The "I'm Pregnant" Story

I realized recently that I never shared the story of when we found out we were pregnant. That is definitely something that needs to be documented on the blog. I don't even know how to start this post. I guess I'll just dive right in.

I was out of school and decided to go up north with my parents for a few days. Now, for all you non-Michiganders, "up north" is kind of a general term for anywhere in northern Michigan. We have dear family friends who have a house on a lake in northern Michigan and they had invited our family to come up for a few days. Tyler couldn't go because of work, but since I was on summer break, I went with my mom and dad. Mike and Suzy own the house and their daughter, Jesse, who is one of my dearest friends, was also home from Colorado. It was seriously the best time; just us daughters on a getaway with our parents. We all get along super well and laugh a lot. Some of my favorite summer memories are at their house up north.

When I was packing to go to Michigan, I randomly threw some pregnancy tests into my bag. I knew that being pregnant was a possibility, but I honestly did not think it was going to happen for us for a long time. But I also knew I wasn't going to ask anyone to take me to WalMart to buy pregnancy tests while we were there. I am so glad I took some.

If my memory serves me correctly, we left my parents house to go up north on Sunday, June 27. We had a great few days, but on Tuesday, June 29, I realized I was supposed to start my period. If womanly things make you uncomfortable, stop reading. One of my spiritual gifts is the gift of TOO MUCH INFORMATION. Anyway, I am extremely regular and all day, I waited and waited. Nothing. We went out to dinner that night, and before we went, I thought, "Eh, what the heck, I might as well pee on one of my sticks." I went inside to shower and get ready, and to... well... pee.

Well. WELL.

That second line? Showed up immediately. There was no waiting period. It just popped right out and said hello. And me? I about lost my lunch.

I don't know why, but I really had it in my head that we would not get pregnant for a very, very long time.

WRONG.

I remember hiding the test and the evidence and getting in the shower and repeating to myself over and over again, "I'm pregnant. I'm pregnant? Hello, baby! I'm PREGNANT." I also knew I needed to calm myself down because there were five people in the house that knew me WELL and that they would figure out that something was going on if I was acting like a crazy person. I also knew that the first person who I wanted to know was Tyler. I did NOT want to tell him on the phone, so my conclusion was this-- I had to keep this a big secret.

We went to dinner at an Italian restaurant and on the way there, I took this picture with my cell phone. I think I look happy but a little scared, which is exactly how I was feeling.

The next morning, I decided to take one more pregnancy test just to check and sure enough, that second line didn't waste any time. I honestly think this is when I went into shock mode. I knew that I couldn't tell my parents and that was awful. I had to act perfectly normal for another 48 hours when I was feeling anything but normal.

That morning, my mom, Suzy, Jesse, and I took the dogs on a walk. I forgot to mention that I had a sinus infection, and when I found out I was pregnant, I knew I was going to have to be careful not to take certain over-the-counter medications. I told them that I needed to call my doctor to ask about getting an appointment when I went back to Cincinnati for my sinus infection, but obviously, I didn't tell them anything else. I walked really far behind them and whispered the whole time. The secretaries at the doctor's offices probably thought I was insane. First, I called my OB's office and told them that I'd had two positive tests and what the HECK should I do now? She did some quick calculations and told me that I would come in when I was 8 weeks pregnant. UM, NO. Well, actually, I didn't have a say in that, so she made me an appointment and I called my family doctor next. I told them that I thought I was pregnant but that I was in some serious pain due to my sinuses. They told me what I could take (basically nothing) and I made an appointment for when I got back to Cincinnati.

I think we headed back to my parent's house that night (June 30) and then the next day, I headed back to Cincinnati. Let me just tell you-- knowing that I was pregnant and not telling my parents? Hardest thing ever. Talking to my husband on the phone multiple times per day and not telling him? EVEN WORSE. I have never been so eager to get back to Ohio! I drove back and went straight to my family doctor's office. When I got back to my exam room, I told them that I thought I was pregnant and asked if they could do an official pregnancy test. They did one and then I had to wait by myself in that room to hear what they said. When the nurse came back in, she asked me what the home pregnancy tests had said. I told her they were positive and she looked at me, smiled, and said, "Congratulations, you are definitely pregnant!" I straight up burst into tears. I think it was the combination of feeling like crap due to my sinus infection and holding in that big secret for so many days. She was so sweet to me and listened to me blubber and told me that everything would be okay. Bless her heart, I don't even remember her name, but she was great.

