For something to quench those cravings for a little champagne, here is a great recipe for a drink without the sin or guilt!

MOCK CHAMPAGNE

Ready In: 1 Day 15 Minutes
Yields: 40 servings

For the first 8 weeks it wasn't that bad. I had a wedding to plan for, Chris provided me with training appointments at our local Gold's Gym, we had doctor appointments and we were to find out the sex of Freddie days before the wedding. There was enough stimulation and excitement to keep me occupied.

Unfortunately, I work off a certain level of stress and need to have mental stimulation to feel like I have accomplished something. When we returned from our honeymoon, I took the first two days to allow my body to catch up and on the third day I went out to start pricing cribs for the nursery and that's when it hit me. I was a stay at home Wife and I was not the type to stay home.

Cue hormones.

I went into a panic realizing that I didn't have a job to go to which is something that I have always valued and treasured that social interaction with others and enjoyed having something that was my own. Now, it felt like the only thing that was my own was a shiny red vacuum and a matching washer and dryer. This was my worst nightmare. Was the temptation too good to stay home when I should have waited for the transfer at the hospital? Did I make a deal with the Devil?

Cue tears.

Being as supportive as possible, Chris set up this account and I started to write and research even more about pregnancy, I still attend my workout sessions with my trainer and Chris and I do 30 minutes of cardio 3 times a week at the gym. What I had the hardest time with is that I am at home and not contributing to our nest egg. But what I need to realize is that this is the time for me to pamper myself and my growing baby. 4 hour naps on the couch with the dogs? Having time to watch Oprah when its on and not have to TiVo it?

When will I be able to do it again!?!

I am slowly coming around to the idea but until then fulfilling my time with research, cooking, walks and play time with our dogs, time with my family and creating a nursery. Volunteer opportunities are in the works but people tend to be scared of bringing on pregnant people. Still not the level of stimulation I would prefer, but one day I will look back and wish that I could have taken advantage of my 6 months.

VIRGIN BLOODY MARY

just what the doctor ordered!

~.~

Ingredients:
4 ounces tomato juice
½ ounce lemon juice
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
A dash of hot sauce
A pinch of celery salt (add to taste)
A pinch of salt (add to taste)
A pinch of pepper (add to taste)
Cracked ice
Ice cubes

Preparation:
Combine tomato juice, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and seasonings in a mixing glass. Shake with ice and strain into glass filled with ice cubes. Garnish with a celery stalk and a wedge of lime.

Recipe courtesy of allrecipes

If you are considering  a  post pregnancy diet plan, it may be helpful for you to know that there are some simple steps you can take to make any post pregnancy diets more effective.  We will share 7 tips that have been proven successful by millions of post pregnancy participants in any post pregnancy diets of their choice.

post pregnancy Tip #1: Realistic Goals
The fastest way to lose motivation is to set unrealistic post pregnancy goals for yourself before you even start your post pregnancy diets, ask yourself some simple questions-%u201CWhat do you want to achieve from this post pregnancy diets?%u201D and %u201CHow much weight do you want to lose in a day, a week or a month%u201D.  Remember that each small goal you achieve will propel you closer to your final destination.  But if you set unrealistic goals, you will only end up in frustration and disappointment when they are not achieved, even when you are making significant progress in your post pregnancy goals.

post pregnancy Tip # 2: Preparation is the Key
Now is the time to start a new lifestyle and start getting rid of your junk food, your colas in the refrigerator, those puddings and those chocolates you stash in your drawer!  Make a new list of the food you need and start stocking on them in large quantities.  Include vegetables, fruits, healthy snacks, mineral waters and vitamins and minerals supplements you may need.

post pregnancy # 3: Reward system
Give yourself a pat on the back and create a reward system for your post pregnancy diets. For instance, you may want to get yourself a new shoe, a new CD or even a new handbag if you reach a certain point in your post pregnancy efforts.

post pregnancy # 4: Healthy Breakfast
This is the most important meal that you should never miss.  Skipping breakfast means that you are dieting your brain to think that you hungry starved and deprived, this will only cause you to feel lethargic and when the pressure is too much, you may decide to embark on an eating binge. This is sheer suicide to your post pregnancy diets!

