It'll be another two weeks before I expect to have the results of the amnio, but what the ultrasound showed was encouraging. There was a nice four-chambered heart, attached to an aorta. There were kidneys and a bladder. There was a stomach. There was a nasal bone. The spine, arm bones, leg bones, etc. all looked good. In other words there weren't any obvious worrying defects. It's not definitive, but it's a good sign. There was also a brief glimpse of what looked like boy parts, but again we should have definitive word on that when the amnio results are available.

The procedure itself was less uncomfortable than last time. Part of that was that the person wielding the needle this time looked like she had a good three decades on the woman who did it last time. It was also good that I several solid hours of relaxation afterwards. I had a few practice contractions one the way home, but I drank my water and spent some quality time in bed, and all was well. Logistics were not as smooth for those around me, alas. I tried to be quiet, but Margaret woke up just as I was getting ready to leave and proceeded to freak out in spite of my best attempts to calm her down. I had to give up and just go to make it to the appointment on time, and just as I was leaving I heard that she woke Duncan up as well, so there was Warren stuck with two screaming kids at 6:30 AM. (Warren is really not a morning person.) Duncan apparently gave up on Daddy altogether and with Mommy AWOL he went downstairs on his own to find Hongmei around 6:45. Margaret gave her gracious afternoon chauffeur the cold shoulder. (Thanks Meg!) In short, the amnio was a much better experience for me than last time, but at the cost of collateral damage to the people around me.

Of course the real test of how well it went is what the results are. Obviously I'm anxiously awaiting those. In the mean time, I have my first ever 3-D ultrasound pic to console myself with.