When I left the doctor's office, I went to Target and bought a little onesie that says, "I Love my Dad". I also bought a gift bag and some tissue and wrapped it up in the car. I knew Tyler would be home from work shortly after I arrived home, so I had it waiting for him. When he came in, I told him I had gotten him a little something up north. I have asked him several times since then if he knew what he was opening. He says he had no idea, but I'm still a little skeptical. He pulled out the onesie, got this huge smile on his face, and just said, "Wow. Really!?" I then burst into tears again, not because he said it in a mean way, but just because I was freaked and so relieved that he finally knew. It was a loooong few days.

I really wanted to tell my parents in person, especially since I knew we were going back up to Michigan a little over a week later, but that just didn't happen. I think my mom figured it out on her own. Actually, I know she did. We ended up telling our parents and our brothers over the phone, but that's what happens when you live far away. It sucks. Sorry, but it does. Of course, I am now crying about that, but that's only because I am 34 weeks pregnant and highly emotional. STILL.

About a week later, I experienced some awful cramping which caused me to have several early appointments with my doctor as well as several ultrasounds. That first ultrasound was both painful and amazing. We got to see the tiny little piece of rice that was our baby and even see his itty bitty heartbeat. It was absolutely incredible. However, we were told that from the ultrasound pictures and my blood work, there was a chance I was miscarrying the baby and that I would have to have a follow up ultrasound when we returned from a little vacation we had planned. All in all, it was about 4-5 days that we had to wait and let me tell you-- it was rough. I went through every emotion in the book and also started in on the morning sickness during that time. It was really hard, but Tyler was amazing through the whole thing. Our marriage has really changed and grown during this pregnancy and it has been such a sweet time for us. I love that guy that I married. Good thing, huh?

We had the follow up ultrasound and my mom actually came down to be with us in case we got hard news. I cannot tell you the relief of seeing my healthy little baby on the screen with a flashing heartbeat. I also love that my mom got to experience it with us. And here I go, crying again. There is nothing like hearing that you have a healthy baby. We got the pictures of our little guy and I looked at them everyday for months. Oh, I forgot to say that I knew this baby was a boy. I just knew the moment I found out I was pregnant. There was never one doubt in my mind for whatever reason. Go figure!

So there you have it! It's crazy reading through this and remembering that time of our lives. I thought that the next 9 months would creep by and in some ways, they have but in other ways, they have flown. Most of all, it has just been a wonderfully fun and crazy time. I can't wait to meet this fellow; he sure is worth it!

My 2011 Book List (a little late)

If you've known me for any length of time, you know that I absolutely love to read. It has been my hobby for as long as I can remember. As a little girl, I could put down a chapter book a day if I wasn't in school. Vacations were taken with bags full of books and I would usually finish them all. When we went to Florida a few years ago, I read all my books and had to go to the store to get a few more. There is absolutely nothing more relaxing to me then sitting down with a good book.

I also love getting recommendations for books. My mom and I have similar taste in books, so we are often recommending books to one another. I've also found a lot of great blogs this past year that have suggested some great books. I will be forever thankful to Mojito Maven for blogging about The Hunger Games Trilogy. FANTASTIC. I could write a lot about those books; I don't even like science fiction but I couldn't read them fast enough. I actually was reading The Hunger Games when I found out I was pregnant but couldn't tell anyone (more on that soon). That book kept me company on a few sleepless nights when all I could think was OHMYGOSHI'MPREGNANTANDNOONEKNOWSANDOHMYGOSHI'MPREGNANT.

Anyway.