post pregnancy # 5: Exercise
For long lasting effects and to boost the rate of your post pregnancy, this is one important activity you must inculcate into your routine. No post pregnancy diets can be successful without a good exercise diets.  Choose a good exercise diets that lets you burn fat and gives a good cardiovascular exercise at the same time.

post pregnancy # 6: Sleep
Always get enough sleep during your post pregnancy diets.  A normal adult would need an approximately 7-8 hours of sleep a day.  This help to keep your bodily system working in perfect order, which is crucial to the success of your post pregnancy diets.

post pregnancy Tip 7:Relaxation
This is important in any post pregnancy diets and you should make relaxation a crucial apart of your schedule.  Meditation, relaxation and affirmations can help boost your confidence and make the process more enjoyable.

By following these seven simple tips, you can start seeing results in your efforts to lose weight.  Be consistent and make them part of your lifestyle and success in your post pregnancy diets is assured.

Find Out More and Review the most popular Post Pregnancy Diets.

This will be our first time to see our little one. We will also find out if baby Wilson is a boy or girl.

Our appointment is at 8am.

My gut feelings on this topic - it's a boy. It's got to be a boy.

On a side note, if it is not a boy we have to go back to the drawing board for names. Though we have had quite some time to think about a names, we have no girl names.

None!

So we are open to suggestions as well as bribes. 

Today marks week 18. I haven't thrown up in six days! It is still a little too soon for me to say with confidence that the morning sickness is over.

Although it is not yet obvious to the outside world that I am with child, I can feel the baby move a few times throughout the day which is exciting.

Wardrobe: While I am not yet wearing maternity pants, I thought it would be a good time to start looking for some things for winter. Apparently this will not be possible in Jackson, TN. There are no maternity stores in Jackson. I mean, surely there are women who give birth in this town.

I went to Target; nothing in my size.

I went to the mall; no maternity stores, nothing in any department store that is even close to my size.

I went to Old Navy and found one pair of jeans in my size.  They are full panel jeans.  

Exhausted and discouraged, I bought them. I brought them home after a long day of shopping and showed Lee; he laughed at them.

I have yet to wear them. 

I will leave you with a video of the most activity I have done since being pregnant. Lee thinks it's ridiculous, but I just couldn't help myself. Lee did not participate, instead he recorded the event.

Stay tuned for Friday!

I was feeling very turned on last night, but my husband didn’t make the moves on me. Then, after I went to bed, he stayed up and I suspect he masturbated. Why didn’t he make the effort to seduce me instead?

The reason married men masturbate has nothing to do with finding their partners unattractive. Sometimes, sex while pregnant can just be unsettling for a man. He still adores you and finds you beautiful and sexy, but the bumps and kicks emerging from your pregnant belly can occasionally make the intimacy of sex seem wrong – like there’s a third person in bed with you (and not in the way he fantasizes about!)

Don’t be surprised to find your husband totally insatiable and into your sexy, pregnant body one minute, then unresponsive the next. He has to put up with your mood swings. It’s only fair you do the same in return!

I followed the X-rated links my husband had been visiting on the Internet and found some really disturbing stuff. How can he be turned on by this sort of thing? It’s disgusting!

A person’s sexuality is like Pandora’s Box. Just read the Kinsey Report or Nancy Friday’s books on sexual fantasies. You’ll see that both men and women get aroused by some pretty outrageous things. A woman following the X-rated links her boyfriend or partner left on the computer can often find herself on a pretty disturbing journey into his most private sexual fantasies! Just remember that there’s a firm line between fantasy and reality. A man can fantasize about the wildest things when he’s moments from climax, but never dream of wanting to make those fantasies a reality.

If you’re really concerned, have an open and frank discussion with your partner about his sexual fantasies – and be brave enough to share your own (no matter how twisted they seem!) Just remember to be open-minded and never judge him by what he shares with you.

