Christmas In Nashville

At our Dr. appointment on Friday baby Coopela wouldn’t cooperate and we couldn’t find out the gender, so Cooper’s parents bought us a 2D/3D ultrasound for an early Christmas present yesterday while we’re in Nashville for Christmas. Baby Coopela cooperated and we found out that she’s a GIRL!! Today the Dr’s office called us and our quad screen results came back negative! The quad screen tests for neural tube defects such as spina bifida or anencephaly and chromosome abnormalities such as Down syndrome. That was great Christmas Eve news!!

Fetal development in pregnancy week 19: Your amazing little baby is now around 10 inches in length! If this seems a bit shocking, you’ll be relieved to know they’ve not actually grown over 3 inches, but that their little legs are now straight enough to be measured. This is when doctors begin measuring fetal growth from head to toe, (no longer “crown to rump”). Lanugo (little hairs) covers their whole body now, trapping that charming cheese-like vernix caseosa to the surface to the skin. This week your lil’ fetus will start on an appetizing diet of amniotic fluid which they are now capable of swallowing, digesting, and passing the fluid as far as their tiny “large” intestines. Research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now so start reading and talking to your baby!

Here's a video Cooper made for Dylan in Iraq since he's not able to spend Christmas with us this year.

Christmas Eve 2008