Baby's First Photo

So last Monday was the first ultrasound, and our first glimpse at our now olive-sized bundle of joy. This first visit was basically to set a due date and check the heartbeat. Yep, the little one is quite the metronome, with a normal heart-rate of 160bpm. When the sonographer flipped the audio switch and we could hear the steady bum-bum-bum-bum (it sounds like someone hitting one of those balloon-on-a-rubber-band punching balls in an aqueous environment), Lisa reached down and held my hand. In my eyes were - no tears. Sorry ladies - I truly am made of stone. My joy doesn't generally manifest itself that way - ask me again in 12 weeks when we have the second ultrasound, or again in another 7 months when the little one comes into the world.

However, I really think it would be funny to bring an MP3 player with some small speakers to the next ultrasound and play some cheesy music from a movie like 'Father of the Bride', or perhaps '9 Months' to play once they get the image on screen. Yeah, Lisa thinks I have problems. My only response is oh well - that's 50% of this youngster's gene pool. But think of all the fun this kid will be? With my odd way of looking at the world and wit mixed with her keen ability to communicate in a way that is only 'Lisa', this kid is going to provide hours of entertainment. Seriously - I expect my little one to emerge not crying, but rather exclaiming, "Hey everyone, come see how good I look!"

Anyway, the ultrasound was a success - even though it took a grand total of 5 minutes. Who knows how much my out-of-pocket is going to be, but I am sure it will feel like the financial-equivalent of prison rape. Next time, I am bringing popcorn, since they put it on this huge screen and bring the lights down low. And I have to get me one of those machines. I don't know what practical use it will be outside of a medical setting, but it has way too many buttons and gizmos for me to not want one. I would be trying to get ultrasonic images of everything! Check out the first picture of my little olive. Don't you just love how they have to put an arrow pointing to the baby? Yeah, there were three other angles that were way better, but I guess they have to take pictures akin to capturing Sasquatch - even if you look closely, it's still a blurry, fuzzy mess.