The good news - when a couple is open enough to share their most personal fantasies, it can often result in mind-blowing, sexual dynamite afterwards!

So, I'm wondering, is asking someone if they are pregnant when you've only seen their headshots as bad as this?  Apologies to you both, and a warning to the rest of you: I'm terrible with names. :)

Have you stuck your foot in your mouth lately?

But in the ginned up outrage of the left, the Daily Kos is sending out emails likening Obama as a communuity organizer to Jesus of Nazareth as a community organizer - with Sarah Palin serving the role as the new Pontius Pilate (there goes that "Messiah" thing again); and The Atlantic is labeling remarks about community organizers must be "racist."

It is almost as though the people who fired a howitzer at Sarah Palin are complaining that she shot a spitwad at them.  And Sarah Palin had the merit of actually speaking the truth.

The reality is that Barack Obama was mostly ineffective as a community organizer, and left the field disillusioned:

In truth, however, if you examine carefully how Obama conducted himself as an organizer and how he has conducted himself as a politician, if you consider what he said about organizing to his fellow organizers, and if you look at the reasons he gave friends and colleagues for abandoning organizing, then a very different picture emerges: that of a disillusioned activist who fashioned his political identity not as an extension of community organizing but as a wholesale rejection of it. Indeed, the most important thing to know about Barack Obama's time as a community organizer in Chicago may not be what he gained from the experience--but rather why, in late 1987, he decided to quit.

And of course, it should be noticed that Barack Obama personally distorted and trivialized Sarah Palin's experience and record before she had uttered a word about his.  It is flat-out hypocritical for Barack Obama to argue that the very woman he trivialized be called out for trivializing him.

Michelle Malkin had this to say.  She is without question a conservative and a partisan, but she backs up her opinions with some unattractive facts about both Obama's own record and about the organization he served as a "community organizer":

Let me clarify something. Nobody is mocking community organizers in church basements and community centers across the country working to improve their neighbors’ lives. What deserves ridicule is the notion that Barack Obama’s brief stint as a South Side rabble-rouser for tax-subsidized, partisan non-profits qualifies as executive experience you can believe in.

What deserves derision is “community organizing” that relies of a community of homeless people and ex-cons to organize for the purpose of registering dead people and shaking down corporations and using the race card as a bludgeon.

As I’ve reported previously, Obama’s community organizing days revolved around training grievance-mongers from the far left group ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now). The ACORN mob is infamous for its bully tactics (which they dub “direct actions”); Obama supporters have recounted his role in organizing an ambush of a government planning meeting on a landfill project opposed by Chicago minority lobbies.

With benefactors like Obama in office, ACORN has milked nearly four decades of government subsidies to prop up chapters that promote the welfare state, undermine the free market, and perpetuate illegal immigration and voter fraud. Since I last detailed ACORN’s illicit activities in this column in June (see “The ACORN Obama knows,” June 19, 2008), the group continues to garner scrutiny of law enforcement:

Last week, Milwaukee’s top election official announced plans to seek criminal investigations of 37 ACORN employees accused of offering gifts to sign up voters (including pre-paid gas cards and restaurant cards) or falsifying driver’s license numbers, Social Security numbers or other information on voter registration cards.

Last month, a New Mexico TV station reported on child rapists, drug offenders, and forgery convicts on ACORN’s payroll. In July, Pennsylvania investigators asked the public for help in locating a fugitive named Luis R. Torres-Serrano, who is accused “of submitting more than 100 fraudulent voter registration forms he collected on behalf of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now to county election officials.” Also in July, a massive, nearly-$1 million embezzlement scheme by top ACORN officials was exposed.

ACORN’s political arm endorsed Obama in February and has ramped up efforts to sign up voters across the country. In the meantime, completely ignored by the mainstream commentariat and clean-election crusaders, the Obama campaign admitted failing to report $800,000 in campaign payments to ACORN. They were disguised as payments to a front group called “Citizen Services, Inc.” for “advance work.”

