Dear Baby Holler,
I felt my first touch of parent's pride the first day I saw your heartbeat.
You were only 6 weeks and 2 days old, basically just a little nugget. At first, I was just so relieved that you HAD a heartbeat...I had been so worried about you. And then the ultrasound technician told me that even though your heart had only started beating a few days prior, you were already thundering away in there at 132 beats per minute. I knew from reading my pregnancy books that this was at the absolute tip-top of the healthy heartbeat range for babies in the 6th week. I was so proud of you for being so strong! I practically wanted a bumper sticker that told the world how healthy you were at just 6w2d: "Proud Parent of a 132bpm Baby!"
At 12 weeks, we had the NT scan, which as I mentioned before, checks all of your measurements to see if anything points to the possibility of an abnormality, such as Downs Syndrome. While I was SUPER relieved that you measured perfect, I knew that I wouldn't be totally worry-free until I had completed the 2-part bloodwork that is paired with the NT scan results to give you a final assessment, or a grade of health, if you will. I had the first bloodwork at 12 weeks, and then had to wait 4 long stupid weeks until I got the second round at 16 weeks. I finally got the call that your results were perfect, and so basically you got an A+! Extreme relief kicked in, and I was also so proud of you for being a fighter...For being so healthy. I asked the nurse what your Down's Syndrome risk is, and she said 1/10,000. And again, I was proud of you for being so healthy. I had been so worried - not necessarily that anything would be wrong with you - but that the test my come back with results that were not so much in our favor, and that I'd be faced with scary choices like doing an amnio (which carries a small increase in the chance of miscarriage)... But I am so proud of you for scoring so well on your test and not making me face those hard choices. And of course, your Daddy and I are just so happy that you're healthy.
Daddy was actually never worried. But you're inside of me. And I'm your Mommy. So it's my job to pretty much worry about you in there constantly. You share my blood, my food, and you rule my heart. You're all I think about, and my primary thoughts all the time are centered around getting you here as healthy and happy as possible.
Next week is my birthday, and you are the best birthday present I could ever have. That did not stop me from requesting earrings from Daddy (like I'd let him off the hook!), but they're your birthstone (blue topaz!), so that makes it okay!
That's it from the outside, Harper....
We love you,
Mommy (&Daddy)
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