To the more astute reader among you, it is already apparent that I have just announced that we are having a baby girl!
It has been about 17 years since I last viewed a baby in the womb via ultrasound. The quality has greatly improved in that time. There were several moments of "oh that is so cool!" and I was completely amazed even though I am something of an old hand at this father thing.
Possibly the coolest part was when the technician held the probe over the baby's heart and you could watch all four chambers of the baby's heart beating in rhythm. It was simply spectacular.
Seeing all the anatomical features of the living baby still inside the womb, moving, wiggling, and doing baby things, one has to pause and marvel at the amazing creation that has taken place and is finalizing form in the mother. It is a miracle of life.
Once while trying to get a better shot of the baby's facial features, she was holding her little arm over her face, as if covering her face in modesty. Wiggling the probe a few times, she finally moved her arm and we could see her face.
During the ultrasound the technician pointed out all the major features. We saw the internal organs, 2 arms, 2 legs, 2 hands, 2 feet, 2 eyes, 1 nose, 2 nostrils, 2 lips, etc., etc., etc.
Simply awesome.
Finally, the technician started looking for the "boy parts" or "girl parts". She said "Do you see those 3 lines there? You are having a baby girl!"
That was a mixed feeling. We have 4 daughters in the house already, and only 1 son. We both kind of wanted a son. But seeing her little hands and feet moving around, you could not help but simply fall in love with her.
I am glad to be having another daughter.
So its "hers, mine, and ours" now. Errrrr... it will be sometime late October once she finally arrives. Until then, we keep praying for her and we keep loving her even though I have never seen her directly.
I like being a father. But I really love being a daddy.
I hope she loves this daddy, because I already love her.
Copyright 2008, Kevin Farley (a.k.a. sixdrift, a.k.a. neuronstatic)