I do. I love to read. Going to the library is absolutely one of my favorite activities and it always has been. Cincinnati has a fantastic library system and the main library downtown is one of my favorite parts of living in this city. I am hoping that in the next year or so, I will get a Kindle as a gift (we're trying to save money, THANKS DAVE RAMSEY), but I really do love holding an actual book. I'm not big into buying books because I know I can get them at the library for free. Actually, I take that back. I am big into buying books that I write in, i.e. books about spiritual growth. There are a few books below that I will be buying so that I can write in them. However, most will be checked out at the library and I am totally okay with that.

This is my list of books that I want to read in 2011. I know there will be more because due to being in the car a lot (trips to Michigan, you know), I get a lot of reading done. I am so thankful that I don't get carsick when I read. I also am a very fast reader. I actually have three of these books finished already, which is why I didn't assign them to specific months. I may read three books per month, I may not even finish one. I do realize that in about 5ish weeks, a new person will be coming to live at our house and my free time will be limited, but I think that reading will give me the peaceful break that I need whenever I can get it. I will also try to review the book when I'm finished with it-- emphasis on the word TRY. I'm pretty sure I don't know what's about to hit me in 5 weeks, but you never know! I have a whole list of things I need to blog about right now and I don't have a person relying on me for their every need... not too promising! Oh, well.

Month 1-- Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks Finished!

Month 2-- The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls Finished!

Month 3-- Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Month 4-- The School for Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister Finished!

Month 5-- Oogy: The Dog Only a Family Could Love by Larry Levin

Month 6-- One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp

Month 7-- The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman

Month 8-- Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges

Month 9-- Decision Points by George W. Bush

Month 10-- Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls

Month 11-- Radical by David Platt

Month 12-- The Power of a Praying Parent by Stormie Omartian

If you have read any of these, I would love to hear your thoughts! Also, if you have any recommendations, I would love to hear those as well. I'm always looking for good book! I am on Goodreads as well-- come and find me!  

32 and 33 Weeks

I'm going to have to upload my 33 week picture later-- whoops!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 32 and 33 weeks

Size of Baby: At 32 weeks, he weighed 3.75 pounds and was the size of a large jicama, whatever the heck that is. He was also about 16 inches long. At 33 weeks, he is a little over 4 pounds and is the size of a pineapple! It honestly does feel and look like I've swallowed something that is equivalent to the size of a a whole pineapple.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 23 pounds and NO, I don't want to talk about it.

Maternity Clothes: All maternity pants (other than yoga/sweat pants) and a mix of maternity/ non-maternity shirts. I did find a random pair of pants from Gap Body that my friend Debbie gave me and I have been living in those!

Gender: Boy! I think he has a name. I might be giving into Tyler's choice... might.

Movement: He still moves a ton, but it's a lot of slower movements. I think he's getting a little cramped. Sorry, little buddy! I love feeling specific body parts, like his teeny legs and feet. Pregnancy is such an awesome miracle; I'm not sure how anyone who has been pregnant could say there isn't a God! 

Sleep: I wake up once or twice in the middle of the night. I also sleep with approximately 54 pillows which is really pleasant for Tyler.

What I Miss: I guess I miss not having a tiny person cramming his feet into my ribs. :)

Cravings: Oooooh, slurpees! I want them all the time!

Symptoms: There are things I cannot share on this blog that I am experiencing. They are not fun. I guess if I think of symptoms, I would just say that I am feeling way pregnant in every possible way. And... I love it. :)

Best Moment This Week: I had my first baby shower! I must share pictures soon and I promise I will! The shower was thrown by a dear family friend, Suzy, and it was fabulous. Suzy and her husband, Mike, are like second parents to me-- I love them so much. I actually found out I was pregnant while I was up north at their cottage this summer. It killed me not to say anything, but I'm pretty sure they just knew. I don't hide things super well. Anyway, the shower was perfect and I can't wait to post about it. One of the best parts was that their daughter, Jesse, who is absolutely one of my favorite people on Earth, flew in from Denver to surprise me. It was the BEST BEST BEST! I can't wait to share more about it, but it was an amazing day. This baby is so loved by so many people!  

