ALLY:
I was now sixteen weeks pregnant. Austin said that pregnant women had to be at least four months to find out the sex. I had an appointment to find out the sex and Austin had taken the day off to accompany me.
Austin said,
"Now, your ultrasound is today. Be sure to drink at least four eight ounces of water and don't urinate until after your ultrasound. A full bladder is helpful for the sonographer view your lady parts."
I laughed.
"Thanks, Austin. But you're a doctor, I'm surprised you didn't say urethra, pelvis or vagina."
He said,
"Lady parts implies those. Also believe it or not, the male anatomical system has a urethra, too. Urine, for males, doesn't just come out through the penis."
He handed me a glass of water.
"Drink up. But drink slowly- you wouldn't want abdominal discomfort."
I said,
"Yes, Dr. Moon."
"I just want your ultrasound to go successfully."
He looked at my belly, which by the way had grown a bit in the last few months, and cooed,
"So we can find out your gender."
He kissed my pregnant belly. He refilled my glass of water three more times and drove me to the hospital. When we were in the sonography lab, the lady rubbed my stomach with the goo and I whispered to Austin,
"Can you hold my hand? The gel is cold."
He said,
"Sure."
I was trembling with nervousness. She put the wand on my belly.
"Your fluid is clear, and the baby right now is twelve inches, that's approximately four and a half to five inches long. I'm just going to take some pictures."
She held up a little camera, like the one people use in the dentist office when they take dental x-rays, except she was using it on my belly not on my mouth.
"The baby is strong and healthy. Would you like to know the gender?"
Austin gave me a look.
"Ally?"
I said,
"Of course."
She said,
"Your baby is a girl."
Tears of happiness formed in my eyes.
"Austin, we're having a girl!"
We kissed each other on the lips and tightly embraced each other. The sonographer smiled.
"You guys are a great couple."
I discovered I badly had to go pee. I asked Austin,
"Austin, can I urinate now?"
He smiled.
"Yes. Even though you're supposed to have a full bladder for an ultra sound, holding in your urine too long can cause kidney damage."
I said,
"Your knowledge of science and physics is the most attractive thing I've ever heard from a guy's mouth."
I turned to the sonographer.
"Do you have a bathroom?"
She said,
"Yes."
She pointed to a door and I ran inside and sat on the toilet and said,
"Ahhh,"
in a very refreshed way. I wiped, flushed and washed my hands. Austin was holding my clothes. I didn't have work today, so I pretty much was in a green sweatshirt with Austin's work logo on it (I was in full support of my husband and his job. Who wouldn't want to marry a doctor?), a green henley racerback tank top, blue skinny jeans and white keds. The sonographer handed me due dates for my next ultra sounds and doctor's appointments. I thanked her.
"Come on, let's go home."
When we got home, it was about four thirty and we felt tired so we fell asleep on our soft king-sized bed. In my dream, Austin and I were walking through the door of our apartment, he was holding the door open for me while I was holding our newborn daughter and feeding her a bottle, and I was saying to her,
"Welcome home, baby girl. This is where you're going to learn and grow."
In another sequence of my dream, our baby was walking to him and he was cooing and saying,
"Come here."
In another sequence, our daughter was sitting on the toilet in our bathroom with a bleeding knee and my husband was putting a band-aid on it and then kissing her cheek. In another sequence, Austin and I were staring at our gorgeous daughter as she was in her cap and gown. In another sequence, he was walking her down the aisle. Parenthood was going to be so fun. When we got up, Austin facetimed Dez and his girlfriend Carrie.
Carrie, being the incurable romantic that she was, cooed,
"Aw, you guys are having a baby girl!"
Austin said,
"Yeah."
Dez smiled at his childhood best friend.
"What impresses me is that Austin, because you're a doctor, and if your daughter gets sick, you'll always know what to do."
Austin grinned.
"I didn't earn that medical degree for nothing."