Why We Want to Wait – An Ultrasound Story

Another special blessing

Psalm 139:13-14 (NIV)

“For You created my inmost being;

You knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Your works are wonderful,

I know that full well.”

One of the first questions I am often asked after people find out that we’re expecting is “Do you know if it’s a boy or a girl?”  For the second time now, we have decided not to peek in at that secret and to have that revealed first when we meet our little baby.

We had our 20-week ultrasound last month for our dear little one.  All praise to God, Baby looks healthy at this point and has a forecasted arrival date of March 17.  (Don’t get me started on my objections to these due date formulas and estimates.  I have too much of a statistics background to not find them questionable at best.)

I marveled at the little legs, arms, profile, beating heart, spine, and more, amazed at God’s handiwork.  Why are those routine sonograms so brief?  (sigh)  I stare at the pictures the technician captured for us.  I tried to compare the profile of Baby to our toddler’s ultrasound pics, imagining them looking alike or different.  It doesn’t matter, but I like thinking about Baby and dreaming of looking into his or her little eyes.  What color will they be, I wonder?  (Yes, with baby’s parents having one recessive gene and one heterogeneous gene, I get to remember high school biology class and wonder.)

Sure, I wonder if we’ll be blessed with a baby boy, the first grandson on my side of the family, or if we’ll be blessed with another precious little girl.  Still, I savor the anticipation, the not-knowing, and particularly the not-telling.  It may be selfishness on my part with that.  I want the grand event to be what draws the attention.  I want to keep my family also on the edge of their seats until that day in March comes.  (No, I’m not expecting it to be the 17th.)  I think they’re enjoying some rivalry as some expect this to be a boy, others a girl.  I smile at the “logic” of some of the arguments.

I have always loved the anticipation of Christmas through Advent, and this year (though there is a school-related issue that I always seem to battle this time of year and plan to write about someday soon), it seems even greater.  We get to anticipate Baby’s arrival for these few months and rejoice with the birth, Lord-willing, of the newest member of our family.  Can you imagine the rejoicing on heaven and earth when the long-awaited Messiah finally arrived, in God’s perfect timing, after years and years of anticipation?

May these days leading up to the celebration of Jesus’ birth be filled with anticipation of the best and most amazing gift God has given to all of us, and may the celebration itself be centered on Him and filled with great joy.

~Dana

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