What are the odds?

Yesterday we went to our OB for my regular check-up, and everything seems to be going smoothly with the pregnancy. Every time we go to their office, we are inundated with questions from the entire staff: “Is everything okay?” “Are you guys staying out of trouble?” “Is there any new crisis to report?” We feel very cared for by our doctors and nurses there, and as hard as some of our circumstances have been, it is great to have this extended family of people who are cheering us on through it all.

Unfortunately, Doug and I met there with both of our cars, and we parked one car right behind the other: when Doug left the office to hurry back to work, he found one fifty dollar ticket PER CAR for parking during street cleaning hours. I had arrived first and after not finding any parking close to our doctor’s office, I drove to the other side of the hospital and parked there. I called Doug to warn him about the lack of parking on the other side because it was street-cleaning day, and told him to just park right behind me as there were many spaces available. That should have been my first warning, but I did not think that side of the hospital had street cleaning days, AND I looked for a sign and saw none. Doug looked as well when he parked and did not see any marking.

We were totally frustrated by our $100 routine OB exam. Especially when we have yet to see them EVER clean the streets. But I guess when I consider that both me and the baby received a clean bill of health, I can’t complain too much about $100.

It was also our first appointment that was filmed as part of the Discovery Channel show. We decided to go ahead and participate, and while there were a few moments that felt strange, it was mostly just fun. In the context of filming, we shared some about the different challenges we have faced in bringing these little ones into the world, and I was reminded of a comment Doug made to me the other day. We had been talking about whether or not to risk travel to Mexico later in this pregnancy, and I told him that, while the odds were certainly not high for having complications that would make that dangerous, I had learned in the last three years that “the odds” are simply not in our favor. Doug stopped me and said that he felt quite the opposite: “Mercy surviving an appendectomy; you surviving DIC; this baby living through hernia surgery, taxi cabs and Fifths Disease; our odds are actually quite impressive,” he said.

Since our doctors have advised us against the travel, we won’t go, but I appreciate Doug’s perspective on the whole thing. And while I didn’t appreciate his comment at the time (I think I was even annoyed by it), after spending the time with the film crew yesterday just remembering it all, I have to say that he is right. We have an impressive testimony to give of protection, preservation and answered prayer; a testimony that ultimately stands in the face of “the odds”.