It’s officially Team Zoll #3 and #3 only. Our ultrasound was this morning and we got to see our very healthy singleton. After building myself over twins for the last few weeks, it was actually a relief to find out we’re only having one baby.
Whoa. That looks weird and feels so weird to type. We’re having a baby.
*overwhelming responsibility of parenthood comes crashing down at once*
The ultrasound tech turned the screen to us and said, “Look, can you see the heartbeat?”
“There’s a heartbeat?” I said in disbelief. Today I’m exactly six weeks along and I know that the heartbeat may not appear until somewhere well into the sixth week. The tech pointed to the screen.
“Yup, right there,” she said, pointing in the middle of the grayness of my womb.
And there it was, this little flash of grey flickering in and out of the screen, pulsing the way I imagine a hummingbird’s heart would beat in flight. It was transfixing. A very healthy 114 beats per minute.
Our baby’s heart. Beating. Pulsing. Alive. Growing – inside of me.
I couldn’t help but laugh out of joy and amazement.
She measured the fetus, a stout 3.6mm from crown to rump. She printed us a copy of our first baby photo and I got dressed. After she left the room, the tears came as I hugged Larry tightly in that tiny ultrasound room. “I just can’t believe it,” I said into his shoulder through misty eyes.
We went into the counseling room and talked with one of the nurses. She gave me the obligatory “Congrats! You’re pregnant!” packet from the clinic. And then she asked me: “So where do you plan on delivering?”
Um, what?
I have some idea of where we’d like to deliver and I’ve been weighing the midwife versus OB debate. Since I was convinced I was carrying twins, I figured midwife was off the table but now that it’s just a singleton and by all accounts, I’m not high risk right now, I could still very well see a midwife for our prenatal care. We said we’d be interested in recommendations for either in the North Shore area (although, as Larry reminded me on the ride home, I was interested in Mount Auburn Hospital).
On our way out, the receptionist asked how it went. “Just one,” I said. I handed her the ultrasound photo and she smiled.
“Congrats! I was wondering if it would be one or two – your numbers were borderline,” she said. “It’s good you’ve got a very healthy one then.”
And then I darted out of there, grateful the walk from the receptionist area to the door was so short. It was a packed house in the waiting room and I know our words, despite being as quiet as I could, were heard by those waiting for their bloodwork, ultrasounds, and semen analyses this morning. I made zero eye contact on my fifteen second Walk of Shame out the door.
So here we are. Exactly six weeks with a healthy singleton with a strong heartbeat. Larry and I have decided, in lieu of posting ultrasound photos, we’re going to post “artist’s renditions” of them instead. Yanno, to keep it interesting. Here’s Larry’s first portrait.
Say hello to Team Zoll #3.
I love that the MVP looks like a crescent moon 
