I'm now 13 weeks along, and I signed up to be part of a study through the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development looking at new moms to be. They're studying 10,000 first-time pregnant women trying to find out the causes of premature labor, low birth weight babies and hypertension. The upshot for me is a small stipend and 3 free ultrasounds. The Dude wouldn't cooperate with the technician when it came time to be measured and to have his photo taken, but we got to see some great movement as he floated around. We also got to hear his heartbeat and to verify all limbs accounted for. It's too early to tell his gender from the ultrasound, but maybe next time! What an amazing, intense experience. Tommy was even a little teary-eyed for a bit. The photos didn't scan well, but I promise all looked great in person.
Things I like about the second trimester so far:
1. Not being nauseous around the clock.
2. Starting to show!
2a. Being able to go up one loop on belt with no guilt.
3. Extra energy.
4. To be continued....
