Ultrasounds.

Great news - my husband and I are expecting a boy! My husband was pretty adorable, filming the ultrasound while we were informed of the good news.

But, as is to be expected of this somewhat rocky pregnancy, there was a concerning finding on the ultrasound which led to an appointment with a high-risk OB for further assessment. While we waited a week for this appointment, we wondered what we would be told. Would an amniocentesis be in my future, with its 1:200 risk of miscarriage?

Fortunately, the appointment went very well. We had a nice long ultrasound where we watched our baby kick and elbow me, and the visit with the perinatologist was very reassuring. The finding that had been suspected on the first ultrasound was negated, and the risk of the genetic disorder that is "incompatible with life" decreased from a possible 1% risk to a 1:10,000 risk.

Whew!!

That said, others in the waiting room were not so lucky. It is sobering to recognize that we may have needed to make some of the same decisions those couples were struggling with.

So now...my husband and I have happier decisions ahead. Will we be able to agree on a boy name? What decision should we make about circumcision? How should we decorate the nursery? Much happier dilemmas.