Jim Terry, an official from the Consumer Rights League, a watchdog group that monitors ACORN, noted: “ACORN has a long and sordid history of employing convoluted Enron-style accounting to illegally use taxpayer funds for their own political gain. Now it looks like ACORN is using the same type of convoluted accounting scheme for Obama’s political gain.” With a wave of his magic wand, Obama changed his FEC forms to change the “advance work” to “get-out-the-vote” work.

Now, don’t you dare challenge his commitment to following tax and election laws. And don’t you even think of entertaining the possibility that The One exploited a non-profit supposedly focused on helping low-income people for political gain.

He was just “organizing” his “community.” Guffaw.

The fact is that ACORN, the organization that Obama served as a community organizer, is a dreadful organization with a history of voter fraud, of corruption, and of benefiting from the very sort of special interests funding that John McCain has vowed to end.

The thing that most bothered me about Barack Obama's record as a community organizer is documented in my article, "Obama: From ACORN Organizer To Audacious Hypocrite."   Barack Obama as a "community organizer" used every tactic to secure even fraudulent votes; then as a candidate he ruthlessly purged the signatures that would have put Alice Palmer - the serving official and a woman who would have destroyed him in a fair election - on the ballot.

Pardon me for not singing the praises of Obama's organizer days.

I emailed Spider today. I ummed and ahhed over it, whether I should or not, and in the end decided that probably the worst that would happen would be that he did not respond at all. My email was very casual, informing him that the baby is a little boy, and that he is well, and gorgeous, and destined for greatness and all that.

He didn't reply. I wasn't expecting it, so I'm not upset. I've done my bit, I've kept him informed. It's up to him if he chooses to respond. But I can't help myself screaming inwardly, 'Pathetic, juvenile, cowardly FUCKWIT!!!'

To add insult to injury, my own father has not contacted me either. I've texted and emailed him to let him know he's going to have a grandson, and I've sent the scan pics, but no response at all. This hurts me even more than Spider's silence, actually. I'm hoping that it's just that he's gone away - but he would have taken his mobile, surely - and he KNEW that I was having the scan and would be finding out the sex of the baby, so surely he would have made sure he had his phone on him... and would have been checking it? This is his first grandchild!! Isn't he excited about it? Or is my son going to be lacking in both fatherly and grandfatherly love? Now I'm getting myself upset so I need to calm down. There's probably a simple explanation.

I'm not going to let anyone bring me down about my baby. Work-stress, dad-absense or granddad-silence. I'm over the moon with love for him, and nothing and no one can take that away from me!

I have my annual with my lady doctor later in September, and I'm reallyreallyreally hoping that I will be at exactly what I weighed the first time I saw her when I was pregnant with Laura about this time in 2006. I want her to be able to say, "Congratulations on losing all your baby weight!" And I want to say in return, "10 more pounds, and the first baby weight will be gone, too."

Yes, I gained 10 pounds while pregnant with Nathan despite only cooking him for 4 months. Sigh. It's an embarrassing admission to make, but I've typed it and don't feel like deleting it just to make myself feel better. It's the truth, and I can own it.

That kind of weight gain won't happen with the third kid, I promise. I can't let it happen. I have to control my weight gain for a much more important reason than just wanting to look better next time around. I need to be able to move during my third pregnancy! The thought of being paralyzed by excruciating pain terrifies me enough to keep my bum on the bike (stationary recumbant bike) for as long as I possibly can with Baby #3, and once the bike isn't an option, serious walking will occur.

And just so no one gets any bright ideas, there is no Baby #3 cooking anytime soon. It'll be next year (Lord willing) before that happens.

And for all you women out there who are like me -- those of us who hate to sweat, who love to lounge around on the couch reading a book or watching TV, those who delight in a bowl of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, who salivate at the mere thought of Tex Mex and an icy cold Dr Pepper -- you can get up off your tail and do it too. I have never had an ounce of athleticism in my life. Literally. Never. Not once. My brain hurts at the thought of sweat. My feet despise athletic shoes. My boobs hate the constriction of a sports bra. But I'm exercising now.

