Hi-Lo: Also known as the Ambush and the Thumbsucker

On Friday I had, what I thought was a blood test, to screen for Down Syndrome and some other birth defect with numbers attached (13-18-something?). I told Doug he didn't need to come because I expected the sum total of the appointment to involve needle poking and he's not the biggest fan of blood. 

Imagine my surprise when I get there, am taken into a dark room and told to drop my pants. "Where are you taking the blood from?!?!?!?!," I asked in shock. She didn't laugh. Didn't even crack a smile. Tough room.

Turns out it was an ultrasound AND a blood test (thaaaaaat explains the request to strip). So for the next 45 minutes I was prodded with the magic wand and pictures of the baby were taken from every possible angle. I sat in awkward silence after I realized that the humorless ultrasound tech didn't like it when I talked. "What am I looking at?" Silence. "Is that the baby's leg?" Silence. Occasionally a grunt or a one word response. I got the point and stopped asking questions. She was not a fan.

At one point I got really sad, because no one was there with me - and for the first time it looked like a real baby. Our first ultrasound revealed a lima bean with a fluttering white spot the doctor called it's heart. The second ultrasound showed us a snowman, with a ball for the head, a ball for the body and little twigs I think were arms. This time it was an unmistakable baby - a silhouette complete with forehead, nose, mouth and that's when I saw it... a clenched fist that met it's face. That's right, the baby was sucking it's thumb. At least, that's what it looked like. I didn't ask (as at that point I realized silence was golden with this woman), but when I read on my weekly pregnancy update that babies start sucking their thumbs around now. How flipping cool is that? 

So, choking back both excitement and tears at being the only one to witness this miracle, I fought through my unexpected ultrasound and took my pictures home. Our "love at first site" ultrasound frame has now been updated (Doug reminds me that the caption is now falsehood as the current pic represents love at third site) and when I check out the photo staring back at me I see a perfect little face and the outline of a hand. How cool:-).