Pregnant!

At a friend's request, I have decided to start a blog to keep track of the stages of our first pregnancy. And after 4 months of TTC (trying to conceive), we finally get a BIG FAT POSITIVE on the pregnancy tests.

I was beginning to think something was wrong, because a part of you always thinks that if you just stop taking precautions, pregnancy will be inevitable. All those months spent using condoms, taking the pill, etc., make you believe that pregnancy just happens when you are ready for it to happen. But I can tell you that those 3 failed attempts at TTC taught me a lot about myself and about conception.

The longest weeks for me were those between when we tried and when old Aunt Flo would show up. It's amazing what you can learn about your body when you pay attention. I had never spotted before my period before, but for 3 months in a row, I would experience days of spotting leading up to my period. One of the signs of a possible pregnancy is spotting, so every time I saw just a little bit of blood (rather than my typical rush), I would get my hopes up. And then a few days later, I would be terribly disappointed. I spent money on many pregnancy tests and constantly went through the disappointment of watching for a line that would never show.

During this last month, I got a call from my doctor regarding my recent yearly pap. The results were slightly abnormal, and to be safe, she wanted me to come in for a colposcopy -- which I found out basically is a cervical biopsy. Talk about uncomfortable. They actually cut parts of your cervix off, and to make matters worse, you constantly have to cough so they can get a good piece. (Let me just tell you it is never harder to cough than when you are lying on your back waiting for someone to poke at you with a sharp medal object!) The results were normal, but as a result of this procedure, you are not allowed to have sex for a few days, and this was supposed to be the few days that we were ovulating. So I chalked it up to another missed month of TTC, and went on with my business of monitoring my fluids and waiting for Aunt Flo to arrive.

Remember how I said TTC teaches you things about your body you never noticed? Remember how I spotted in those few days leading up to Aunt Flo? This month, no spotting. Flo was due October 12th (Friday), and as of Thursday evening, I was having dull cramps but no sign of Flo. I couldn't bear the disappointment of another negative pregnancy test, but it was the weekend and I just needed to know. So Friday morning, I took a test with my first-morning urine (which is the most concentrated) and I set it down and walked away from it. I couldn't bear to sit and watch for a line that wouldn't show, so I left the room. When I came back 5 minutes later, I nearly choked on my gasp! 2 lines! 2 very clear lines, not faint lines -- a strong line!

Still in shock, I bought a digital pregnancy test on my way to work. I waited a few hours and tested again and, yep, still pregnant!

Needless to say, we are shocked by the news. We can't believe we are actually expecting a baby! We haven't told many people yet, because it is still so early, but our close friends know, and so does his family. I am not sure when to tell my family. We won't all be together until Thanksgiving, but at least by then I will be further along. Then again, if anything were to happen, I would need their love and support. I will keep you posted on that.

Until then, keep us in your prayers.