My one tip: don't wait until you have 4 herniated discs in your lower back to get started. I had a super high metabolism and never had to work out a day in my life until I had Baby #2 and gained too much weight too quickly. It could happen to you, too. You might be thin and sleek and have a nice little tummy, and then WHAM! you have flab in places you never knew it could exist. Get in the exercise habit before you get pregnant, because your doctor will recommend that you don't start an exercise program once you are pregnant if you weren't doing one beforehand. Why? Your body isn't used to it, and it could cause complications.

Exercise now. It's worth it. Try out everything and find the one(s) you like. I loved to ride my bike all around the neighborhood when I was a kid, so I started with a stationary bike (I am addicted to air conditioning) and discovered that I still love to ride my bike, albeit inside with the TV blaring "Alias" and with a book in hand. Now I'm on a stationary recumbent bike by doctor's orders (it's the best cardio I can do with my back injury since I don't have a pool). I promise you, there is some form of exercise you will like, and you will get used to the sweat (even in the places you didn't know had sweat glands).

I promise.

It happened.

Some nights Beth sleeps really deep, others she is more restless.

Well, Monday night was one of the nights when she slept lightly - and it paid off.

About 4 o'clock in the morning, she roused from her sleep with a fluttery feeling in her tummy, a feeling like a little butterfly bouncing around.

At the time she didn't make a big deal out of it, just closed her eyes and went back to sleep (I think she had a weird dream about her old boss taking over the Democratic National Convention).

It was only after arriving at work that it dawned on her that her little butterfly was actually a little baby flying its little legs or arms around in her womb.

It was a great moment for us.

It was really a blessing from the Lord because it really encouraged Beth that all of her feeling sick is for a reason. Since she is not showing yet, it was the first distinct sign that there is a little Wilson inside of her - and I am thankful for it for her sake.

In 5 weeks we know if our little bellyfly is a boy or a girl.

Excitement abounds.

So I did what any normal person would do.  I tested again.

Top test is 12 dpo, bottom test is 15 dpo.

This reassures me.  That looks like one nice dark line to me.

I wish I'd start feeling more naseous again.  I seem to have less than I did a few days ago.  But I'm also more tired.  I know it's early and plus my mom had very little naseua with her pregnancies (none with my brothers and mild with me) so I know it isn't BAD persay.  I'd just feel better if I could feel a little sick.

So the worry has totally hit but so far it's manageable.  I have googled very little (yay me!) and tried not to spend much time thinking about what could happen.  I just have to keep it up for another 2 and a half weeks until my ultrasound.  Although I am living proof that seeing a heartbeat doesn't mean you get a take home baby.  I'm sure I will be nervous to some degree the whole pregnancy.  And then for the rest of my life when I have the baby.  So I am trying to train myself to get away from this worry now.  Or at least as much as I can.

On a lighter note, it was noted today that my husband has a larger "baby belly" than I do.  Let's see how long it takes me to catch up with him.

Beth has definitely been feeling better as of late - though she is still discouraged that she is feeling sick at all now that she is in the second trimester.  She has been getting headaches and the occasional wave of nausea, but the most persistent symptom of her "baby on board-ness" is fatigue.

My little napster, as I have taken to calling her, only packs enough energy reserves these days to wake up, eat some pickles with a side of a sandwich or cereal, and then maintain a minimally active existence for a few hours before this happens:

Today Beth made me very proud: once we left the house for Saturday lunch and errands, she was able to go to Jimmy Johns to eat; Deals, Goodwill, Pier One, Lane Furniture Outlet and Fred's to shop, and then chat with our friend Julie Dockery on our couch for 45 minutes - all without slurring her speech from exhaustion (though she was cutely pathetic at Fred's).

That's 7 things, if you count them up, and that makes for a good day in the life of lil' napster (who is sound asleep on the couch as I write this).

What does this mean for for little Wilson? I asked myself this question the other night and I came to a realization.

My child is going to be a picklemiester, just like its mother.  Do you need evidence that Beth has been a monument to pickle consumption?

Evidence A: there are currently two quarts of Jimmy Johns pickles in our fridge - they will be gone by the end of the weekend, guaranteed.

