Level II Ultrasound.

Today was the day of the level II ultrasound to take that closer look on the heart regarding the echogenic intracardiac focus. Good news is that, although the bright spot is still there, there are no other indicators of any other issues. Therefore, the high risk perinatal doctor stated that we will not be high risk and that we have nothing to worry about. Overall, we are breathing a bit easier and feel a lot better about everything.

Plus, it was quite reassuring (and fun!) to see the little man moving all over the place. It was also a neat experience to both see and feel him kick and move around. He kicked so hard near the beginning at the ultrasound wand that the technician actually felt him! The technician and the doctor both also stated that yes, it is most definitely a boy that we have in there.

He currently is weighing in at 1 lb, 1 oz and his heart rate was a strong 148 beats per minute. They said that he is right on schedule with our due date and that everything looks good! He likes to have his hand on his nose a lot (which was also true at the 2nd trimester ultrasound 3 weeks ago).

...Alright, so baby was just kicking a lot so Mitch came over to the couch just now and put his hand on my belly and, sure enough, he felt the baby kick! Not bad at 22 weeks. He's definitely a strong boy... and it's so much fun to get to know him a little bit more everyday.

What a perfect way to end such a wonderful day for the Hofer's.

Why, hello there baby.

Gone are the days where I thought I might have felt baby boy Hofer. Ever since this past weekend, I have been feeling him move around as well as his kicks and it is such a wonderful feeling! In fact, on Sunday I was reading on the couch and I may have been using my stomach as a book holder.

Next thing I know, baby boy gave a kick so hard right where my left hand was that the kick actually moved my hand.

Note to self... don't use the baby bump as a book shelf. Got it.

In other news, Mitch and I went to the Twins game last night at the new Target Field. While it wasn't Mitch's first time to the stadium, it was mine... and the baby's first also! I will say that Target Field is absolutely amazing and the weather was just perfect. Unfortunately we didn't win, but we are going back on Friday so we have another chance to see a Twins victory. Besides, baby boy is a Hofer... therefore he's going to be a huge MN Twins fan (I mean, we already have a Twins newborn onesie for him!).

Tennessee, Appointments, and Nesting... Oh My!

What a busy week! It was so busy, that I didn't even post my 20 week belly picture... so here is the 20 week belly picture. In other words, this is what I looked like 1.5 weeks ago? There is definitely no mistaking that I have a belly now... which is wonderful as it means baby boy is growing by leaps and bounds in there.

Back to that busy week. So, the day after we found out about having to go in for a level II ultrasound I got a phone call at work from my mom saying that Da-Da (her dad, my grandpa) was in the hospital and that the doctors were saying family needed to come now and that they were asking about a living will.

So, I called Mitch and we both left work and met up at home to pack. We couldn't get on a flight that night (they were all overbooked), so we hopped in the car and picked up my brother Andrew, his fiance Aimee, and my niece Kirstin and all 5 of us made the 13 hour roadtrip to Tennessee.

Thankfully, Da-Da is stubborn and apparently it just wasn't his time. Although he came in with zero blood pressure and zero oxygen while in congestive heart failure... he somehow came completely full circle and was released from the hospital by Sunday afternoon. He's a bit weak, but that is to be expected! I'm just very thankful that the trip ended the way it did instead of how it could have ended. This picture is from Sunday evening at Da-Da's house after he got released from the hospital.

So, after spending 3 days in the hospital, I treated Mitch to a father-to-be father's day dinner at Boyette's on Reelfoot Lake. When we first got there, we went over to see the eagles, hawk, and owl that they have (previously injured and unable to return to wildlife for their protection). We then took a walk on a trail that took us just over the edge of Reelfoot Lake (including some sights of turtles, snakes, and a beaver dam). Afterwards, we went to Boyette's and ate more than our share's worth of catfish, onion rings, fries, white beans, coleslaw, and hushpuppies. Yum! Of course, I did get in trouble afterwards by Da-Da for not having invited him (even though he had just been released from the hospital). I guess that just means that next time... he's getting invited!

On Monday morning, Mitch and I had to leave to get back to Minnesota so we could be back at work by Tuesday. The ride home was just fine until we hit Iowa... and the storms! We went through some really bad weather, and found out that 20 minutes after we had left a town, a tornado had touched down! Thankfully we were able to get home without any further incidents and we were able to schedule our level II ultrasound for Wednesday, June 30th... so this upcoming Wednesday (3 days away). We're still a bit anxious about this, but I think we both feel better as we've continued to do research and come to grips with the possibilities of what the echogenic intracardial focus might mean. What will be, will be.

Now, off to do more nesting (aka cleaning and organizing the house).

