I hate the doctors. I hate hospitals. I hate any place that involves sick people.
There’s a woman sitting next to me that obviously should be in confinement with that hacking cough she has. I’m here for a prenatal check up which means I’m pregnant along with the other six women in this office waiting room and here she is hacking up a frigging lung on all of us.
Ignorant much?
“Lauren Decker.” The nurse calls.
Thank the good lord. I was about ready to deck the woman sitting next to me if she didn’t at least go get a drink of water or something.
“How are we feeling this morning?” She asks, walking me back down the hallway.
“I’m doing alright.“ I answer.
She stops at the scale. “Step on, sweetie.”
I step on and she writes down my weight on her chart, “Follow me.”
She escorts me into a bathroom telling me to do my business in the tiniest cup I’ve ever seen. I do the best I can, leaving the cup on the sink like she asked. I follow her to the room and she tells me the doctor will be right in.
Patience hasn’t always been my strong suit. Today definitely not being an exception on that. My legs bouncing on the floor, I’m biting my lower lip, twiddling my thumbs, I can’t stop moving I’m so nervous.
A knock sounds on the door as my doctor walks into the room, “Good morning Lauren. How are we doing?” She asks, taking a seat on the rolling chair in front of me.
“I’m doing alright. I have a feeling I’m further along than I originally thought though.”
“Oh? Why’s that?” She asks, looking over my chart over the top of her glasses.
“I have a bump already.” I say with a sigh.
She smiles, “Ok. Why don’t you lie back and we’ll take a look on the monitors.”
I lay back, pulling my shirt up under my breasts. She tucks a towel in my shorts before squeezing the jelly on my belly.
I shiver, “That’s cold.”
She laughs, “Everyone says that. I’m thinking about investing in a warmer for it.”
I laugh, “Not a bad idea.”
She runs a handle over my belly, pressing button after button on the screen in front of her.
“What’s that sound?” I ask, raising an eyebrow at her.
“That’s your baby’s heartbeat.” She says with a smile.
“Oh wow.” I whisper.
“I’m going to take some measurements so just sit still for a second ok?” She says and I just nod, staring blankly at the screen.
“This here is the head.” She says, pulling a white circle around a darker circle on the screen.
“And this is the back view, you see that white line down the back?”
I nod, “That’s the baby’s spine.”
“Wow… Is that a foot?” I ask looking up at the screen.
“That is a foot. And there’s the other one.” She says moving the handle over my belly.
I stare at the screen in amazement as she shows me all the parts she could find on the screen. I can’t believe this. It’s all starting to really feel real. I mean I knew I was pregnant, but seeing it for the first time just makes it seem… Real.
“Here are some pictures for you to take home with you to show Dad.” She says handing me a strip of pictures.
“Oh wow, is that the face?” I ask looking at one of the photos.
She smiles, “Yes, that’s the nose, mouth, and eyes.” She says, pointing to each individually.
That’s when the waterworks started. Tears just flew down my face.
“How far along am I?” I ask, through the tears.
“From the measurements I would say about twenty-one weeks.”
“Twenty-one!” I yell in shock.
She laughs, “That’s what it looks like to me.”
I sit there thinking back five months ago and sigh. She’s right. That was when I had my last period.
Oh shit. This baby is coming a lot faster than I had first thought.
“Thank you Dr. Goldstein.”
“No problem, Lauren. Take this and make an appointment for next week. I want to see you again and you can get another ultrasound downstairs. They should be able to tell you what you having then too.”
“You couldn’t see that today?” I ask, nervously.
She laughs again, “Actually I did.”
“Really?” I ask, wide eyed.
“Do you want to know?” She ask, flipping through the pictures on the screen.
“Yeah,” I whisper.
************************************************************************
“Hey baby. How’d your appointment go?” Just asks, kissing me on the cheek.
“It went pretty good.” I say, lowering the sunglasses over my eyes.
“Pretty good? What’s that mean? Is something wrong?” He asks, taking a seat on the end of my lawn chair.
“No, nothing wrong. I just… I’m five months pregnant.”
“Five? Really?”
I nod, “I don’t know how I missed that for the last five months.”
“You have been kind of busy lately.” He says with a shrug.
“But how do you not know your pregnant for five months?”
He shrugs again, “I don’t know baby, but every things fine right?”
I nod again, “I got pictures of her today.”
“You did? Can I see them?” he asks with a giant grin on his face.
I lean over, grabbing my purse from under the chair. I pull them out, handing them to him. He stares down at them in awe. He runs his fingers over different parts of the pictures, but freezes when he gets o one of them.
“Is that a face?” He asks, looking up at me.
I nod, “That’s her eyes, her nose and her mouth.” I say, pointing towards the picture.
“Wow.” He says in astonishment.
“Hey guys!” Mackenzie says, skipping towards us. “What’s that?”
“That’s a picture of your little brother or sister.” Justin says, showing them to her.
“Awww… Their so cute!” She squeals.
“There’s only one.” I say quickly.
Justin laughs, “What do you think Kenz?”
“I’m so excited! I can’t wait. Can I go show Trace?”
“Sure.” Justin says, shaking his head as she runs off with the pictures.
“So everything went fine then?”
I nod, “Everything is good with both of us.”
“Good… Whoa wait a minute.” he says, his eyes bugging out of his head.
“What?” I ask laughing at him.
“You… You… You said her eyes and her mouth… Her?” He asks wide eyed.
I nod, “We’re having a girl.”
He leans over, pulling me towards him for a kiss, “I can’t believe this. A girl?” he says, kissing me again.
I laugh, “A girl. You ok with that?”
“Couldn’t be happier.” He says, grinning from ear to ear. “I love you, Lauren.”
“I love you too.”
“And I love you, little one.” He says running his hand over my belly.