Evidence B: photographic documentation (see below)

So, the evidence is mounting.  I know that Beth's mom ate a lot of McDonalds when she was pregnant with Beth.  I know that Beth loved McDonalds when she was little.

I am going to have to face the facts.  My child is going to be a pickle eater, just like the his/her mama.

 While this will be traumatizing to me (I cannot stand pickles), it is better than the other alternative that I have imagined as of late.

Let's all hope that this pickle mania curbs off soon so that my sweet picklemiester doesn't give birth to a little green baby!

I could attempt to communicate the awesomeness in all its splendor, but I would be better off leaving it to this special tribute video.

See, what could capture our time together better than steaks, a lime-size baby in my 12 week pregnant wife, Kevin strumming the guitar, writing a tremendous song about our time together, groupies, and the throwing of underwear (including sports bras, as Beth suggests in the background).

It just doesn't get much better than that.

We love the Peeks. Thanks for blessing us with your friendship and the way you loved on us during your time in our home here in Jackson.

Choroid Plexus Cyst

(from www.babyzone.com)

The Lowdown on a Scary Ultrasound

By Jillian Lokere

One minute you're thrilled by a glimpse of your baby during a routine ultrasound and the next you're told there is a problem. Here are the facts about one common ultrasound finding: choroid plexus cysts.

When Tina and Jim Angelman* of Brighton, Massachusetts saw their baby on the ultrasound screen, it was a moment of pure joy. Exclamations of "Is it a boy or a girl?" and "Look at those tiny hands!" filled the room, until Tina noticed the technician huddling closer to his screen. When he left to get the doctor, Tina filled with dread. The doctor's words fell heavily. "I'm sorry, but I see something that may indicate a problem. Your baby has a choroid plexus cyst."

At that moment, Tina and Jim's feelings about their baby and the pregnancy changed. "It's pretty hard to describe how it feels to go from cloud nine to the worst day of your life in the span of a two-minute conversation. I didn't know what to think—the radiologist didn't really give us a clear picture of what was going on, and it all seemed very vague," says Jim.

A similar scenario played out for Cindy Scoville of Phelps, New York during her 18-week ultrasound. "I was so stressed, worried, sad, and anxious," she said after the doctor revealed that her son had four choroid plexus cysts.

At least one out of one hundred parents will share this frightening experience during a routine ultrasound. What is a choroid plexus cyst? What does it mean? And what can parents do about it?

What is a Choroid Plexus Cyst?

The choroid plexus is an area of the brain that is not involved thinking or personality. Rather, the choroid plexus makes a fluid that protects and nourishes the brain and spinal cord. When a fluid-filled space is seen in the choroid plexus during an ultrasound, it is called a choroid plexus cyst (CPC). "We don't know why, but between 1 and 3 percent of all fetuses will manifest a CPC at 16 to 24 weeks of pregnancy," says Dr. Roy A. Filly, a Professor of Radiology and of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences and Chief of the Section of Diagnostic Sonography at University of California, San Francisco. CPCs can be found either on one side of the brain (unilateral) or both sides (bilateral). They can vary in size and shape, from small and round to large and irregular. Some fetuses have more than one.

Regardless of their number, shape or size, choroid plexus cysts are not harmful to the baby. "I am not aware of a single instance where a CPC caused damage to a fetus," says Dr. Filly.

Dr. Peter Doubilet, a Professor of Radiology at Harvard Medical School, agrees, "That's one very important fact. CPCs are not harmful, and they nearly always go away by the third trimester of pregnancy."

If CPCs are found during an ultrasound, the radiologist will scrutinize every organ and body part to look for other abnormalities, such as a malformed heart, head, hands or feet, and stunted growth of the baby. When no other abnormalities are found, the diagnosis is called an "isolated CPC."

