I think Don Johnson said it best in 1986.  ”Heartbeat, I’m lookin for a heart beat.”

Jodi and I had our second appointment yesterday.  This was supposed to be the “hear the heartbeat” visit.  But, I guess it just wasn’t meant to be.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULI5kolBpAk]

The second appointment started alot like the first.  Jodi and I both got off work early, we met in the Outback parking lot so we could ride together, and we were both excited; this time to hear our little buddy’s “Heartbeat”.  

We get to the women’s center and when we are in the elevator we start talking about what is going to happen.  As the doors open I tell Jodi that I am a little worried that I am not going to be as excited as I was for the first one.  Everyone has told me “wait until you hear the heartbeat”, so I feel like I have to live up to these expectations. But I really liked seeing him, what if I don’t react the same way from hearing him?

When we first walked into the office the first question my wife asked was “do you need a urine sample?”  The reason for her concern was that she really had to go.  The receptionist said yes, so Jodi thought she was going to have to hold it.  As we are about to go sit down, the receptionist said “if you really have to go, we can get your sample now.”  Lifesaver!

While you sit in the waiting room they have a TV that is entertianing you with some CNN health channel.  Did you know that 67% of the nations water supply has flouride added to it.  Well I do and now you do too.

Jodi’s name gets called and we head back.  She hops on the scale and it reads the same number as the first appointment.  I ask the nurse if this is normal and she says it is fine and ushers us  into the room.

Jodi hops on the transformer and we wait.  We are sitting there for a little while and then the mid-wife comes in.  She asks us some questions and then I ask her if it is normal that my wife hasn’t gained any weight.  She tells me that they don’t even worry about weight, as long as she is eating, in the first trimester.  To which I reply, “I don’t get it, she has definitly gained girth?”  They both just laughed.

So now the mid-wife takes this microphone looking thing that is attached to what looks like a tape recorder, but is actually some sort of speaker.  They goop up my wife’s belly and start rubbing the mic on it.  They were shoving it into her gut, moving it around, but they couldn’t hear anything.  We were starting to get worried, but the mid-wife said they were going to get a better mic.  Again she tried but no matter how hard she was “looking for a heartbeat” she couldn’t find one.

Later Jodi and I talked about how we were worried that maybe something was wrong.  I think the mid-wife could sense the concern from us and she told us that Jodi’s uterus was sitting very far back and that was proboably why we couldn’t hear him.  She also said we would just go do another ultra-sound if we didn’t hear it.

So we didn’t hear him and we had to change rooms.  The ladies left and Jodi had to get dressed.  We both looked at each other and to our surprise we were both excited.  Jodi actually liked the idea of seeing him better, and as you know from the beginning of this entry that is what I preferred too.

So we went in the the other room and they dimmed the lights.  Next thing we new there he was up on the monitor again.  But, this time it was so much better.  He actually looked like a baby.  A very small miniture baby, but still.  He was no longer the shape of a peanut with stubs.  He had legs with knees and arms, and I think he was actually break-dancing. The nurse said that the way his chest and head were moving he had the hiccups. It was so awesome to see him looking somewhat human!

We got another picture which I will upload soon, but what an awesome experience, again.  God is so amazing, our baby is alive, developing, growing and even break-dancing.  This is no accident, this is God at work.

The picture on the left is Jodi at 8 weeks.  There isn’t much there, but if you look close you can see what might be the beginnings of a baby bump.  Isn’t she cute.  

On the right is Jodi on Monday night (11 weeks). Notice of course the Eagles shirt Jodi is sporting.  To bad they lost MNF. But, as you can see little dub is trying harder to make his presence known.  

Jodi thinks that she is showing a little early, but apprently that runs in the Botts family.  She isn’t into materinty clothes yet, but her new best friend is a pink rubber band that is giving all her pants a little extra give.

Our next appointment is 9/26.  We will get to hear the heartbeat.  Please continue to pray for little dub’s continued healthy development.

Last night at Amplify (our high school ministry at our church) I had the students watch a Rob Bell video.  The title was “name” and the concept was being comfortable with who you are in God and not being defined by labels.  In the viedo he quotes two verses from Psalm 139.

 13 For you created my inmost being;
       you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
       your works are wonderful,
       I know that full well.

These verses have taken on a whole new meaning for me now that little dub is on the way.  I started talking to little dub as soon as I found out he existed.  Granted, he hadn’t developed ears yet, but I just wanted him to know I was there and that I loved him.

I know this kid.  He doesn’t have a personality, I don’t know if he’s right or left handed, or if he’s even developed hands yet.  But, nevertheless, I know him and love him unconditionally.  Being a dad isn’t something that is going to happen when little dub is born…I already am a dad.

How much better, fuller, truer is the love of God than mine?  I am only a part of this creation process, I can only imagine how the actual creator must feel.  The way I feel about little dub has shed a new light on the way God feels about us. 

We are fearfully and wonderfully made.

It is official.  The Wells’ are pregnant.  Our baby, currently known as “little dub”, is scheduled to arrive April 7th.  We had our first appointment on August 29th and we got to see our little guy for the first time.  How amazing. 

I got off work early and Jodi and I met at the Outback parking lot.  We hopped in my truck and headed to the appointment.  We were both really excited.  We waited in the waiting room and looked at magazines in anticipation of our meeting.

They finally called our name and we were in.  Jodi got weighed and then they ushered us into the room.  Jodi sat down on what looked like a normal patients chair, and I sat in a chair beside her.  The nurse went through some standard questions and then left.  But, right before she left the room she says “okay waist down” and Jodi nods.  I assume all women know what that means, but it was a little suprising to me.

So we are sitting there waiting for the doctor and now the only thing between my wife and the her seat is a thin sheet of paper.  The mid-wife comes in (apparently we will be working with a few differnt people) and asks more questions and then gives us some free stuff.  Now it is time for her to earn her money.

The mid-wife (who presents herself very much like a doctor) hops out of her seat and gets to business.  This is where the “what looked like a normal patients chair” comment from earlier comes in. Little to my knowledge the chair was an actual Transformer.  If you know the transforming sound that a Transformer makes, make that sound in your head while I describe the next part, it will definitly improve the story.  So the mid-wife hops up and two metal rods are pulled out from the seat.  They then unfold and double in size.  From around the back (I think, it seemed like parts were coming from everywhere) came this snake like flexible light.  Finally from the other side cam a monitor and a whole assortment of what I will call tools.  It was crazy, I definalty wasn’t ready for that.  All I could do was laugh.

So I remained seated (in a normal seat) next to my wife and the mid-wife started doin’ her thing.  At first the screen was just black with a couple of numbers, but then all the sudden out of this black abyss appeared a white blob.  I jumped out of my seat as Jodi and I both let out a gasp at the same time.  Is that…? we asked.  Yeap, that was our child.  It gives me goosebumps to write about it now.  It was so amazing.  I was hunched over Jodi and we were holding hands as tight as I can remember.  Our smiles were ear to ear.  It was so amazaing.  One of the best things of my life up to this point.  I don’t know what I was expecting to feel when I saw our little buddy up there, but I didn’t think it was going to be as impactful as it was.  So awesome.  God is awesome.