Mother's Day

     This past Sunday was Mother's Day.  This year, that day had a new meaning for my wife and I as our little one continues to grow and get ready for his/her big debut.  I spent the sunny morning running in the mountains where the season's wildflowers are in full bloom, and when I came home, my wife and I ate whole wheat chocolate chip waffles with walnuts and bananas.  I love making waffles.  I gave my wife some comfy, summery maternity pajamas, and she surprised me with a bouquet of very colorful flowers on the kitchen table.
     The day after Mother's Day was our second and final ultrasound.  This is the one when they do the anatomy scan.  We got to see the baby rolling and kicking around, and we got to see the baby's internal organs and external body parts.  I was really impressed with his/her strong, active legs and lively feet.  My wife loved seeing the four chambers of the baby's heart beating and pumping.
     Seeing the baby move and hearing his/her heartbeat made me feel closer to the baby.  We also learned the baby's gender, and so now we know the baby's name.  We are keeping these as a surprise for others, but I love being able to call our little one by his/her name when I talk to him/her through the filter of my wife's blossoming belly.
     The next time we will get to see our baby will be for his/her birthday in October.  That seems like a long way off now, but if the next 4.5 months are anything like the first, they will go by quickly.