The Significance of an Isolated CPC

If CPCs do not cause any damage, why does anyone worry about them? The problem is really one of association—being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Wrong or right, CPCs have become associated with a severe genetic disease called Trisomy 18. It is well documented that about half of babies with Trisomy 18 show a CPC on ultrasound. But Dr. Bronsteen from the Division of Fetal Imaging at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan points out, "Nearly all babies with Trisomy 18 who have a CPC have other abnormalities on the ultrasound, especially in the heart, hand, and foot." The real question arises when a baby has a CPC with nothing else wrong: the "isolated CPC."

This is where the experts cannot precisely agree. "The vast majority of fetuses with [isolated] CPCs are completely normal, but when CPCs are seen, the chance of Trisomy 18 goes up," says Dr. Doubilet, "This risk is still very small: about 1 in 300." This means that if 300 fetuses have isolated CPCs, only one of them will have Trisomy 18. "While the risk is small, it is higher than the risk of approximately 1 in 3,000 among all pregnant women," points out Dr. Doubilet. Other doctors have reservations: "The problem with this research is that it studied a high-risk population instead of the general population of pregnant women," says Dr. Filly. "I have no instance in 25 years of experience of an isolated CPC indicating Trisomy 18."

Dr. Bronsteen notes, "You need to ask if the person doing the ultrasound exam has the expertise to look for all the abnormalities that are seen with Trisomy 18. In the dozen years we've been tracking it, we did have some babies with an diagnosis of isolated CPC turn out to have Trisomy 18, but in all those cases we did not get a complete look at the baby." His own research indicates that it is very important for the sonographer to view the baby's hands before concluding that the CPC is isolated.

This debate among experts can leave parents bewildered. But even if an isolated CPC does mean an increased risk, that risk is still extremely small. The take-home message? If a CPC is found with no other warning signs, the outcome is virtually always positive.

What Parents Can Do

When a baby is diagnosed with a CPC, there are several things that parents can do. After consultation with their doctor, they will usually undergo a Level II ultrasound. This is a detailed ultrasound exam that is targeted to look for fetal abnormalities. It's important not to rely on the results of a scan performed in a doctor's office or a scan done by someone who is not a trained expert in detecting abnormalities by ultrasound. Only after this kind of intense scan can the diagnosis of an isolated CPC be truly confirmed.

Once other abnormalities besides the CPC have been ruled out, there are two things parents can do: watch and wait, or have an amniocentesis. An amniocentesis is the only way to know for sure before birth that the baby does not have a genetic disease. But even though an amnio can give a sure answer, it carries its own risk. About one in 250 women will miscarry her baby after an amnio, regardless of whether the baby is healthy or not.

The other option is to watch and wait. Generally the doctor will track the progress of the fetus through several follow up ultrasound examinations. Most CPCs will resolve on their own by the sixth month of pregnancy, and a definitive exam of the baby's health can be made after the birth.

While no one can make this decision except the parents and their doctor, many experts suggest that the risk of an amnio is not worth it when the only abnormality the baby has is a CPC. "In our practice, we don't like to do an amnio on somebody whose baby has a very low risk of Trisomy 18 because you wind up losing more normal pregnancies…than you will find Trisomy 18 babies. It doesn't make sense to have a miscarriage of two or three normal babies to find one with Trisomy 18," says Dr. Bronsteen. Your doctor can tell you what his or her recommendation is for your unique situation.

The Angelmans discussed the diagnosis with their doctor and opted to have a Level II ultrasound, which showed no other problems. "It was on the back of our minds the whole pregnancy, and it made it hard not to worry. But our son was born healthy and happy," say Jim and Tina.

After talking with her doctor, Cindy Scoville also decided to have a Level II ultrasound. "At 24 weeks no other abnormalities were found and the sonographer was able to see everything very clearly." says Cindy. "Our little boy is beautiful, healthy and everything we dreamed of. Another happy ending to the worrisome beginning of dealing with a CPC diagnosis during pregnancy."

A CPC diagnosis is scary, no doubt about it. But rest assured that the experts agree that the vast majority of these babies are perfectly healthy, and their CPC is just a normal part of growth and development.

Related Articles:
3-D and 4-D Ultrasound
Imaging by Ultrasound: Screening For Fetal Defects
Risks of Birth Defects
Anatomy of a Fetus: The Brain

* Names have been changed by request

That's about it! For the last couple of months I have slept, napped, thrown up, and napped some more.

