the infant in my womb leaped for joy

As we announced last week, Michelle and I are expecting a baby on April 22, 2009. Today we had the first sonogram of our child and, in addition to being able to share the images, we found out that everything looks fine and that all is going well. One fetus is developing in utero with clearly visible arm and leg buds, eyes, and a nose. Our child is about about 2.6cm, the size to be expected for nine weeks. We were also able to see the heartbeat, which is over 100 beats per minute. It was rather amusing looking at the M-mode echo of our baby’s heart with as many similar images as Michelle produces and studies on fruit fly hearts. After today’s sonogram it seems like wiggle worm might be most appropriate name for our baby given that the infant in Michelle’s womb seemed to be leaping for joy. The technician said that although it was not uncommon, that she had not seen such an active fetus at nine weeks. Our wiggle worm seemed to be waving at us and, although each time Michelle and I laughed it caused the sonogram to bounce away, it was still quite amusing.

The title of the post and the reference to the infant in the womb leaping for joy is of course taken from the Visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth—the former pregnant with Jesus and the latter farther along with John the Baptist—and source of the Magnificat, the Gospel canticle sung at every Evening Prayer:

Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.And Mary said: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness;
behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.
The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him.
He has shown might with his arm,
dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart.
He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly.
The hungry he has filled with good things; the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped Israel his servant, remembering his mercy,
according to his promise to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.
Luke 1:39-55

We pray that such a wonderful blessing of God’s works and holy name, echoing that of Hannah (1 Samuel 2:1-10), may be always on our lips as we praise God in thanksgiving for our child.