Week 9: I'm gonna LOVE this kid.

Last night was the second prenatal doctor visit. I sped over after class and Dave met me in the parking lot. We sat in the waiting room, jabbing sarcastic comments at each other and laughing like preteens. When my name was called Dave was playing a game on my palm pilot and I was idly flipping through a design magazine. We followed the nurse as she led me to the scale. I stepped on and watched as the numbers rose.

“Oh, gosh.” I said, embarrassed, then felt guilty since the nurse obviously weighed more than me. “So how much have I gained?”

"One-point-six pounds.” The nurse said, jotting the number on my chart. “That’s great!”

I know from mounds of research that I will gain 2—3 pounds per month, so I guess less than two is fairly reasonable for the first month. I have not been on the treadmill in a few weeks because the weather is blazing hot. I have tried to walk outside when I have the chance, though. I do not want to be a fat mama!

The visit did consist of things unrelated to vanity issues. The doctor told me that my blood type is A negative. She explained that a negative blood type is a recessive gene so if Dave is positive it is likely that the baby is as well. If mine and the baby’s blood were ever to mix it could cause problems since my body would create antibodies to the opposite blood type. I remember hearing something about this in human development last fall, I believe in the glossery it was the Rh Factor. Anyway, I will have to get a shot to prevent my body from creating these antibodies. I spent the ride home contemplating my luck on manifesting two recessive genes—my blood type and my handedness.

I went to Café Bueno tonight with Danna and while talking about the baby I said, “You know, I just don’t think that I realize how much I’m going to love this baby.” I guess I have focused so much on the logistics that I have no idea how much this child will impact my heart. It’s exciting to know that I will love someone so immensely whom I haven’t even met yet. It’s I think I am more emotionally involved now that I realize.