World, meet Ninja Baby
In the weeks since my wife and I found out we were going to have a baby, I’ve been going through a state of mind that I will call “floaty.” Symptoms of this condition may vary from case to case. For me, they included confusion from pregnancy books, shock at how much my wife has been eating(with ease), and an inability to completely focus on any one task, both at work and home. Behind all that lies a level of surreality. You know what it means, but it hasn’t quite clicked despite the pregnancy tests and all the women in your life crying over the news.
And so we found ourselves at our first doctor’s appointment. It didn’t start out quite to plan. The little boy in front of me was given a strip of Spiderman stickers by the nice receptionist; I didn’t get offered any. But as we sat down and waited for my wife’s name to be called, I took a moment to appreciate the peacefulness of the office. Ob offices aren’t like urgent care or regular doctors’ offices. Men are outnumbered almost 10 to 1, and the atmosphere is quiet and calming. The nurse that called my wife’s name greeted us with a friendly smile and ushered us to a nice check-up area. After getting some routine information and doing a few check-up procedures, we were taken to a room to await the doctor. My wife changed into the hospital gown (why does everyone always want to put it on like a robe?) and the doctor entered shortly.
The doctor introduced herself, congratulated us, and then went into a brief explanation of what we could expect in the months to come. At this point, I’m still pretty “floaty,” but a little more excited. I left the room briefly while the doctor conducted some of the girly tests; discretion is the better part of………well sometimes it’s just better. When I was summoned back into the room, the ultrasound was already in place and it took me a second to realize what I was looking at on the screen. Right there was Ninja Baby! Mind you, it was just 2cm, but there it was. As the doctor adjusted the ultrasound, we could even see its heart beating, kind of like ET’s, except without the glowing finger and Reese’s Pieces. And then, as if to say “What’s up,” Ninja Baby kicked its little nubby leg four times! Even at this age, my baby understands the importance of a good leg kick. With another flick of a button, we then heard the baby’s heart. A solid 120 beats per minute. Slow for a metal song but perfect for a developing baby!
As the doctor wrapped up the appointment, she printed out a strip of pictures from the ultrasound. Definitely better than some Spiderman stickers! I’m not sure I’ve smiled that much for some time. Then again, I’m not sure the people in the elevator really wanted to see the pictures, but that’s ok. “Floaty” is gone. Seeing that ultrasound hit me like a ton of bricks; little, fluffy, baby-safe bricks. We have quite a road ahead of us, and this little guy or gal is real. Ninja Baby is here to stay.