31 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 31 Weeks

Size of Baby: He is over 16 inches long and weighs around 3.3 pounds. He is the size of four navel oranges and is about to start a growth spurt!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: As of Tuesday, I have gained 20 pounds. Gulp.

Maternity Clothes: All maternity pants (other than yoga/sweat pants) and a mix of maternity/ non-maternity shirts.

Gender: Boy!

Movement: He is still moving a lot and now that I know he is head down, I can identify some of his limbs! I love when he moves slowly and I can feel with my hand his little legs or knees. On Sunday, he was moving like a wild man and Tyler got to watch my belly move back and forth all on its own. It was funny to see his reaction! :)

Sleep: Oh, sleep. How I miss thee and my melatonin. I can always fall asleep super fast, but it just depends on the night whether or not I can sleep all the way through. On Thursday, I was just so exhausted that I got the best nights sleep I've had in ages. It was glorious! I think my body is just getting ready for a tiny person who doesn't care if it's 3 AM or not.

What I Miss: Sleeping on my back and not worrying about him constantly. Welcome to the rest of my life-- ha!

Cravings: Still Vernors and sweet things. I actually fluctuate between Vernors and Cherry 7 Up.

Symptoms: A little bit of heartburn and some odd pains in different places. Anytime I have ANY pain, I get nervous. I also keep running into things with my stomach. Apparently I have misjudged my size. Yesterday, I hit a kid in the head with my stomach while I was walking around the room. WHOOPS! 

Best Moment This Week: We got his crib and crib mattress! Hooray! Also, we had a fantastic doctor's appointment on Tuesday. Have I mentioned that I absolutely LOVE my doctor? Actually, there are two. They are the only ones in the practice, so it gives me a lot of peace to know my OB pretty well. We went over my birth plan with him and he was incredibly supportive of our decision to go natural-- he actually prefers to deliver naturally! I am so thankful that God provided him to deliver our son. Seriously, huge blessing. Also, I found out that a woman I work with had her second son with my doctor! We talked about him for a long time and she made me feel even more positive about him. God already has his hand on this birth-- I know that for a fact!

30 Weeks

I feel like I put a disclaimer before every picture, but here I go again. I had just found out that my childhood dog, Georgie, had died, so I am looking rough. Oh, well. I am also currently 31 weeks pregnant, so I'm almost caught up!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 30 Weeks

Size of baby: He is about 16 inches long and weighs almost 3 pounds! He is the size of a head of cabbage.

 Total Weight Gain/Loss: Still 18 pounds, but I have a feeling my scale is of the broken nature. It never fluctuates. Not sure if that is a good or bad thing!

 Maternity Clothes: All maternity pants, but a combination of maternity and normal shirts.

Gender: Boy!

Movement: He is a restless little thing! I am now to the point where I can actually feel limbs and things! CRAZY! Feeling him move has really been one of my favorite parts of pregnancy. There is nothing like it!

Sleep: I'm still waking up in the middle of the night, but last night, I slept pretty soundly. However, I was exhausted, so maybe that's the key!

What I miss: Sleeping on my back!

Cravings: I never used to be like this, but every night after supper, I always need something sweet! It doesn't have to be a lot, but I absolutely NEED something!

Symptoms: I have the occasional bout of heartburn, but thanks to the Tums that my dad gave me, it goes away pretty quickly. I also am feeling some pressure in some odd places in my stomach depending on the time of day. I'm guessing it's due to his position.

Best Moment this week: We finally picked his bedding! HALLELUJAH! It was a hard choice for me to make, but once I decided, I haven't had one second thought. I love it SO much. I can't wait to see what his room will look like when we have it all put together! I love Glenna Jean bedding and knew that I wanted something from this line. I am so tickled!

