I’ve been anticipating today for a while now, and it definitely measured up to my expectations! I know not everyone likes doctors, but you guys know I like mine, and my regular appointments have been very effective in helping me keep my head above water. Today, I had an ultrasound in the morning and a doctors appointment in the afternoon. My mom lovingly offered to watch our kids so Brady and I could go just the two of us, which happens so rarely. This way, we could focus on the appointments better, and could even enjoy lunch together. It was SO nice.
We started at our ultrasound clinic, obviously, and the receptionist was super on top of it. She had us checked in before I even had my boots off! I had brought a gift for our tech, and I asked if I could just leave it on the desk for her to get later. And she wouldn’t! Lol! She was very sweet about it, but said I should give it to her myself, and that she was sure it would go over well. Turns out she was right, and our tech was so happy to receive it! She exclaimed that we were spoiling her, and gave me a big hug. (I say again, we LOVE our tech!) She gave us an amazing scan, showing us every little detail she could find. We went through it all very slowly, and examined fingers and toes, arms and legs, a belly and a face. Our baby moves SO much, which is just so amazing to see! The heart rate was nice and strong and in the 160s, and the baby actually is measuring a few days big. It has been for the last 2-3 scans, but the due date is already chosen, so we’re just happy to see the consistent growth. A few days one way or the other doesn’t matter too much. We had a really nice time together, but it had to end eventually. She said she’d bring out some pictures for us in a minute or two, as usual, and we headed for the waiting room. Turns out, she opened her present in those minutes! She came out and met both of us with big hugs, and thanked us, and said how perfect her gift was 🙂 She just warms my heart. I’m so thankful for her.
Lunch was next, and would you believe that it was SO hard to figure out where to go?? We rarely go for lunch, just the two of us, and especially not into a restaurant! It took a very long time before we settled on Chianti for lunch 🙂 I don’t remember the last time he and I went there, but it was definitely a date spot years ago. It was so nice and quiet when we got there, so we got a booth and got our food nice and quick. I’ll admit, though, that old habits die hard, and we wolfed our food down, as is often the case now that we have kids. We were in and out of there so quickly, lol! Even picking up coffee on our way to our doctors appointment, we were an hour early!! Yikes!
Luckily, we still like each other a lot, so time passed fairly quickly as we sat and chatted and sipped our incredibly weak coffee 😒 Honestly, its a small problem, but a bummer. We’ve cut back greatly on coffee this winter, in an effort to save money, and to finally get a coffee when I’m REALLY thirsty for one, only to have it be sub par at best, was SO disappointing! But alas, life goes on, and the coffee will be better next time.
When we did finally go into the clinic for our appointment, they were ready for us. We only waited a few minutes before it was our turn. It was my first real prenatal appointment there this time around, so they checked my weight and blood pressure. As expected, my weight was a tad higher than I would’ve liked, but not unreasonable of course, and my blood pressure was right around my normal, just a tad below their standard “normal.” No big complaints there 🙂
We went on to have a really lovely LONG appointment with Dr. Guselle. I had also snuck a present to a nurse, who slipped it into her office, and she had opened it before meeting with us, so it was a nice starting note. We appreciate her SO much, and I really hope she knows it. Our appointment covered all the beginning family history stuff, as well as my long-winded list of questions. I had WAY MORE than I have had previously, but there is just so much more going on in my head and heart these days. She understood, and happily answered everything and went along with my crazy. We discussed everything, from the flu shot to pelvic pain to new nausea meds to the other kids’ health to schedules to the fact that they show a key party in the Jim Carey Grinch movie!!! I truly enjoyed the whole thing. We finished the conversation off with making a plan for our upcoming appointments. The current plan is to see each other and find the baby’s heartbeat every other week, and schedule an ultrasound in the weeks in between. TRYING to stretch it out a little bit, so I’m not quite as high maintenance. My words, not hers, obviously. She is very understanding about the whole thing, which I appreciate.
The last thing we did together was go searching for the baby’s heartbeat with the doppler. I lay down and right away she commented on how surprised she was at how prominent my little uterus bump was! I love being able to feel it, and know that its been growing. It didn’t take long at all for her to find the baby and get its little heart rate on record. But it took even less time for the baby to swim halfway across my abdomen in protest of the doppler poking at its body. I loved that 🙂 I love that the baby seems to have an opinion on the matter, haha! Toady specifically just felt SO real. That is SO exciting, but it also adds a pressure that scares me. As I said the other day on here, I work hard to talk myself around those scary thoughts, because I cannot live in constant fear, but its almost impossible not to go there at all. So I’m trying to focus on the excitement and joyful side of today and think less about how much worse its all going to hurt if it ends too soon again. God be with us.
We closed off our date with a quick stop at Walmart, for milk and a few other groceries, before heading home and relieving my parents of their babysitting duties. Its good to be back with family after a special uplifting day of what felt like celebrating the baby in my womb. I am so grateful for today and all that went on, and for the fact that I am currently carrying a seemingly animated little person, a WHOLE PERSON, who I very much hope joins us here at home this coming summer. But, one day at a time, right? Today is upon us, and tomorrow will worry about itself. TODAY is an amazing day!!