We had a doctor's appointment today, one that was supposed to be relatively quick and easy and in-and-out like, but the baby was either holding his/her breath during the Doppler portion of the appointment or acting JUST LIKE HIS/HER FATHER with the 1% adorableness and the 99% NERVE-GRATING STUBBORNNESS.
Since we couldn't hear the heartbeat on the Doppler—and, yes, I was told it was still a bit early and the placenta could be throwing a curve ball and that whatever you do, Jennifer, DO NOT FREAK OUT, I proceeded to FREAK THE HELL OUT—my doctor opted for a quickie sonogram. Mike wasn't in the room for the decision because it all happened rather quickly, so I asked for them to fetch him for me.* We walked to the sonogram room, with nervous eyes glancing at Mike and with a zillion thoughts rushing through my already-in-need-of-a-nap head. Within two seconds of putting the sonogram ... um ... device (?) on my stomach, the baby was there, heart fluttering away. I think he/she even waved and perhaps said something about sending more Snickers down when I got a chance. WHATEVER YOU WANT, BABY.
The heartbeat was strong, the baby looked much more like a(n) (albeit alien) baby than a grain of rice this time around and I couldn't hold the tears back even if I had wanted to. It was ridiculously cool. (Lord, when my child reads this for the first time, he/she is totally going to roll his/her eyes and ask, "Cool? THAT'S the adjective you're using to describe hearing my heartbeat for the first time?") MAMA IS TIRED YOU STUBBORN, CUTE THING, YOU.
As we were leaving, Mike said, "I think our kid knew we'd want another picture, so he/she acted all stubborn so we could get a sonogram." Well, kiddo, if that's so, this one's for you:
Blurry, yes. BUT SO DAMN BEAUTIFUL. Also doesn't he/she look adorably snuggly in there?
(Note: I was also told today that I have a great uterus. That's one compliment I have never prepared a response to, so I just smiled like I hear that sort of thing all the time. I was told that by my doctor, of course. Not like by the gas station attendant or a waitress or something.)
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*Mike told me, at our lunch after the appointment, that when they came into the waiting room, calling for a Mike, he began scanning the room thinking, I've never met a woman named Mike before. I MUST SEE WHAT SHE LOOKS LIKE. They kept repeating the name and finally he sort of awkwardly pointed to himself and said, "Um, I'm a Mike."