The last part is the best

First OB appointment was this morning.  Ended up being very long with some not so pleasant parts, but at the end they snuck us in for a sonogram which made everything else worth it.  Here’s a mostly chronological list of what happened today:

• arrive and fill out forms
• pee in a cup that I label and then put in a little compartment in the ladies room which I’m assuming opens up to the lab on the other side
• wait
• get called back to talk with the OB in her office.  She could not be nicer or more inclusive of Strawberry.  We are given a huge packet of info, she answers all our questions,  tells us about all the screening that is available to us and how and when to have it done, gives me some further tips about controlling the nausea, and gives me an updated script for a rescue inhaler just in case I need one as the pregnancy progresses.  i mention my concern that the yeast infection may still be hanging around. She agrees to go along with the 4/22/09 due date.  She also promises to sneak us in for a sonogram since the RE didn’t forward those particular records.
• she escorts us to an exam room where I am told they will need to weigh me, draw blood, perform a breast and pelvic exam, and do a pap smear.  I do my best to talk her out of the blood draw and the pap, but am informed that the blood stuff is state-mandated and my pap expires in November so I may as well do it now.  Sigh.
• the nurse comes in and weighs me.  5 lbs weight gain so far, less than I had feared and right on track.  Then the blood draw, which she does with a butterfly at our insistence.  However, she has me sitting on the exam table with nowhere to rest my arm and I admit it’s a bit much for me.  Next time I’ll insist on a chair with a table.  It seemed to take an awfully long time, too.  Strawberry informed me afterwards that this is because they took 3 whole vials.  Ugh.
• the nurse leaves and I change into the sheet and we wait for the OB to return.  We wait about 30min.
• the OB returns and makes chit chat while doing my breast exam.  Then it’s time for the pelvic and the pap.  I experience a lot of pain and pinching from the speculum.  She confirms that I do still have some yeast.  As the speculum is removed, I see that her fingers are rather bloody.  She assures us quickly that due to the increased bloodflow of pregnancy this is common and not a cause for concern.  The nurse retrieves a maxi-pad from a drawer and hands it to us.  The OB tells me to resume the yeast treatment and to head to the waiting room to wait for the sono.  They depart.  Here’s were we get into some TMI, you can skip to the next bullet point if you like.   There seems to be more than a little blood.  Strawberry was alarmed at how much! We’re talking several tissues to wipe, dripping on the table paper and even a few drops onto the floor.  I put on the pad and get dressed and we head to the waiting room.
• we wait.  it has now been several hours since I last ate and I’m a bit shaky and very hungry.  And I know that we are coming to the biggest moment of the day.  The worry creeps back in. 15 minutes later, we are called in.
• the very nice sonogram tech asks for clarification on how to pronounce our last name.  And then she coyly asks which of us is the patient.  Bless her!  I am asked to undress completely from the waist down since this will be a transvaginal ultrasound (the last one, she assures me).  I comply and hop up on the table as she dims the lights.  We can tell at a glance that this machine is much more high tech than the one at the RE.  And we are not disappointed.  It gives us a very crisp digital image of our Cupcake in profile,  with clearly visible arms and legs.  Measuring in at 30mm crown-rump length.  We even see movement, which is astoundingly cool.  And THEN, she turns on the audio.  We are rewarded with the beautiful loud whoosh-whoosh of our baby’s strong 170 bpm heartbeat.  Both of us get teary-eyed with joy and awe.  We thank the tech profusely as she hands us each a printed picture.  And then we depart.
• We get bagels and go to work.  Total appointment time was 2 hours.

So, all in all a very long trying, informative, and ultimately joyful morning.  We have lots of things to discuss, and some decisions to make.  But for now, we are riding on the joy.  We will begin to tell other family members tonight.  Thanks for all of your support and comments and for following along with us on the amazing journey.

Oh, you mean you wanted to see the picture?  Oh alright, here you go!

head and arm to the left, body and leg/foot to the right