Today Allison had her first official appointment with her gynecologist. I didn't go with her, though I wanted to, because the nurse assured us over the phone that it would be a fairly routine visit, just a simple blood test and a quick rundown of the pregnancy rules. She said we wouldn't even meet with the doctor until 2 weeks from now.
Well, I don't know where she came up with that version of the procedure, but as it turns out, it was a pretty big day for us. Luckily, Allison's mom went with Allison to her appointment. After the initial conversation, they determined that Allison is a bit further along than we thought, 8 weeks to be exact, so they encouraged her to do a sonogram today.
I was at work when Allison texted me to tell me how the plan had changed. I admit that at first, I was initially disappointed to have not been there for this moment. After all, the nurse has told us that basically today would just confirm that we were actually pregnant! I had no idea we'd be doing these tests today. Allison sent me the photo right away though and I got to see exactly what she did.
Behold, the first real moment of my child's little life:
Seeing this image brought tears to my eyes. Sure, it doesn't look like anything really. You can only kind of make out the shape of a little person on the left side of the black area. As it turns out, it doesn't sound like much either, according to Allison. It's still too early to hear the heartbeat, but there are visual cues to indicate that the baby is developing in perfect health. But either way, that's it-- that's my baby! I helped to make it. I know that every parent thinks their child is a miracle, but in this case, it truly is. Looking at that nearly shapeless gray blob, no larger than a raspberry (so I'm told), I'm filled with a feeling of pride and hope. In those few pixels lies the entire future and potential of a little person who will look to me to for guidance in a crazy, complicated world. And I can't wait.
This preliminary sonogram is going to be a precursor to the big one, which is scheduled for July 17. That's the one where we'll hear the heartbeat for the first time, and really begin to identify features and movement. But the big news is that the baby is really there, and it's healthy. It's confirmed that Allison is 8 weeks pregnant and that her estimated due date is February 7th.
So, now we wait. As of 4 minutes ago, it's my birthday. And I can't think of a single birthday gift that I might get that will mean more to me than the one Allison gave me today.
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