However, before discussing this week's exciting development let's reflect on the past couple days. Mommy and Daddy met some good friends in Big Sur for the Valentine's Weekend. For those not familiar with the area, it's one of the most picturesque places in the entire world. Big Sur is actually a state wildlife park located 30 miles south of Carmel, California along scenic Highway 1. The park hosts a flurry of activities, including camping, lodging, a handful of rustic restaurants, extraordinary hiking and breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean. The region is extremely popular year-around - you can usually count on good weather conditions.
After much anticipation of hiking along the ocean, relaxing by the pool and being pampered, the weekend got off to a rocky start thanks to torrential downpours and occasional bouts of nausea. Similar to us, our friends had grand expectations for the weekend. Although we tried valiantly to keep up with them, feelings of sickness and near vomiting were kicking Mommy's butt. Not to mention, Daddy was still getting accustomed to Mommy's new fragile state of mind and was not helping the situation at all. After two nights without TV and not a single hike all weekend, we heading back to San Francisco on Monday in anticipation of our next ultrasound.
The next morning, we had a doctor's appointment at 10:30 am. It has been officially six weeks and five days and we were moments away from hearing our little one's heartbeat - a major milestone in the first trimester. Conceptually, this sounds like a routine visit. However, there are a lot of possibilities that can go dreadfully wrong at this stage in the pregnancy. In addition, assuming nothing is wrong and we hear the heartbeat, Daddy wasn't sure what to expect and definitely wasn't prepared for the wave of emotions that were about to overtake both of us. During the ride to the hospital, Mommy sat silently in the passenger seat without saying a word. Through experience, Daddy knew this behavior pattern meant that she was nervous and scared.
When we arrived at the hospital, Mommy continued her silence while aimlessly staring at the floor as we sat patiently in the waiting area. After approximately five minutes, the nurse led us into the x-ray room. As the nurse applied the lubricant to the stomach region, we quietly and lovingly held each other's hand knowing that the moment of truth was only seconds away. Instantly, the image of our child appeared on the screen and the nurse enthusiastically informed us that everything looked normal at this stage in the pregnancy. There was an immediate sigh of relief. I looked over to see Mommy silently shedding a few tears of joy. At this point, we held hands a little firmer knowing we had successfully overcome a major obstacle. On the screen, in front of the table, we were able to see our little one and its heart beating uncontrollably. The nurse informed us that the heart beat registered at 130 which was within the normal range of 120 to 160 (of course, Daddy asked as a frame of reference). I leaned over and kissed Mommy on the forehead. The nurse captured the image for us on paper and then left the room. For a couple minutes, we sat there as two proud parents knowing that a tremendous weight had been lifting off our shoulders and we were moving forward to the next phase of pregnancy.
As we left the hospital, Mommy's silence had been replaced with one of the widest smiles I have ever seen. She was continuously kissing the ultrasound image of our child and singing in the hallways (I will spare you the song). Personally, I received the most joy watching her and seeing how happy she was!!
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