First glimpse

As I write this, I'm watching a grave-side memorial for a 15-year-old girl killed on last Monday's CSI:Miami. I know it's just a TV show, but it sucks. It's tough enough getting pregnant, getting through the first trimester, having the child and then the real work begins, worrying about what kind of world you've brought them into and will you be able to protect them. And when you can't be there, how will they react with the situations they're presented with? I guess it's the same as with anything else, you thank God each day you make it home in traffic safely. There's so many things that can go wrong and it's only be the grace of God that so many things don't.

Are you in there little fetus?
In nine months will you come greet us?
I will buy you some Adidas.
-- Friends

Little one, I saw you today for the first time. You're about the size of a grain of rice and your whole body shakes each time your heart beats, which is about 90 times a minute. I could not see you very clearly, but the doctor zoomed in and showed us where you were. You're perfectly positioned, right in the center of your mom where you belong and are coming along nicely. We were even able to hear a few of your heartbeats but you would move with your mom's breathing making it difficult for the doctor to keep the equipment aimed directly at you. We were given a black and white print-out showing you and in 10 days we're going to go back and have been promised better pictures. You're about 3 mm in length right now but in 10 days you should be closer to 10 or 11 mm and your heartbeat should be at about 120 beats per minute. I know from the minute you arrive the scene you're going to take over our lives. Since we know you'll want to get up at all hours of the night and go to bed early, we're trying to get in the habit now of getting enough sleep, going to bed early. Your friend the Puppy is also helping us practice the up-in-the-middle of the night for a bathroom break. By the time you get here maybe he'll have learned how to sleep through the night, but for now, he's helping us train for your arrival. You'll be here in 239 days. I guess I should start saving for your college tuition. But you just keep growing, we look forward to meeting you, little one.