 5.69 centimeters. So July 22 sticks as the estimated due date. My uterus is tilted back, which isn't a problem except for the fact that it made it difficult for the attendant to get the NT measurement from the screen. The baby wasn't facing the right way, so she had to jiggle the ultrasound wand around and I had to roll back and forth from my back to my side until squirt moved around. I saw him/her jump one time on the screen, and apparently Brian saw a lot of movement while I was on my side, faced away from the screen.

Oh, and we scheduled second trimester screening today, too, which includes sex detection. So we'll be looking for a weenie or lack thereof the morning of Feb. 24.