Here's looking at you, kid!

 

16 weeks! (that's the head in the middle, below and to the right of the word "PROFILE")

The baby is saying Hi!

By Dion

Beautiful, isn't it? Looking back on what we had to go through to get this mediocre picture, I think I'll store this experience for my child if they ever they say we do nothing for them.

We were scheduled for our first sonogram at Bellevue Hospital on January 13, for 10AM. Before this, the only indications we've had of Janet's pregnancy was a blue line on a special stick, a doctor's note, Janet's naps (which may not be a great indicator, I know she likes to take those), an acute case of "morning" (read: avocado) sickness, and a heartbeat check via fetal heart monitor at 12 weeks. Forgive me for saying this, but oh me of little faith needed to see something to assure me that everything the books were telling us was happening correctly.

I must say that I am blessed to have Janet as a wife. All those worries of morning, afternoon, evening, night, eating, walking, sitting, home, work, and whatever-else-may-come sickness were unfounded in Janet. For some reason, her family is immune to it. The only case we had to encounter was when we did California rolls with avocado; Janet almost threw up her belly button. So the worst we have to worry about is Janet missing her nap, she gets really tired and upset.

OK, back to the hospital. This was our first time to the hospital, so we arrived early, around 9:30AM. We jumped through the hoops (registration, financial, etc.) and got to the sonogram reception desk minutes to 10. We sat down and got to waiting...

and waiting...

and waiting...

1:00PM. In the past three and a half hours, eight people are called, none of them us. A few came back out and were waiting for their next appointment arrangements. I walk over to the receptionist and ask how much longer. She says we're next...riiiiiiiiiiiight! After another hour, when Janet and I were just about at our wits end, we hear "JANET SMALL". It was like winning a raffle.

We get into the room and the sonographer wastes no time setting up. Before we know it, there it is - a baby on the screen, and what a baby! He (general term, gender isn't known yet) put the sonographer to work, twisting, turning, flipping around, grabbing at his feet, sucking his thumb, I didn't think he had that much room in there. He even took a few gulps of amniotic fluid and turned waved at us while we were watching! Awesome, God, truly awesome.

After about half an hour, we come back outside and wait for our next appointment slip. Mind you, by this time, Janet and I are running on breakfast, one yogurt and polly-o string cheese. So we head downstairs to the bakery to get something light and head back up and wait. Janet then realizes that all the other people who went in and came back out came with pictures, but we didn't. So I go over to the receptionist and ask about pictures and she tells me that while we were downstairs Janet was called again, and that she'll go and talk to them. So we wait and are called again, and we go in.

This lady was different from the first. Our first sonographer was courteous, made a lot of conversation, and was very helpful. This lady was none of the former. For reasons unexplained to us, Janet had to take another sonogram. This time I made sure to ask for pictures. Now here is my gripe: during both sonograms, we saw detail. The spine, the bones, the pumping heart, fingers, toes, and blood vessels. Heck, we saw enough to clearly see that baby was drinking! Details. We ask for pictures and what does the sonographer give us? Two of the above, the one above being the clearer. And when people look at it they ask "where's the head?" I think they should give lessons on good pictures to send home with the parents.

All in all, our experience at Bellevue was a nightmare, especially with that last sonographer, and we basically vowed never to go back there. We are looking for another center, one better and closer to home. We are going to check out Brooklyn Birthing Center in hopes of finding a better atmosphere to work out the rest of this pregnancy and to bring our child into this world. However, all that trouble and waiting was worth the few minutes of meeting our new child and seeing this miracle that God is knitting inside of Janet. Praise the Lord!