Echogenic Intracardiac Focus

Mitch and I headed to the doctor today for the 20 week appointment and the follow up to the ultrasound that we had just this past Friday. Baby boy's heartbeat sounded good and strong at 153 beats per minute. He also talked to us about the ultrasound results. He said that everything looks fine, except there is a bright spot on a ventricle of our baby boy's heart. This is called an echogenic intracardiac focus and the doctor is going to send us to a perinatal specialist for a level II ultrasound to take a closer look. Echogenic intracardiac focus is a marker for potential birth defects and chromosomal abnormalities such as trisomy 18 or trisomy 21 (down's syndrome).

While this isn't a normal abnormality to find on a 2nd trimester ultrasound, it has very good odds of not meaning anything and having no effect on our baby. The doctor said that around 95% of the time, it doesn't mean anything and the baby is born healthy. It is just something that the ultrasound technician saw and made note of and they just want to take a closer look at.

So, the hospital that they are sending me to will be calling within the next 2-3 days to set up an appointment for the level II ultrasound. And while I know the odds are most definitely in our favor for having a healthy baby... I can't help but feel all out of sorts. I'm very anxious for the level II ultrasound and to know more information. I know that it is all out of my hands and that there is nothing that I can do, but I feel like I should be able to do something. As much as people tell me not to worry and that there is most likely nothing wrong with our son... how can I not worry? There is still a possibility and that is what hurts right now.

One Year Anniversary.

Today marks our one year wedding anniversary. So we started the day with wedding cake and sparkling cider for breakfast (because we figured cake makes for an excellent wedding anniversary breakfast). It's hard to believe that it was only a year ago that we were married. On one hand, it feels as though we have been married forever while on the other hand it feels as though our wedding day was just yesterday.


A lot has changed in the past year, but all for the better. It is weird to think that this is our first anniversary as a married couple, but our last anniversary where our family will be just the two of us. Next year we will have a 7 month old son to add to our family. It's also strange to say that I am even more in love with my husband today than I was a year ago... considering that a year ago I didn't think that was even possible!

I definitely consider myself one lucky woman.

Baby Boy Hofer!

Okay. So Mitch and I should just hang up our hats and never go into the psychic reading business. Because we failed at guessing the gender of our precious baby BOY!

We are beyond excited... we really would have loved a baby boy or girl and now that we know our baby is a little boy, we are beyond ecstatic. So now we can go ahead and start planning and putting together our son's nursery, start the registry process, and stop referring to him as an "it" or "the little one", etc.

The ultrasound showed a very active, healthy baby boy. We were able to see the brain, heart, diaphragm, kidneys, stomach, bladder, spine, face, etc. The ultrasound technician said that he looked very healthy... and that we are going to have our hands full as he is loves to move around. I haven't felt any movement since that one time (over a week ago) and the technician said that was probably a good thing as our baby boy was kicking away at my bladder. (Hopefully he grows tired of that particular phase before I can really feel him...) He weighed in at approximately 11 ounces (so a big boy at that!) and his heartbeat was at 145 beats per minute.

We were given 8 photos in total and I absolutely love every single one of them. It's amazing to see him and all of the details were just beyond imagination. At one point it even looked as if he was waving to Mitch and I! It was just very reassuring to see him and hear that everything looks good and that he is growing in leaps and bounds and moving along right on schedule. All of the grandparents are thrilled to hear that everything looks good and while I know that they can't wait to meet our little boy... I'm sure it is nowhere near what Mitch and I are feeling right now.

I am one proud mama... and I know Mitch is one proud papa.

Prediction Time.

18 weeks, 1 day. Overall weight gain? About 10 lbs... give or take (usually more give than take...). Aches and pains all over the place. Severe lack of clothes crisis going on.

And 3 marvelous kicks.

That's right. I finally felt Baby H for the very first time around 3:50am Wednesday morning (so June 2, 2010). And of course, I haven't felt any movement since, but my goodness. When they say that you will know what baby movement feels like when you feel it, they aren't kidding around! It brought a HUGE smile to my face and then I nerdishly (yes, nerdishly) laid in bed for the next 5 or so minutes going, "Do it again. Come on baby. Do it again for mom." I'm optimistic though and predict I will feel our little one move again really soon.

Speaking of predictions... the BIG anatomy ultrasound is in exactly 1 week. So, what do we think we are going to be having?

From about 7 weeks to 11 weeks along I was really feeling boy. Then from weeks 11 to 14 I really wasn't feeling boy or girl. From about week 14/15 until now though? I've really been feeling girl. Mitch also has been feeling girl, but he claims that is because the only baby he has ever really been around is our niece Kirstin.

So sex prediction of Baby H? We are both saying girl.

One more week!