Sometimes significant others say the darnedest things! That is the case with my husband Jerry, who, let's say, always knows how to keep things interesting and keeps me either laughing or shaking my head.
For this story I have to take you back to before Gardner was born. Jerry had come to the ultrasound visit with me to find out if we were having a boy or a girl. It was a boy! We were thrilled. Then we met with our OBGYN doctor.
Up until this point I had gone to these doctor's appointments alone. The timing was often not conducive to Jerry's work schedule, and there are so many of these routine appointments that it felt unnecessary to bring him along to every last one.
This one, however, was special. He got to hear the heartbeat, find out that it was a little boy, and see the ultrasound photos of Gardner!
During our visit with the doctor after the ultrasound, our doctor asked us if we had any questions. Having been to many of these appointments, I did not have any pressing questions. Jerry on the other hand did have a question.
Oh boy... I braced myself and waited.
"So I was reading this study," Jerry began. (Never a good start). "It was saying that back in the 1950s that people were just not doing these kinds of procedures in the way that they are now. There has been a rise because doctors are impatient and patients are anxious about waiting for birth and I'm concerned that this could be the case with us. I just want to make sure..."
He was talking in circles. I stopped him.
"What I think Jerry is trying to ask is, 'At what point do we have to have a C-section, and can it be avoided?'"
"Yes," Jerry said. "Because you know this is my second marriage and Danielle is 7 years younger than me, and I don't want to cut up my trophy wife unnecessarily. Then I'd have to trade her in for a younger model."
No laughter from Jerry, just a joke that was sort of not a joke.
I put my hand over my face and shook my head.
The doctor had a somewhat stunned and confused look on his face. I can tell his mind was thinking, "Is he serious about trading in his trophy wife? Surely I have to try and answer this question in a professional manner. Where to begin..."
The doctor did begin. "It's a little early for this question, we usually don't talk about this until the last few weeks, but I'm happy to answer it as best I can."
He provided Jerry with reassurance, that he wouldn't immediately jump to a C-section without reason, that I was healthy and young and there was no reason to expect that on delivery day, but that anything could happen. Still, we wouldn't go into the mindset that this would be a reality for us.
"Any other questions?" the doctor asked tentatively.
"No, that was it," Jerry responded satisfactorily.
I interjected. "Jerry won't be back to many appointments from here on out. Just the last few when we get very close to our due date," I tried to reassure the doctor.
I'm sure our doctor had a good laugh at Jerry's comments that day.
When we got in the car I simply shook my head.
"What?" Jerry asked. "That was a legitimate question I had."
"Yes, I understand, but he doesn't know you like that. Way to make an impression!"
In all honesty, comments like this from Jerry are not completely uncommon. He likes to rock the boat a little, and I've come to expect that from him.
He certainly made an impression on our doctor. During my next visit the doctor came in and asked sort of disappointed, "Where's your husband?"
"Yeah... I left him at home today."
"That's a shame. Tell him I was asking about him, and I look forward to seeing him again soon."
Sigh... "Will do... will do."
Thanks Jerry... Impression made.