Tuesday, February 1, 2022
"Hey, guys. You're getting an early start today." Of course, we run into Penny and Ava in the hallway. We're on our way to Amy's follow-up appointment. We were able to get the first appointment of the day for all of our appointments. We've snuck out without anyone hearing us for all our previous appointments, and make it to work on time, not raising any suspicions until today.
I notice Amy tense beside me as the four of us wait for the elevator. "Yeah, I have a dentist appointment this morning. I told Sheldon he should ask Leonard for a ride, but he decided he wanted to come with me." Leave it to Amy to come up with a lie that sounds believable.
No one says anything as we step onto the elevator or make our way to the parking lot. "Have a good day!" Penny calls out, opening the back door of her car to strap Ava into her car seat. Penny may have had reservations about being a mother, but she's a wonderful mother to Ava.
"Bye, Penny," I call back, feeling the need to say something after not having spoken since we were waiting for the elevator. I get into the front seat and wait for Amy to join me. "Thank you," I say after she closes her door. "I wasn't sure what to tell Penny was the reason for us leaving early."
She shifts the car into gear, "I think Penny was running late this morning. She's usually already gone by the time we leave when we have an appointment."
The nice thing about having an early appointment is they aren't running behind yet. The nurse calls Amy's name promptly at eight o'clock. We're shown to the office we've become quite familiar with over the past several months. Doctor Finn joins us after a minute. "Good morning, Amy and Sheldon. How are you feeling this morning?"
I know the question is directed at Amy, so I allow her to answer. "Pretty good. I know I wasn't supposed to, but I took a pregnancy test on Saturday. It was positive."
"Okay. Due to some of the fertility drugs you've been taking, there is a chance it was a false positive, so we'll do a blood test to confirm. That shouldn't take long to get back. Once we have the results, we can discuss what happens next." Doctor Finn calmly says, flipping through the folder on the desk in front of him. Amy nods, and I watch as a nurse enters the room to draw her blood. Like every other time we've been here, Amy clutches my hand and I look away to not see the blood filling the tube attached to my wife's arm.
Amy and Doctor Finn make small talk while we wait for Amy's blood test results. This is our third time sitting here like this. It never gets easier. I don't know how Amy can be so relaxed right now. Doctor Finn's computer chimes and he excuses himself from the conversation. He's quiet, scanning whatever it was he just got. "Okay, Amy, Sheldon," he looks at both of us as he says our names, "Your home pregnancy test was correct. You are indeed pregnant."
I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. "What do we do now?"
"I'll continue to monitor Amy for the first trimester. If everything is on track, we'll transfer her care to her regular OB/GYN," Doctor Finn explained. "Based on the age of the embryos when they were transferred, you're exactly four weeks pregnant today. I want to see you three more times, at six weeks, nine weeks, and twelve weeks. You can make those appointments at the front desk before you leave. Until then, keep doing what you've been doing, Amy. And don't hesitate to call if you have any questions or if anything feels off. Do you have any questions before I let you go for today?"
Amy shakes her head and reaches for her purse on the floor when I blurt out, "We transferred two embryos. When will we know if both of them took or split?"
"It's still too early to tell today, but we'll try doing an ultrasound when you come back in two weeks. We should be able to see how many sacs there are by then. Try not to stress over this until then. You've wanted this for a long time, enjoy it. Congratulations, again."
"Thank you," I stand and extend my hand to shake Doctor Finn's hand. I despise shaking hands, but this man is the reason I'm going to be a father.
Our appointment took longer than our previous follow-ups, but I'm able to sneak into my office without anyone noticing I was late today. Amy works through lunch and texts me near the end of the day that she's running behind and I should get a ride home from Leonard if I don't feel like waiting for her. I'm already across the hall when Amy returns home, just in time for dinner. Our schedule has had some adjustments over the past two years, resulting in Tuesdays now being Thai food night. At least Friday is still Chinese food night, but we now alternate video game night and girls' night. I wonder how the changes to my and Amy's family will impact our group schedules.
Dinner is a lively event, as per usual, at least until the children start to grow tired. Howard is the first to state, "I think we'd better get them home or they're going to fall asleep in the car on the drive home." It's not long after the Wolowitzes leave that Penny pulls Ava into her lap while sitting in the armchair.
I sense Amy watching the interaction as Ava cuddles into her mother. I'm about to suggest we head across the hall so they can put Ava to bed when Amy starts to say, "I can't," but stops mid-sentence as I shift next to her.
"You can't what, Amy?" inquires Leonard.
"I can't believe the heartburn the food is giving me tonight. It's usually not this bad," she rubs her hand over her sternum.
Penny quickly volunteers her experience, "I had horrible heartburn when I was pregnant, starting pretty much right away. Try a glass of milk; real milk, not almond milk. That's the only thing that worked for me, especially because I didn't want to take a bunch of medicine."
"We have milk at home, Amy. Why don't we go and let them get Ava ready for bed?" Amy follows as I stand and make my way to the door. I've barely closed the door of our apartment when I remind her, "We aren't saying anything to our friends, and you almost slipped up. I saw the way you were watching Penny with Ava. I know you can't wait until our baby is here, but it's still early. What if something happens?"
She steps toward me and wraps her arms around me, "I'm sorry. I caught myself before I said anything. I'll be more careful until we're ready to tell everyone."
I return Amy's embrace for a moment before asking, "Do you need a glass of milk for your heartburn? There are Tums in the bathroom cabinet. I think those are okay to take while pregnant."
"I'm fine, Sheldon. It was the first thing I thought of. I think I'm gonna head to bed early. What about you?" I flip the light switch next to the door and follow my wife into our bedroom.