BABY!!!!!
This morning we had our sonogram appointment. While it is our fourth pregnancy, I try as hard as I can to not take anything for granted. I don’t think I realized how much I was “holding my breath” so to speak before the appointment. Words can’t adequately express the feelings of thanksgiving that overwhelmed me when the tech and then the doctor told us that everything looked healthy and normal.
As if that wasn’t blessing enough, we were blessed with an amazing, go the extra mile, super kind tech. We brought the whole circus with us. She let us point out things to the children. She then printed a picture of the baby waving for each kid and even typed their names on each picture so that they each got a picture of the baby saying hi to them. This totally melted my mommy’s heart.
And the baby completely cooperated put on a show for us. The baby waved, put his her hand on his/her face…grabbed his/her feet… and even yawned. It was truly amazing to watch. I don’t recall any of the other children being so animated during our sonograms.
It was a precious moment of bonding for our now family of 6 as we stared at the screen this morning. I am so overwhelmingly thankful…for the life that lives inside me, for the lives asleep in the room beside mine who are eagerly awaiting the arrival of their baby brother or sister, for their Daddy whose smile lit up the room when he saw his baby for the first time, for the technology that provided this wonderful bonding experience and the tech whose patience and care made the visit all the more special.
Psalm 139:13-15
For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
That’s right folks… a little tiny baby bump is making his or her appearance into the world. I alluded to the fact earlier when I mentioned I was now in maternity clothes. And I figured, why not share this bump with the rest of you? Because for some unexplainable reason we seem to enjoy looking at others increasing waistbands and what other time in my life would I willingly post a picture of my belly for the world to see?
That answer, would be, ummm, never.
So, enjoy…here I am at week 15.
And here’s the baby bump when looking at it from my perspective…complete with dog hairs on my black sweater.
Yesterday, I took my oldest daughter on a mommy date. It was delightful and I am sure I will post on that special time really soon. But, the day began with a trip to the “baby doctor” in which she got to sit up on the table with mommy and hold the microphone over my belly to hear the heart beat of our little baby. It was a precious moment and totally put the doctor who had previously been on my bad side, now totally on my good side. I also got the referral for our sonogram and called yesterday afternoon. In early January we’ll all be crowding in the sonogram room to see the face of our sweet little baby! I can hardly wait!
During this stage of the game, sometimes it’s easy to forget there’s a person growing inside me. Yes, my jeans are fitting more snugly these days and I tend to nod off on the couch each night around 10, but other than that I don’t feel all the different. And so I go through each day making meals, cleaning up messes, and trying to accomplish lessons, errands, and other excursions and quite often forget that all the while there’s a life growing inside of me.
This morning I was given a chance to take pause and reflect on that little heart beat. It was my 12 week OB check up and I got to hear the swish swish of my little one’s heart beat. As soon as she put the monitor over my belly I inhaled a bit and then, there was that precious sound I’ve heard before and yet haven’t.
True, I’ve heard the sound of my baby’s heart beat before. This is my fourth pregnancy so I recognized that rhythmic swish swish instantly.
And yet, I’ve never heard the sound of THIS BABY’S heart beat before.
Wowsers…there’s a baby in my belly!!. A real living, heart’s a beating baby taking up space in my uterus. I am a mother of four! Sometimes I still can’t wrap my mind around it.
It’s a miracle I don’t want to take for granted.
