What Do Ya Know...There IS a BABY in there!!!! : )

Well, today was the day...my first, official doctor appointment for Baby!  The appointment was at 2:10 at the clinic in Fergus with Dr. Michael Norgard.  Although I was looking forward to this, I was also a little really nervous--much like everything related to this pregnancy, I just wasn't sure what exactly to expect.  Mike took a couple hours off of work so he could come along as well.  I met him at Ottertail, we had a quick lunch, and then went to the clinic. 

Walking into the clinic for the first time.  I suppose I'll get to know this place pretty well over the next 9 months!

Dr. Michael Norgard

 (No, I didn't take his picture...it actually crossed my mind, but thought that might be a little weird.  I just took the picture off the hospital website!!)

Well, honestly much of the appointment was sort of a blur.  At the beginning of the appointment, the nurse took my blood pressure--normally I have low to normal blood pressure, but my first number was a little high today.  The Dr. sort of joked with me.  He said, "Well, you either ran up a bunch of stairs before getting here OR you are nervous about today!"  Ha ha ha...me?  Nervous?  YUP...he hit that statement dead on!!  I WAS nervous...I'm surprised I didn't break the blood pressure machine with how nervous I was!!

The nurse and doctor asked us what seemed like a million questions.  "No, I don't have diseases."  "No, I don't drink."  "No, I don't do drugs."  "No, I don't smoke."  The questions went on and on and on.  They did a complete physical and took some tests--some very normal (blood tests, etc) and others, well--yea...a little AWKWARD, to say the least!! : /  Pretty sure I had the "deer in the headlights" look throughout most of the appointment.  BUT, I survived!! : )

The end of the appointment was what made all the earlier, awkward scenarios ALMOST vanish from my mind.  Earlier in the appointment, Dr. Norgard wasn't sure if he was going to do an ultrasound today or not.  I didn't say anything, but in my mind, I was disappointed, because I REALLY wanted to see the baby and make this last month more concrete in my head!  Well, finally he told us to grab our things--we would go into another room for an ultrasound!!  Yay!  

After feeling around, Dr. Norgard came to the conclusion that my uterus was tilted back a little...(I don't know how the heck they can know that by just feeling, but I guess that's why I'm a teacher and not a doctor!!!!)  Anyways, because of this and because of how early on I am in the pregnancy, he said he would have to do a vaginal ultrasound....oh, great...that sounded just peachy, but what the heck...I was up for the challenge if it meant seeing my baby!  

WOW!  You know those moments when the Earth really seems to stand still for a moment?!  Well, that is the best way to explain what it was like seeing that ultrasound for the first time.  Almost surreal.  There it was--clear as day--this tiny little thing, according to the doctor about the size of a bean--but this tiny baby inside of me with a distinct head and limbs and even moving a little.  What took my breath away even more was when the doctor turned a switch to turn the volume up so we could hear the baby's heart beat!  8 weeks and 2 days and a strong, beating heart!  I was speechless.  I had tears rolling down my face and like I said before, it was like the rest of the world disappeared for those few, short moments.  It was us and the baby on that screen and nothing else even seemed to matter.  It was a miracle and right then and there everything suddenly became very REAL for me.  

It's been almost a month since we found out about the pregnancy, but all along it has been so difficult for me, because I know I am pregnant, but I don't look pregnant, I don't feel pregnant, and those factors combined with all the emotions of telling people about the pregnancy and the emotions of well, just ME--equal a very confusing state of mind.  Well, after seeing that picture and hearing that heartbeat--like I said--all of a sudden it was VERY real!  Honestly, right then and there I believe I fell in love with my baby! 

So here it is--here is what caused all that hoopla this afternoon:   

Baby Wetterling's 1st Picture with an official due date of March 1, 2014!

Baby Wetterling's 1st Picture:  8 Weeks, 2 Days

Driving home from the clinic, I had the radio on and I heard the song "What It Means to Be Loved" by Mark Schultz...although not all parts of the song are relevant and we don't know if the baby is a "her" yet-- after the emotional past hour--the chorus REALLY struck me and made me tear up all over again:

"I wanna give her the world
I wanna hold her hand
I wanna be her mom for as long as I can
And I wanna live every moment until that day comes
I wanna show her what it means to be loved."

Finally, tonight before we started to eat supper, I asked Mike to include Baby in our prayers.  I had silently said prayers throughout the past month, but after seeing Baby today, I want to make sure and thank God and ask Him to take care of our baby for the next 9 months.  I'm doing EVERYTHING in my power to eat the right things and do the right things to grow a healthy baby, but ultimately--the baby is in my belly, but in God's hands and only through Him will our baby grow into everything he or she is meant to be.