you are in your pregnancy. And sometimes a baby doesn’t want to show us whether they’re a boy or a girl. If they curl themselves into a ball it’s impossible to tell. Shall we get started?”
Gracie lay down. She pushed her jeans down to her hips and her shirt above her stomach. Amy squirted light blue gel on her tummy.
“It’s warm,” Gracie said. “I was expecting it to be cold.”
“We aim to please,” Amy said as she moved the wand over the gel. “Here we go.” Amy pushed a button on the ultrasound console and moved the wand to the left.
Trent leaned forward, watching the screen. “I can see a little body.”
Gracie smiled at the screen. A little hand moved, then their baby’s entire body did a somersault inside her tummy. She looked at Trent. He had tears in his eyes and a wide smile on his face.
Amy held the wand firmly against Gracie’s stomach. “Your baby’s having a great time. I’m going to take a few measurements and see how far along you are.” She worked quickly, pushing more buttons and moving the wand quickly. “Your baby’s thirteen weeks and three days old. That would make your due date about June 18.”
She kept moving the wand, stopping every few seconds to take another snapshot of what they were seeing. “I’m going to freeze this image and we’ll listen to the heartbeat.”
Trent squeezed Gracie’s hand as a loud, fast, heartbeat filled the room.
Amy kept moving the wand, explaining what she was seeing. “Let’s see whether your baby’s a boy or a girl. I’ve just got to change the direction of the scan…like this…and here we are. Congratulations, you’re having a girl.”
Gracie stared at the screen and felt tears running down her cheeks.
Amy reached for a box of tissues and held them out to her. “It’s okay. It’s a lot to take in when you see your baby for the first time. I’ll take a couple of images for your photo album and then you can go home and celebrate.”
Gracie watched their baby’s face; the little nose, pouty lips, and rounded chin. “I think she’s got your lips, Trent.”
He leaned forward, staring at the screen as if he wanted to imprint every detail about their baby in his mind. He pushed his lips into a funny pout and smiled. “Maybe. I wonder if she’ll have the McKenzie dimple?”
“That,” Amy said as she wiped the gel off Gracie’s tummy, “will have to wait until later. A 3D or 4D image will show you the dimple. The best time for that scan is between twenty-six and thirty weeks.”
“We’ve got a long way to go.” Gracie looked at Amy. “Does everything else seem okay?”
“As much as I can tell at this stage. How are you feeling?”
“Not quite as tired as I was last week, but my morning sickness is still there.”
Amy pulled Gracie’s top over her tummy. “It won’t last forever. Just keep nibbling on small amounts of food between your main meals. How often are you vomiting?”
“Usually once in the morning. The rest of the day I just feel like I’m going to be sick.”
“If you’re ever worried about how sick you feel, just call the hospital. Doc Johnson will send another appointment out to you in the next couple of weeks. The next scan will be when you’re twenty weeks along.”
Trent helped Gracie into a sitting position. “I’m going to be outnumbered in our home. Three females living under one roof can’t be healthy.”
“Don’t let Mrs. Davies hear you say that,” Amy said. “She’ll put you on dishes duty for the rest of the pregnancy. Here are the images of your baby girl.” She put the photos in a white folder and handed them to Gracie.
Gracie gave Amy a quick hug. “Thanks for doing the scan.”
“It was my pleasure. Take care on the road. The weather’s supposed to get worse over the next few days.”
Trent pulled his hat on. “Don’t worry. We’ll be going extra slow on the way home. Have a merry Christmas.”
“You, too.” Amy walked with them to the reception
Gracie lay down. She pushed her jeans down to her hips and her shirt above her stomach. Amy squirted light blue gel on her tummy.
“It’s warm,” Gracie said. “I was expecting it to be cold.”
“We aim to please,” Amy said as she moved the wand over the gel. “Here we go.” Amy pushed a button on the ultrasound console and moved the wand to the left.
Trent leaned forward, watching the screen. “I can see a little body.”
Gracie smiled at the screen. A little hand moved, then their baby’s entire body did a somersault inside her tummy. She looked at Trent. He had tears in his eyes and a wide smile on his face.
Amy held the wand firmly against Gracie’s stomach. “Your baby’s having a great time. I’m going to take a few measurements and see how far along you are.” She worked quickly, pushing more buttons and moving the wand quickly. “Your baby’s thirteen weeks and three days old. That would make your due date about June 18.”
She kept moving the wand, stopping every few seconds to take another snapshot of what they were seeing. “I’m going to freeze this image and we’ll listen to the heartbeat.”
Trent squeezed Gracie’s hand as a loud, fast, heartbeat filled the room.
Amy kept moving the wand, explaining what she was seeing. “Let’s see whether your baby’s a boy or a girl. I’ve just got to change the direction of the scan…like this…and here we are. Congratulations, you’re having a girl.”
Gracie stared at the screen and felt tears running down her cheeks.
Amy reached for a box of tissues and held them out to her. “It’s okay. It’s a lot to take in when you see your baby for the first time. I’ll take a couple of images for your photo album and then you can go home and celebrate.”
Gracie watched their baby’s face; the little nose, pouty lips, and rounded chin. “I think she’s got your lips, Trent.”
He leaned forward, staring at the screen as if he wanted to imprint every detail about their baby in his mind. He pushed his lips into a funny pout and smiled. “Maybe. I wonder if she’ll have the McKenzie dimple?”
“That,” Amy said as she wiped the gel off Gracie’s tummy, “will have to wait until later. A 3D or 4D image will show you the dimple. The best time for that scan is between twenty-six and thirty weeks.”
“We’ve got a long way to go.” Gracie looked at Amy. “Does everything else seem okay?”
“As much as I can tell at this stage. How are you feeling?”
“Not quite as tired as I was last week, but my morning sickness is still there.”
Amy pulled Gracie’s top over her tummy. “It won’t last forever. Just keep nibbling on small amounts of food between your main meals. How often are you vomiting?”
“Usually once in the morning. The rest of the day I just feel like I’m going to be sick.”
“If you’re ever worried about how sick you feel, just call the hospital. Doc Johnson will send another appointment out to you in the next couple of weeks. The next scan will be when you’re twenty weeks along.”
Trent helped Gracie into a sitting position. “I’m going to be outnumbered in our home. Three females living under one roof can’t be healthy.”
“Don’t let Mrs. Davies hear you say that,” Amy said. “She’ll put you on dishes duty for the rest of the pregnancy. Here are the images of your baby girl.” She put the photos in a white folder and handed them to Gracie.
Gracie gave Amy a quick hug. “Thanks for doing the scan.”
“It was my pleasure. Take care on the road. The weather’s supposed to get worse over the next few days.”
Trent pulled his hat on. “Don’t worry. We’ll be going extra slow on the way home. Have a merry Christmas.”
“You, too.” Amy walked with them to the reception
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