...while visions of tadpoles danced in my head

Week 9, Day 2

 

Our 8-week appointment was last Tuesday at 3:30.  At 2:00, I was picking up board games from a friend to play with Keith’s parents, who would be arriving for a week the following afternoon.  At 3:00, I picked Keith up from work (after running into a nearby bagel shop for a quick egg and cheese sandwich to quiet my gargling tummy), and as Keith finished up a conference call, we drove to Arlington Womens’ Center. 

For close to an hour, we waited in a lobby full of pregnant women of all sizes.  For an hour, I looked around and marveled at... well... how uncomfortable they all looked!   I watched how gingerly these women sat, their gigantic bellies pressing up into their rib cages, displacing their lower backs.  They certainly couldn't cross your legs or sit up straight, but rather, just sort of reclined - no, surrendered - into the back in their chairs.  That was my first impression in this waiting room – a lot of patient, excited, and uncomfortable women!

Bless Keith's heart for being the only husband in that waiting room.  When my name was called, Keith came back into the first room with me, where the first thing they would do was check for a viable pregnancy.  I’ll be honest and say that I didn’t know the ultrasound would be done vaginally.  Still being pretty new to the world of OB/GYN, I was a little surprised when that ultrasound gel was spread, well, NOT on my belly.

And then, in literally seconds, the most amazing image appeared on the big screen in front of us... 

Thinking back now, I don’t know why I fully expected to see an amoeba or a tadpole-like creature in this first ultrasound.  I imaged a pulsing orb coming from a little glob of cells.  Honestly.  But what we saw, immediately and without question, was a tiny human baby, complete with a human head and a human body, curled in sort of a fetal-like position (the same position I've been in for much of the last two weeks, fyi)  The head had dark places and light places, suggesting contours and future facial features.  The body had limb-like protrusions that seemed to twitch as the scope moved around.  The nurse said these kind of movements are mostly involuntary, but I’m convinced that the nugget was dancing for its daddy and me. 

We were so happy to share our good news (and the picture from the ultrasound) with Keith’s parents when they arrived the next evening.  We’ve spent a fun week in D.C together, celebrating Keith’s induction into the American Institute of Medical/Biomedical Engineers, and celebrating the new addition to our little family.