I believe today marks week 14 and there is still no sign of the morning sickness disappearing anytime soon. My dinner last night and breakfast this morning both found there way back into the sink.

As a source of encouragement, Lee has purchased a onesie (is that how you spell that?) that states "I love mommy" on it. Anytime I find myself hovering over the toilet, I turn around only to find him waving the infant outfit like a flag with smile on his face.

In forthcoming posts, we will post some pictures of growing baby Wilson. As of now, I have nothing to show for the past 14 weeks, but it will come in due time.

Since I don't have a "bump" yet I thought I would post a picture taken around the time we estimate we first became pregnant.

Stay tuned! More to come!

[caption id="attachment_1036" align="aligncenter" width="561" caption="Namoe Helen attends an antenatal clinic where the IRC offers mothers-to-be voluntary counseling and testing for HIV. Photos: Joanne Offer/The IRC "][/caption]

I meet Namoe Helen at ante-natal class. She’s pregnant with her second child and has come to St Pius Kidepo health center in Moroto district for a check up. Pregnant women can also get tested for HIV as part of IRC’s work to prevent mother-to-child transmission of the virus.Namoe Helen says, “I’ve been tested for HIV as a precaution and I’m negative. It’s good to be tested because the virus is becoming very widespread; it’s not just affecting town people, it’s in the villages too.”

Examining Namoe Helen is sister Marygoretti, who’s been running the antenatal clinic for the past few months. Marygoretti is originally from eastern Uganda and was shocked by the conditions in Karamoja.

She says, “It’s so different here. When you look at the living conditions, you see it’s very harsh. Poor sanitation is a big problem and most of the health conditions are related to this. Nutrition is also a big problem. This year, nothing has grown. But the women here get food rations to help them during pregnancy.”

Soon, barefooted, Namoe Helen is beginning her long walk home. It will take her an hour. Life can be hard for mothers-to-be here in Karamoja. ]]> http://fawnahareo.wordpress.com/?p=270 Wed, 13 Aug 2008 03:18:46 +0000 fawnahareo http://fawnahareo.com/2008/08/12/and-were-back/ We're back from the Petitot!  We have tans, we have pictures, we have great memories of time spent with dear friends.  We soaked in hot springs, lolled on a sunny and sandy "beach", ate moose-meat, and Jade had only a handful of small seizures each day.  It was terrific!

I'd tell you all about it, but there are important things to do, like laundry, and groceries, and, um, lying down.  Y'see, we had a big steak and potatoes kind of supper tonight and afterward when I sat down at my computer to catch up on e-mails, I realized that my swollen belly was actually touching my thighs.  Pardon me, IS touching my thighs.  Dear mother of all pregnancies, I haven't even officially started my third trimester yet; how in heaven's name am I going to survive growing this belly for another three months? 

It's so irritating to have my stomach skin touching my leg skin that I really must go lie down for a wee while.  More blogging once I've recovered from the shock.

According to an article from Anxiety Insights, "'This crosstalk allows the mother's blood to flow out of the uterine artery and get just a single cell layer away from the fetus' blood,' says Dr Puttur D. Prasad, biochemist in the Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine (MGC)."

A recent grant will allow Medical College of Georgia researchers to study their hypothesis further.

Right now I'd like nothing more than to head off to Disneyland. The Happiest Place on Earth.

The heat of the Valley has subsided some, which would make getting out and spending considerable hours doing photography a lot of fun... except that I'm grounded indoors.

I'm on doctor's orders to rest.rest.rest. I'm bringing this pregnancy to a close and in order to prevent premature labor, I need to be a couch potato.

While I enjoy a good veg-out session every once in awhile, being told I have to rest, lay, veg... for weeks... makes me feel claustrophic. But since I know that pregnancy isn't really about -me-, I'm diligently following my doctor's orders.

If I had my way...I'd be outside adventuring, with camera in hand, capturing beautiful sights. Living. Laughing. And -NOT- resting.