 

28 and 29 Weeks

   

I think my New Years Resolution needs to be focused on being a better blogger. Oops. I have the pictures, just not the blog entries! With the craziness that is visiting both of our families for Christmas, I actually forgot to take an actual picture for 29 weeks The picture above is from the annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Party with our friends in Michigan. I guess it's better than nothing!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 28, then 29 weeks

Size of baby: At 28 weeks, he was about 2 1/4 pounds like a Chinese cabbage! He was approximately 14.8 inches from head to heel. At 29 weeks, he is 2 1/2 pounds like a butternut squash! He is just a little over 15 inches and growing!

 Total Weight Gain/Loss: My scale still has me at 18 pounds. I feel better about this. Not great, but certainly better! I know that this is the time where the pounds really start to come on as the baby grows and grows. Yay for a growing baby! 

 Maternity Clothes: All maternity pants, but a combination of maternity and normal shirts.

Gender: Boy!

Movement: He moves a lot! He gets a little crazy in the morning and the evening and after I eat. 

Sleep: I can fall asleep very easily but am having trouble with waking up for an hour or so in the middle of the night. This has not been so fun. 

What I miss: Sleeping through the night, but I know I need to get used to my new normal! :)

Cravings: Vernors Ginger Ale! This is a Michigan based soda, but thankfully they sell it here!

Symptoms: Nothing that I can think of at the moment!

Best Moment this week: Right before Christmas, I was given the most precious gift for our baby boy. A sweet friend at my school who is a fabulous quilter made the baby a play quilt! I really need to get a picture of it to put on here. It is full of bright colors and the most fun squares that she chose. It is large and soft and will be the perfect thing for the baby to lie on while he is playing on the floor. When she gave it to me, I cried. This has not been an easy year for me at work. I actually have a fabulous and pretty easy class, but there have been some other things that have been hard. Getting this quilt was just the most precious reminder that there are people there who love and care about me and the baby. I know that in my heart, but it was so amazing to get such a tangible reminder. It is so fun to look at and think about what a special thing it will be for the baby! 

26 and 27 Weeks

I have been crazy busy, so I'm combining these updates. I am 28 weeks TOMORROW, so I thought I'd better get on the ball and post!

 

Pregnancy Highlights: 

How Far Along: 26, then 27 weeks

Size of baby: At 26 weeks, he was about a pound and two-thirds and was the length of a hothouses cucumber (I actually know what those are, thank you, Food Network), which is about 14 inches. Now at 27 weeks, he is about 2 pounds and is about 14 1/2 inches long with his legs extended. All in all, they compare him to a head of cauliflower!

 Total Weight Gain/Loss: Why did I put this part on here? Sigh. I went to the doctor on Tuesday and I have gained a total of... 18 pounds. Whew, that is hard to type. I know I'm supposed to be gaining weight, though. I asked my doctor several times if I was gaining too much weight and he assured me that he feels as though I am right on track. Alright, pity party OVER.

 Maternity Clothes: All maternity pants, but a combination of maternity and normal shirts. Gender: Boy!

Movement: He moves all the time. It's my favorite thing! I looooove that when I wake up in the middle of the night, I can always feel him rolling around in there.

Sleep: I'm still sleeping great!

What I miss: Cookie dough. I'm in the midst of all my holiday baking planning and I feel sad that I can't indulge in my favorite holiday treat (the dough).

Cravings: Food in general. That's not really anything new, though!

Symptoms: This isn't a symptom, but it's getting harder and harder to tie my shoes and put socks on. I don't do very well bending over, either. My big old belly keeps getting in the way! 

Best Moment this week: Ty and I went to Babies 'R Us on Sunday and looked at cribs and rockers. I love going in that store and thinking about how our house will be overrun with baby gear soon! We are also still working on the name and it's fun to talk over those things together. I just love the new level that this pregnancy is giving to our marriage! One sad moment was that our Bradley class met for the last time. We absolutely loved the sweet woman that taught our class and I am so thankful to have her as a resource during my pregnancy and upcoming labor. I need to write a post on the class soon! It was fantastic.

 

Thank you so much for all your sweet encouragement in many different forms about my discouragement last week. I am feeling a lot better-- thank you, Lord! I do think that a lot of it is hormones, but I also need to learn to be not so stinking sensitive! I'm working on it. :)