I wrote this blog post last week because I was hoping I
would be too busy on Thursday to write an entry. I’ve been told they have
wireless in the hospital so I thought if I already had week 40 written I could
take a break between contractions and just hit ‘post new entry” and not have to
skip a week. It turns out, I’m not busy at all. I know the majority of first
time moms go past their due date so I’m really not surprised. Tomorrow is my
due date and I have a feeling it might be a little anti-climatic! What can I
say? I have a pretty awesome uterus. Why would anyone want to leave it?
This week I am giving you a flashback to the, “Oh my gosh
we’re going to have a baby” moment that changed everything.
It was the middle of December and Seth and I had recently
started trying to get pregnant. I was on full alert with my body and paying
attention to every little symptom. On around December 12th I
remember I made a lame joke to Seth that I was feeling a funny fluttering
feeling on the left side of my uterus. I said it was either my body gearing up
for menstrual cramps or our baby was attaching to the left side of my uterine
wall. I was completely kidding about being able to feel the fertilized egg
attach to my uterus. I was just trying to find a light-hearted way to tell
Seth that I was pretty sure I was going to be getting my period soon.
However, throughout that week I noticed a couple more
symptoms that were just enough to make me curious. I had two dizzy spells and
when I was about to take a bite of my oatmeal on Wednesday I had a 20 second
wave of nausea. Also throughout the week I kept feeling that same fluttering on
my left side. On Thursday morning the fluttering was so strong that I started Googling
what it could mean. Of course you can diagnose yourself with anything after
doing an Internet search, so I was finding sources telling me I was feeling
implantation cramps. It was a little hard to believe that I would actually be
able to feel that happening, but I was hoping I was pregnant, so I didn’t want
to completely discount it.
For dinner that night Seth made us Tuna sandwiches. I
started feeling nauseous after I finished my sandwich but I didn’t think too
much of it at first. I don’t eat Tuna very often so maybe it just wasn’t
agreeing with me. Then my brain started going into a crazy overdrive as I
started tallying up all the weird things that had been happening to me that
week. I also realized I hadn’t felt any of the “day before” period cramps and
my always punctual period was scheduled for the following day.
I decided on impulse that I would just go take a test so I
could stop my brain from going crazy. I am one of those girls who always
imagines how the significant events in my life will play out. When we started
trying to get pregnant I envisioned all the different ways we could find out we
were pregnant. Should I take the test without Seth so I could surprise him
in an extravagant way? Should we take the test together and jump up and down
simultaneously?
In my impulsive moment I didn’t tell Seth I was going to
take a test because I figured I was just making everything up in my head. I
thought I would take the test, see it was negative, and apologize afterward for
wasting $8.00. I took the test and as I waited the two minutes for it to
process I prayed and I remember saying, “Lord, the timing of this is in your
hands and it’s ok if I’m not pregnant.” I was setting myself up for
disappointment so I wouldn’t be too sad when it undoubtedly only had one pink
line. I picked up the test and saw two very distinct lines. I remember I
gasped, put my hand over my mouth, and smiled up at myself in the mirror as if
I was celebrating with someone! It was so dorky!
When I ran out of the bathroom Seth was sitting in an
armchair looking up sports scores. The poor guy got ambushed! I sprinted over
to him and fell to my knees at his side. I was bawling as I shoved the test in
his face. He did the fastest double take I have ever seen anyone do and said, “Huh?
What is that? Wait? ARE YOU PREGNANT????” I just kept crying and shaking my
head yes. He jumped up, threw his fists in the air and started running laps
around the living room while he screamed, “WOOOOOOO!”
Since Seth’s parents live in San Diego and we wouldn’t be
seeing them until closer to Christmas, he called them right away to share the
news. We were going down to see my parents and brother the next day to
celebrate Christmas so I hatched a plan of how we would tell them. I went out
and bought three onesies and wrapped one up for each of them. When we got to my
parents’ house I couldn’t even make eye contact with my mom. I just kept
bouncing around from room to room waiting for my dad and brother to get home. My
heart was racing with excitement and I felt like I was on the verge of just
spilling everything to her.
Once my dad and brother arrived I tried to steer us to
opening presents right away. I accessed the best “lying” skills I have and said
Seth and I had a couple joke gifts that we should start with because they
were just for fun. I said they all had to open them at the same time. My
brother got his open first and I saw his eyes shoot up to me as his whole body
started to jump off the couch. Then he saw my parents were still working on their
wrapping paper and he froze waiting for them to finish. My dad got his open
next and he exploded from his chair thrusting his onesie in the air. At this
point my mom was getting really confused because she had seen my brother start
to react and then was trying to figure out why my dad was crying. Then she
looked back down at her box that was finally open and she started clapping and
screaming.
Telling Seth and then telling my family were two of the
best moments of my life. I have a feeling that there will be another moment to
add to that list very soon. One of my dearest friends who is a mother of four
sent me a text this week that said,
“There is nothing like this experience for a woman. You are going to be
amazed at the love that pours over you and the fullness that you feel in your
heart when you hold that precious baby.”
To say I am excited is a complete and total understatement.
What was it like for you when you got to share the big news?
To those of you who have joined me as I let my
inner-monologue run wild, I want to say thank you. Writing this blog has been
one of the most enjoyable parts of this whole pregnancy. It’s been such a treat
to enjoy this life stage with you. I am going to continue writing every week
and instead of writing about how my little one has hijacked my body, I will get
to share with you how he/she has hijacked my life…in a good way.
Blessings,
Shantastic
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