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.)

Some Sadness, and a Shorter-Than-Promised Update

Well I was already to write up a big long post about all this exciting baby stuff (complete with a picture or two), but my evening kind of came crashing down around me.

My husband has had a very tough and disappointing week, and my heart grew heavy for him as he poured out his frustrations.

Then, right after he left to go out with some friends, I went on Facebook and found out that one of my relatives died of a heart attack today. I don't know nearly all of my dad's cousins, but I do know this one. My sister and I grew up with that family. The man who died has a son that is my age, and I was nearly as close to him as I was with any of my first cousins. So my heart is breaking for them.

Then I went to read my favorite funny blog to cheer me up a little, and she posted that she and her husband were thinking about separating. Thankfully they decided to see a counselor, and they're going to try and work it out.

Anyway, I've only been home for two hours, and I gotta say: it's just a lot to deal with all in one short evening.

Just in case any of you were going to tell me that you're going to pray for me, I appreciate it, but just know that I'll be okay. I can handle being sad. It's the people I'm sad for that really need our prayers right now.

But I don't want to bring all you guys down with me, so I'll switch to a happier topic and give you a quick update: I'm 11.5 weeks along, and starting to show (but really only if I've eaten). I'm feeling great; much better than weeks 6-10. The nausea is almost gone completely, and I finally have my appetite back. I actually want food now. (Although, there is still plenty of food that grosses me out, and that probably won't change until after I've given birth.)

I'm a lot less cranky these days (probably because I'm not nauseated anymore. Those two symptoms are definitely linked).

I've had two doctor's appointments, and one midwife appointment, and that all went very well. My test results came back normal. I still don't have a permanent midwife, but I have another appointment with another midwife on the 20th. Hey, you can pray for that! I really want to get this midwife thing figured out, and it's taking longer than I'd like, and I'm slightly discouraged. I don't want all the midwives' schedules to fill up and then nobody can fit me in.

I haven't had to buy any new clothes, or even a belly band. I'm kind of surprised that my pants aren't too tight yet, but I'm thinking that means I'm carrying high.

I'm very very very very very glad to be done house sitting, (I know, I already said that) and even more so that I don't have to deal with that dog anymore. Everything about that dog grossed me out, to the point of wanting to gag. I made Art feed her because I couldn't stand even going near the cupboard where her food was kept.

Also, I'm happy to be settling into our apartment. Not everything is unpacked and put away, but the essentials are in place. We can live quite comfortably with the progress we've made. And we bought curtains! That's the first decorating shopping we've ever done, and I'm glad Art suggested it. I wanted to make it feel like a home, and that's a step in the right direction.

Well, I'm going to sign off now, and go check on my very first angel food cake that I just made. I really hope it turned out, because I love angel food cake, and if I ruined it.....well, that would be the last straw. Here's looking forward to tomorrow, and the knowledge that everything won't seem so bad after a good night's sleep.

BIG (Well, Little) News!

I know this isn't the proper way to do one of these posts, but it's close to bedtime, I won't have time to post tomorrow, and I don't know if the internet is working properly at the apartment (which we'll be in starting tomorrow night - one more day of house sitting left!)

Anyway, this is just a quick post (sans pictures, I'm sorry) to tell ya'll that I'm pregnant!

I'm nearly 11 weeks along, and we didn't mean to wait this long to tell the world, but it just kind of happened that way. I found out I was pregnant when I was almost six weeks along. I don't know if that's late for finding out, but this also wasn't planned. (At least, it wasn't in our immediate plan, but it was clearly in God's plan, and we always said we'd be happy no matter when it happened.)

To answer your next question, I'm due around the beginning of April. I know this might seem silly, but I don't want to tell people my exact due date (I'll explain all of that in a later post).

I'm feeling pretty good these days. Mild nausea was my constant companion, but I think that's starting to go away. I finally feel like I have an actual appetite again, and I'm also starting to have cravings. I haven't really experienced any fatigue, and I'm very grateful for that.

I know my last few posts went on and on about the "joys" of house sitting and dog sitting, but what I couldn't tell you is that everything probably seems so much worse because I'm also going through my first trimester. Everything has the potential to gross me out, or make me upset. Having to navigate all these crazy hormones while also not being in our own home is not ideal.

But we're done house sitting, and I'm feeling better, and over all, life is getting better.

Again, I'm sorry I don't have a belly picture to show you, although there isn't really much to see there anyway. I'm only showing if I eat a lot. But otherwise, my stomach is still fairly flat.

So I just wanted to quickly tell you all the happy news! Have a great long weekend!