Proof of Life

Everyone comments at least once in their life about their favorite smells like baking bread, freshly cut grass, rain, new books, etc. Not long ago I had a discussion with a friend who had asked me what my favorite sound was. It kind of caught me off guard because I have never really thought of favorite sounds, I have thought of sounds I dislike such as alarm clocks and the sound of our pet parakeets chipping away with their beaks on their kettle bone, but not really favorite sounds. I thought about it for a second and couldn't really come up with anything, because evidently music in general doesn't count. So I asked her to clarify what she was looking for and she said that her favorite sound was the sound of a basketball swishing through the hoop. All I could really think of was Examp's laugh (see Examp below, he is one of our Haitian friends in Fond Doux) and the sound of a deep soulful cello.



Though today I heard and recognized what my favorite sound is. I had the privilege to sit in on Jeff and Vivian's (my brother and my sister in-law's) first ultra sound. They shared this sacred moment with me since I am moving to Los Angeles and will miss large portions of the pregnancy in person. The doctor came in to the room and immediately started the procedure. The next thing I know, I am listening to a little heart beat going at 175 beats per minute.

I'm not trying to be majestic or anything but that was magical. The sound itself represents life.

While I am on the subject, I thought I would share a couple interesting heart facts that my friend who is a cardiologist shared with me.

The human heart begins to beat in an embryo at 5 weeks and 5 days. There is no other pump in the world that can pump 35 million times a year and last for 80-90 years. The heart will pump when the brain is dead, but the brain won't live once the heart stops working. The heart will pump at 70 beats per minute and will pump 5 quarts per minute, that's 2,739 barrels a day and and 1 million barrels per year. This amazing little pump weighs on average 10-12 oz. without blood.

Now that is truly amazing.

PS I can't wait to see my little niece or nephew! Stay tuned, pictures will inevitably come.