The first ultrasound

Today was, simply put, amazing.

Dave and I visited my OB-GYN's office for our first ultrasound. We were both a little nervous, given the fact that my family has a history of twins (my father is half an identical set), and twins run in Dave's family, too.

I assumed the traditional ultrasound position, and Dave sat by my side. From my vantage point, I couldn't see the ultrasound monitor. Dave could, and it was he who had the first glimpse of our baby.

His face was priceless. I regret not having a camera. As I fought the urge to laugh, I watched his face go through every imaginable emotion one has when faced with one's first picture of one's offspring. Surprise, joy, curiousity, shock, amazement, wonder. His eyebrows rose and fell more than a rough sea at high tide. He also got a little teary-eyed; I know because, when he cries, he gets little dimples at the corners of his mouth.

After the technician took the pictures she needed - they had an ultrasound at such an early stage to check for recurring fibroids, as I've had problems with them in the past. (Thankfully, that looked fine. No fibroids to be seen.) - she turned the monitor for me to see.

There - clear as daylight - was our baby.

I mean, it doesn't completely look like a baby. More like a tadpole. Or an alien. Or a ghost. But it has clear, definite, and obvious human form. The arms were starting to form, the head was there, but that wasn't the best part...

In the center, alternating between white and black, was the heart. Beating 167 beats per minute. We were able to hear it for the first time today, and in that instant, this pregnancy. Became. Very. Real.

Not that it wasn't before. But there's something about seeing your child - hearing the wha-thump, wha-thump of his or her heart - that solidifies the notion that your life has forever changed. Like ice does to Jello. Or Superglue does to fingers. The heartbeat makes everything stick.

The technician measured the baby and I am 8 weeks, 1 day pregnant. The baby is 7.6 cm or 2.99 inches long. This means my due date isn't, as we previously thought, mid-February. They now have me due March 1.

After the visit, my mother-in-law and I went to the mall to shop for maternity clothes. Finding maternity clothes - when you're a big girl like me - is like trying to find the complete Rockwell recordings. You're in for a long search.

But Motherhood Maternity at Southridge Mall actually had decent clothes. So I tried some on. I mostly needed pants, as I already managed to pop the button on one pair of work pants and another pair's getting ready to lauch its buttons into orbit.

Before I bid adieu, however, here is the picture of my baby for you to look at in wonderment.