Our Little Tax Write-Off

I know it does not look like much right now and that it kind of looks like a strange gummy bear, but this is our baby. First we saw the outline and then we saw a fast little flutter, which the technician identified as the heart. Then she let us hear the heartbeat. It was amazing. I must admit, I started to tear up a bit. Of course, it is entirely possible that something may have been in my eyes, right?

I wanted to ask Valerie, “How are you doing this?! You are like magic! You can create people!” It was the first visual proof we had that our baby was in there. When I first saw the little gummy bear, it all kind of hit me how real this really was. It was joyous, inspiring, overwhelming, and even a little scary all wrapped into one incredible moment that will live with me forever.

What a great and emotional one-year anniversary we had today. This picture was a great gift. And the photo was on paper! That’s the traditional one-year gift, right?

At 9weeks, 3days, it is easy to imagine that I am pregnant. Day after day of feeling queasy and pants not fitting quite the same are my biggest clues. However, it seemed just like an imaginary thing. Something I know to be true, but still find hard to believe.

That is, until today. David and I saw our little gummy bear this afternoon, and it was pretty incredible! With one wave of her magic wand, the ultrasound tech showed me a new life. One with a strong, real, heartbeat. That little flutter and quick lub-dub made me realize exactly what was going on here.

There is a person growing inside me!! It is so crazy! Whoever he or she is, this baby is loved so much! Even though seeing the baby didn’t magically cure my nausea, or erase my tiredness, I have a bit more resolve that I can get through it all just for that tiny fluttering heart.

And that is a good thing according to the doctor. We had our first doctor visit and he said that because she has no prior conditions, allergies or anything like that, she is the best kind of patient — the boring kind. And that is great for the baby. The first doctor appointment went well and everything looks good. Thanks to my book (Dad’s Pregnant Too!), I knew what to expect so there was nothing too surprising for me.

Oh, and the doctor said that I shouldn’t gain any more than 25 pounds … oh wait … he may have been talking about Val.