The Look Of Hope

Chapter 23: Precious Moments

The day of the next appointment dawned. Her appointment isn't until two o'clock. Bobby had taken a half-day from work, for this occasion. A bad case of nerves filled both him and Mary. While hoping everything else will be alright with their baby, they also had several questions for the doctor. After dropping Lydia off with his overly enthusiastic mother, he drove them to Stanford. 

They parked in front of the pediatric building and got out. The building loomed large in front of them. Several stories high, all brick, and no-nonsense with well-manicured shrubbery. This time instead of clutching her tote, she clutched her husband's hand. Her heart pounded and his pulse raced as they walked holding hands, inside the building. For all of the somber, seriousness, outside, the inside of the building is much more lighthearted. Happy paintings, created by children, lined the walls. Pops of color were added here and there. Besides, children do get treatment in this building. It isn't all for business or classes. 

The couple walked up a set of stairs, to the second floor. Bobby massaged his wife's neck and kissed her lips, before knocking on Dr. Sherman's door. They waited to be let in. His secretary, Martha, let them inside. She greeted them with a warm smile and called for one of his nurses to escort them, to an exam room. A nurse came straight away and took them to exam room one. She gave Mary a gown to put on, then exited.

Mary changed and Bobby held her clothes. Following her change of attire, the nurse came back and took her vitals. Then she turned on the equipment and got everything ready for the doctor. As Mary was about to ask her husband to get the magazine, from her tote, Dr. Sherman came in. He greeted them both with a pleasant tone.  

He went about the business of measuring and prepping for the sonogram. At twelve weeks, their baby is roughly the size of a lime or nail scissors. Mary's baby bump is starting to show somewhat. He asked how she's feeling and she responded with "Tired. My back aches and my abdomen does too. I still have morning sickness, but not mood swings like I had with our first baby. I'm guessing it's probably due to my PPD medicine."

Dr. Sherman agreed with her and asked if she needed a prescription, for morning sickness. She explained to him she's still using the prescription her previous doctor prescribed. He told her "Keep using it until it's gone. After that let me know if you need another one." She said she would.

He had his nurse draw blood for a NIPT test and mentioned to make sure she's taking a good prenatal vitamin. He talked to them both about food. "Make sure you're eating foods rich in potassium and protein. Your baby needs it and it will help you feel better too. Also, you need to be drinking about twelve glasses of water a day. It's important to stay hydrated."

At this point, Mary asked an important question. "Dr. Sherman, when your secretary relaid your message concerning dietary restrictions, you said to limit sodium and sugar intake. Now please be specific, does limit mean I cannot eat it at all, or does it mean I can have it once in a while?"

Chancing a peek at her husband, she knew he is less than thrilled. Dr. Sherman answered the question with a chuckle. "Limit means you can have it once in a while."

Bobby got in on this action. "Doctor when you say once in a while, do you mean once a day, once a week, or once a month? Be specific because if you give my wife an inch, she'll take a mile." He gave her a smug look.

Again the doctor laughed. "Well once in a while means at least once a week in moderation. Every two weeks would be better, but once a week is fine." Mary looked victorious. "Now once a week does not mean all day long, or for one meal. It means one serving, about the size of your husband's hand." Her victory was short-lived.