About a month ago it was time for the routine ultrasound to see how our wee one was doing. As much as I love seeing my baby, I would actually prefer to avoid ultrasounds but I was anxious to know where and how the placenta was. And it is nice to see that the baby is growing well. After many minutes longer than normal, quiet comments and questions, attempts to get the baby to move from the head down, settled low position (my babies tend to tuck in and stop moving during ultrasounds), we were sent home with the reassurance that there wasn’t necessarily anything wrong but some things needed to be rechecked again.
And a few weeks later, babes and I were back in that darkened, quiet room, this time with a sweet faced and gentle voiced technician. She appeared to really love showing me our baby, the little hands and feet, the rounded head. And then the doctor joined us. First standing quietly watching and then she moved in to take over. “There isn’t anything wrong, just a few things we need to check”.  First the heart, and then that sweet little face; more specifically the mouth. Back to the heart. And the face again. Having me move to my side, having me get the baby to move. Questions about previous pregnancies. Checking the placenta. And the heart again. The placenta. The face. Just tell me something. And finally, the baby turns and they are able to see his/her heart from an angle that reassures them all is well. And those little lips are busily sucking and they are definitely following the pattern that had this mama teased as a child about “duck lips”, so any concerns are set to rest. And they check the placenta one last time and unlike with Cecily, it has moved so that it is no longer obstructing the cervix. And relief fills my heart. My baby is well (as far as we can tell) and I will be able to deliver naturally and drug free.

And in the days that have passed since, we have given thanks. And this little one jabs and kicks and rolls. And Aneliese chooses names like Elmo, Suzy and Dora while we try to explain that we don’t get to choose a baby brother or sister, that we already have a baby brother or sister in my tummy. And we wait, wondering just who this little one is. This little one who is already so much a part of our little family.