Hearing the Heartbeat

Week 12

My doctor's visit with Dr. Jessie Holmes was rescheduled with another OB because she was sick. So, not my regular doctor, but since Aldo had already taken off work early, I decided to stick with it.
We ate at McDonalds beforehand one, we had the time, and two, because Luke and I have an agreement that with every doctor visit (at least the monthly ones… when they become more frequent this might change) we get to go to McDonalds. Wasn't feeling too well, even after eating. Nausea has been terrible. I had several questions that we planned on asking about: Is there anything else for nausea besides Emetrol? (Walmart has been all out of it for a while and I need something.) I haven't be taking my prescribed or over-the-counter prenatals; is that ok? Is there anything for dryness when you're preparing to breastfeed?
The nurse got onto me about several things - not keeping the bagful of samples that was filled with prenatals, not peeing in the right cup, etc. They all like Aldo, but not me. :(
The doctor was very understanding and nice. She said that nausea will die down, probably immediately because it starts about this time and goes as far as the 14th week. She would also get me some samples that she's had a lot of good results with, Diclegis. As for prenatals, take two kids' Flinstones vitamins. They are easier on the stomach and have same amount of folic acid that I need. The nurse answered the last one, use cocoa butter lotion.
Next, the doctor was ready to hear the heartbeat. Beforehand, Luke had told me how excited he was to see the baby. Aldo and I explained that we aren't seeing the baby, we're listening for the heartbeat. I elaborated and said that we want to make sure that there's just one heartbeat and not ten. If there are ten, then there are ten babies. One equals one baby. Two is two. Etc. His eyes got real wide when I mentioned the ten babies. It was funny. Aldo and I started talking about twins. And that's when the doctor came in.
So she was ready to listen. She let Luke hold the machine, while she squirted the goop and moved the wand to find the heartbeat. It was on my left, lower-than-I-thought, side. When the heartbeat came on, I cried. I don't know why. Realization that it's real. That there's a little person in there and it's not all for nothing, even though I knew that before when I have been feeling sick and all of this stuff, but it was really real - we're having a baby. And it's like a whole different story. I can't even explain it. I was just emotional. I started laughing because I was crying. I looked at Aldo the whole time (he was probably teary, but I couldn't see through my tears). And Luke was there this time! I started laughing and it made it difficult for her to get the heartbeat, so I had to calm myself and make my body hold still.
Later, Aldo explained that this was a huge milestone. It's good to hear a heartbeat. When you don't, that's the difficult news you don't want to hear. He has such legitimate worries, and he keeps them down so it doesn't stress me out. How loving he is, for real. I found a good man right there. And a great, awesome, cool dad. Luke can vouch.
After the machine was put away, she explained the next two months. And then mentioned how Luke is going to be a great brother. Luke said, "I just don't know the number," all quizzically. We didn't know what he talking about, but then he asked, "Are there 10 babies in there?" I about died. No, just one. Well, it's not for sure until the sonogram, but probably just one. Also, "I wanted to hear the baby talk." The doctor went into a long explanation of how babies can't breathe in the belly because they don't have oxygen in their lungs. He turns to me and I say, "And Luke, you didn't teach the baby any words yet." Ohhhh… "I'll teach the baby to say Ma MA." "Don't teach the baby to say it weeeird."

A good doctor visit altogether. Glad we could share it, Aldo, Luke and me.
Later that night we went to Stix because I had been craving it and we had a gift card. Luke was so funny the whole time, using his chopsticks and telling the chef that he's doing a good job on his cooking. Asking the other ladies at the table if they like their food, and so on. The night ended with him calling out each person at the table and having them read the entirety of their fortune individually. His was a weird one, so I read it as, "It says - You are the best." He was so surprised and really… elated. As we were getting ready to go, he asked the ladies if they had ever been to our house before. He counted them… 1… 2… 3… 4… "Ya, I think you could all fit in our car." Before he went any further, we went home. Aldo was pretty proud, in a way, that his son could've picked up four ladies at the same time. Better watch him.