It seems like just yesterday I was two days late and convinced I was not pregnant. We thought we would go and buy a test just for fun- there’s no way it could have happened that fast?! Well the first test was faint and we didn’t know if we were seeing a second line because it was really there or because we wanted it to be there. When we took one the next day it was there for sure. We ended up doing the test at Brett’s parents (they were not home, but Bonnie was). We didn’t think she knew what we were up to but she figured it out. And when she saw it, she confirmed it- “you’re pregnant!.” That was back on August 22, 2008. So the next step was telling our family. We didn’t wait because a) they knew we were trying, b) we were too friggin excited to wait, and c) if anything were to go wrong they would know about it anyways. My parents were up at Green Lake and after debating whether or not to wait and tell them in person or call them, I opted to call. Its news I know they would want to hear from me and not somebody else. I always thought they second I found out I was preggers I would ball my eyes out but I held it together UNTIL I talked to my dad, that’s when the tears came on. Everyone was excited (I am sure some people were surprised it happened so fast since we had only been off the pill for a month and a half or so).
A week after finding out was Jeremy and Katie’s wedding. All we wanted to do was tell everyone we were going to have a baby but we did not want to take anything away from their special day so we told ourselves we wouldn’t say anything. Three or four days before the wedding we stopped by Jeremy and Katie’s so I could borrow a shirt. We walked in and Jeremy had two shots poured, one for him and one for Brett. This was a little bit odd since we had not said anything to anyone yet. After looking through Katie’s clothes, picking out a shirt, finding a giant spider and trying on Katie’s grad dress we all sat down. That’s when Katie looks at us and just making conversation says, “So, what’s new?” Brett and I just look at each other with this look of ‘do we say something’ on our faces. We then told them but explained that we were not telling friends until AFTER the wedding. I think Brett and Jeremy then had another shot of Jagger.
When people know you are trying to get pregnant its really hard to lie when they are always asking you if you’re pregnant yet. We (well I) hid the news well, Brett ended up confessing to Terry and Diana at the wedding after a lot of beers. All in all I think we did ok.
It was kind of a weird thing to tell people only because there were some people we wanted to tell right away and others we thought we should wait just in case. Eventually it was common knowledge and it was then really exciting to not have to try and hide it. Family knew, friends knew and work knew. So what was the next step. I had gone to the doctor’s office just after taking the home pregnancy test and they originally told me I was not pregnant. After making the doctor look at the results (not just the MOA) I was then reassured that yes I was indeed pregnant. So I made my next appointment for the next month. Waiting for that appointment took forever. When you are only just pregnant you really only feel pregnant if you have symptoms. Which I didn’t really get, well not the morning sickness at least, which was a wonderful thing to miss out on. Yeah I had sore boobs and I was tired but meh I can handle that! So I go to my next appointment hoping to hear the heartbeat for the first time but it was still too early. Everything was going fine so I made my next appointment for the next month.
October 8, 2008 I go to the doctor’s for my third visit since peeing on a stick and getting the double line, yes you are pregnant result. I lay down on the table and get the cold jelly on my tummy. The doctor takes out the Doppler and I hear what sounds like a train. That noise was not a train, it was our BABY’S heartbeat. Now I for the first time I FEEL pregnant! It was very exciting. Part of me was sad because Brett was not able to be at that appointment. When I told him I got to hear it he thought I was lying because the doctor had told us that there was a possibility we may not hear it until the next month. Brett came with me two weeks later and got to hear it which was exciting for both of us. it’s a crazy sound to hear for the first time because its just not what you would expect it to sound like.
A few months go by and things are coming along pretty good. We had gone to Chapters and bought ourselves some baby books and a name book. (Just a side note: picking a name is one of the hardest things about being pregnant) Late in November I was at work and on my much needed break. I sat down on the couch and felt something weird in my tummy. I didn’t think too much of it as it was quick and painless. The next day, same time I felt it again. Now I start to think about it. What could this be. After talking with some of the girls who have been pregnant before I start to think maybe, just maybe I am feeling the baby kick. Well the feeling started to happen more frequently and it got stronger and then I knew, yes it was the baby!
December 1, 2008 I was scheduled for my ultrasound. I drank all the water I was supposed to and I waited for Brett to get home so we could go. Well when he got home I was feeling great, then I stood up. When you have that much liquid inside you and you can not go pee its just not fun. I was in pain the entire way to the ultrasound lab (which wasn’t really that far but it felt like we were driving to 100 mile) and then it got worse as I waited for my name to get called. I remember walking into the room and the ultrasound tech asked how I was. I told him that I felt like I was going to explode. This is when I expected him to tell me I could go pee this much (he would then show me a cup and a line only two inches from the bottom. I expected this after hearing many females stories about how hard it is to only pee a little bit when you have to go that bad. But this guy looks at me and says, “go ahead, empty your bladder.” I think my jaw hit the floor at that point. Ok sir, if you say so I will gladly empty my bladder. So after the relief of going pee he starts doing his thing with the machine. The techs don’t really talk much when they are doing this and you can not see anything at this point and Brett is not in the room so you just lay there waiting to be told everything is good. Well our baby takes after its mom and doesn’t like cameras. It is hiding and didn’t give us that great of a view. We saw the spine, the head, an arm and part of its little bottom but nothing too clear. Looking back I think that maybe the pictures were not that great because he let me empty my bladder but who really knows. I went to my doctor’s the next week to go over the ultrasound and I was told that everything was fine but that I ovulate late so instead of being due April 26 I was now due May 8. Well although I was glad everything was good I was not looking forward to those extra days of being pregnant. I still think that maybe this baby will come out in April which would be cool because we don’t have any family members with birthdays in April so it would have its own birth month.
After hearing the heartbeat, feeling it move for the first time and seeing your baby for the first time there isn’t much that really happens that is new for the mom. At least there hasn’t been for me. What was really neat for me was when Brett felt the baby move for the first time. He was pretty sure he had felt it at the beginning of January but one night when we were in Vegas just laying in bed he knew for sure he felt it. He got booted hard and there was no way it was anything else. Now he doesn’t even need to have his hand on my belly to know its kicking, he can just look over and see my belly moving.
We are now five and a half weeks away from my latest due date of May 6. (I swear every doctor I see has their own date) We have the crib set up, we have two car seats and a stroller and a bunch of other things. Now we just need the baby and we are set. I am just starting to get uncomfortable, mostly after a long day. I have been off work for two weeks now due to back pain and I am getting cabin fever already.
Last night Brett and I went to a movie and then came home and sat on the couch for a good two hours throwing baby names at each other. I said if earlier that its not easy. It maybe super easy to find one you like but you want both parties to like the name, well not just like it but love it! This is not an easy task. We now have a list of names that we like and are trying to narrow it down to something that we both love. I am sure that once we meet our baby and learn more about its personality any name we pick we would end up loving but we want something that isn’t super popular but isn’t weird and its not going to cause our child to hate us for picking it. I tell ya it’s a big job!
So far, this journey has been amazing. I have loved being pregnant 98% of the time and Brett has been so supportive and excited. I do not think I could have found a better partner to have a baby with. I can not wait to see him hold our baby. The thought of it brings tears to my eyes. He is going to be the best daddy.
Tuesday I go back to the doctor’s office for my next check up. Lucky me, I get to go weekly now! Oh well it gets me out of the house! I wonder if there will be a new due date or something else for me to experience for the first time?! I guess I will have to wait and see…
