Finally: The Post You've All Been Waiting For!

So here follows the story of when we found out that we're having a baby:

Let's rewind to the latter half of July. Mari started packing her stuff that week, and I started organizing a lot of our stuff to start packing that same week. Our house was utter chaos. We had our anniversary that week, July 19. I was actually expecting my period on that day, but it didn't show up. And it didn't show up the next day either. Or the next.

I didn't really give it much thought. I still felt like I was going to get my period, and I knew I was starting to get stressed about moving. It just made sense to me that I was late. It's not the first time it has happened.

When I was fully one week late, I started to get suspicious. I noticed that my appetite started doing some strange things. I would get suddenly and ravenously hungry only a couple of hours after I had eaten, and then I would nibble a little bit, and be completely disinterested in food for the next few hours. It just seemed weird. So I bought a pregnancy test, but only to confirm that I wasn't pregnant, so I could stop thinking about it, and concentrate on moving.

I didn't take the test right away, because Art and I were cranky and tired from moving every day, and we wanted to be in the right frame of mind when I took the test. Then 0n Thursday July 29, when I was 10 days late, I came home from work, kissed Art hello, and he told me "I think you should take the test."

So I went to the bathroom, ripped open the box, carefully read the instructions, and took the test. It was one of those sticks that shows either a plus sign or a negative sign. The plus sign showed up right away. (As in, I wasn't even done peeing yet.) In my naiveté, I thought, "The negative sign will probably show up soon. The instructions said to wait two minutes, and it's only been eight seconds."

I carefully laid the stick down, washed my hands, and waited. After a minute had passed, it dawned on me that the plus sign was not going to go away. I slowly brought the test upstairs to where Art was waiting on the couch (and probably going out of his mind). When he asked me the result, that's when I started crying. "It's.......POSITIVE!" I was shocked, and wasn't sure what to think or how to feel. I just kept saying, "This can't be real! I can't believe this is real!"

Remember, we weren't planning to have a baby for another couple of years, and I was a little bit scared at first. Were we ready? Would we be okay? Was God aware that we were in the process of moving into a one bedroom apartment? How would this all pan out?

Art didn't say anything for a long time. He just stared at the stick with a boyish grin on his face. Finally, when he spoke, I think his first words were, "Let me see the directions." So I fetched the box, and showed him that this could not possibly be a false positive. This was happening. We're having a baby.

At that point (if I'm being completely honest), I still wasn't sure if I was happy or not. I was trying to let the reality of it sink in, and then I looked at Art and said, "I have no idea what I'm supposed to do now!" I literally didn't know what the next step was supposed to be. What do you do after you find out your pregnant?

Since we didn't have internet at our place anymore, the next day at work I discreetly opened up a window in the corner of my screen so no one could see, went on Google, and typed in "I'm pregnant: What now?" True story. Google was very helpful, and soon I was looking to see where I could make a doctor's appointment. I may or may not have been extremely under-productive that morning. :)

I was also grinning to myself at work all that day. It didn't take me long to accept our new future, and I decided I was going to be overjoyed, because even if this wasn't our timing, it's clearly God's timing. This is part of His plan, children are a blessing from Him, and I know He'll take care of us.

I also took about six or seven due date calculators online, and figured I was nearly six weeks along. (Seriously, did I do any work that day?) As of today, I'm around 12 weeks, and I have about one more week before I start my second trimester!

So that's the story. And now: pictures!!!!!!!!!

This first picture is of me at 8.5 weeks (taken in the bathroom of the place we were house sitting at).

Here I am at 10 weeks.

Before you all freak out at how big my belly is, know that this is me at 11 weeks, PLUS FOOD. I took this picture, on purpose, right after I ate a gloriously huge dinner at Olive Garden, to show you what a big difference a little food can make.

This is me today, at about 12 weeks. I took this picture right before breakfast, to get the most accurate belly. Once I start eating for the day, it pokes way out there.

Keep your eyes peeled for the next post, when I tell you about all my fun pregnancy symptoms! (Teaser: I can't believe how much my life revolves around food now. No matter how I'm feeling, I've always got food on the brain.)