Finding Out or "How Did that Happen?!"

When we announced our pregnancy to our parents, one of the first questions my mother-in-law asked was "How did that happen?" We all laughed; a few inappropriate jokes were made; I blushed; and we moved on to discussing ridiculous baby names. You know, as you do.

We all know "how" it happens, (if you don't, please email me and I will explain the birds and the bees to you). I don't need to go into any explanation there. But I think the better question is "How and when did we come to the decision to start a family?" I think that's a fair and important question.

For the past year we've both known we were getting closer and closer to wanting a baby. I'm the first to admit that we basically treat our dog like a human child, and working together to "raise" Zoey was a real great lesson for us in parenting and cooperation between each other. With the idea that we'd start trying around the end of 2012, I stopped taking my birth control pill in October. I wanted to be off any and all birth control for at least three months before trying.
Bye-Bye BC

At first we thought we'd start trying at the end of December, but we were in Disney World sharing a room with my sister that week (hi sis!!) so that turned into January. Which was fine, because I had to wait until after my scheduled Lasik surgery anyway, so that became end of January. Then end of January/early February ended up being exactly 9 months away from one of my best friend's weddings and so before we knew it, it was March. It was one of those things that seemed so exciting, and we seemed so ready, but when the time actually came it was so easy to say "let's just wait one more month." But by the end of February, we were sick of putting it off. Those few months of waiting gave both of us a lot of time to think about it, and come to terms with the fact that we were ready for this next phase of our lives. We had our lives to live! There will always be weddings, there will always be trips and life events, and always "something" for us to wait just "one more month". We were ready, and we'd have to just deal with it as it came.

I tracked my cycles through the Ladytimer and Fertility Friend Mobile apps. We started trying the beginning of March with the thought that it would probably take 3 or 4 months before I'd get pregnant. 20 days later, I stood in our bathroom with a positive pregnancy test. I was happy, and shocked. Wow - that happened fast.

The crazy thing about discovering your pregnant is that, if you're patient enough to wait until a day or two after your missed period, you're already considered 4 weeks pregnant! You've already knocked one month off of the 9 (really 10) month process and you didn't even know!

I always imagined the moment I'd see my positive pregnancy test would be a joyous, jump-up-and-down "OMG!" exciting moment. But for us, that's not how it went. Of course we were excited but, for one: I already knew I was pregnant before taking the test. I could just tell that I was from various symptoms and so the test was just this confirmation for me, rather than this big shocking, revealing moment. Second: Our approach to this news was described best by Chris as "cautious". At only 4 weeks, we knew that anything could happen at any moment and while we were both excited, we didn't allow ourselves to get too caught up in anything before things were confirmed fine for us by a doctor. A bit anti-climatic, but that's how it went. We kind of walked around in a stupefied haze for a week, knowing it was true, but yet still so skeptical.

Chris asked me to take another test one week later. He wanted to be doubly sure and I don't blame him. I had all these symptoms that I was feeling, it was happening to me...but for the guy? He has nothing to go off of but a wife that says she feels tired, or hungry, and honestly is that really all that different from everyday life?! At least, not really for us, haha! I tested again a week later, this time with the ClearBlue digital test. There's something about seeing the word "pregnant" very clearly on a test that seems so much more definite than two pink, barely visible lines.

At eight weeks, we showed up to my doctor together for my first sonogram. It was just a little speck, but it was all the confirmation we needed to know that yes...the tests were right, and this was indeed happening.

And so that's "how it happened" without going too far into detail on the "how it happened" ;)

Comments

  1. So cute! Amazing that you hit a home run your first time up to bat. ;) Kenley was a COMPLETE surprise, so my "finding out" story is quite a bit different!

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    1. Yes, we were lucky it was so easy for us...and apparently easy for you two as well! I remember reading your finding out story, I bet that feels like a lifetime ago.

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  2. That is so cute! Our families never asked us questions like that, which was kind of a good thing because not all family members knew that we had been going through fertility treatments. Having family be so excited is one of the most fun things!

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    1. Oh my goodness...we're only two weeks behind each other!! Congratulations! Heading over to catch up on all your bumpdates and stuff now

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  3. That's great that you were able to get pregnant so quickly. For us it happened the first time we sorta "tried" or rather didn't try NOT to. I knew I was ovulating and was like "well let's just see if this works" and it did. haha. I had convinced my husband it would take a LONG time so he was stunned that i happened that fast.

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    1. That's just like us! I kept telling Chris "well, it will take a few months, so maybe by summer" so that's why we just kind of walked around stunned for the first few days/weeks. I'm happy it happened quickly though. I would have worked myself up too much if it took awhile, and would have probably become obsessed with knowing all the answers and such.

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  4. Ha, I've always wondered what it's like for the guy!! They know you're pregnant, they eventually see the changes in your body - but it's got to be strange. I'm glad you guys were able to get pregnant fast as well - I know a few friends who have struggled. Hopefully things will also work out well for us when we go down that road!!

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    1. Yea, Chris was convinced that I didn't do the first test right. That I didn't put the cap back on the end at the appropriate time so it threw the whole thing off or something. Or if I didn't lay it completely flat on a surface like it said in the directions, it clearly was wrong. LOL, he just wanted to be 100,000% sure it was true. I do hope that your experience is an easy and exciting one when you start trying!

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  5. Whoa! That was quick! But apparently that's how it was supposed to go for you guys! And it's always funny to see how you react to a situation especially when you think that you are going to act one way.

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    1. It certainly was quick! It's just so hard to know..cause you hear all these stories - and some people have trouble and others don't and until you just start trying, you have no idea what to expect. Reactions are always interesting - I remember at the time thinking "this isn't how it's supposed to be...I'm supposed to be jumping for joy and we're supposed to be crying and etc. etc." but for goodness sake..I can't micro-manage everything, especially honest reactions. If cautious and subdued was how we were at the time...then that's just how it is!

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  6. Great post! I'd love to hear more about the symptoms and signs that can help you tell even before taking the test and how they're different from the usual tired/hungry feelings.

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    1. Good question Heather: I was so afraid that I would be "the girl who cried pregnant" Swearing up and down that I was pregnant from "this symptom" and "that symptom" and then ..well..not be. I had a few signs that made me feel like I was...and really the biggest one was just plain intuition. I just "felt" different...I just "felt" like something was "going on" even if I couldn't explain exactly what it was or put it into words.

      However the others signs were the following:
      The week leading up to when I was supposed to get my period, my lower back was really sore and cramping...which is not usually a symptom I get. I had to keep bending over to stretch it out constantly. It was sore for 6 days straight.

      I had one glass of wine with friends one week after we started trying (I have a post about this..most people live by the "drink till it's pink" rule and nothing would have affected the baby at this point). The next morning..I felt like I had drank an entire bottle. I was soo hungover from one measly glass of wine.

      And of course...when my normally on time period was a day late, by the time I took the test I was pretty certain. Hmmm...I have a whole other post here!

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  7. It's a miracle! If being hung over from one glass of wine is a symtpom of pregnancy then I must be pregnant.....all the time!!!!!!! Well, you know all about "how it happened" with you and now you have a story to tell Little Italy. Do you know the conception date? Great story!

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  8. Wow that was fast...I also got pregnant after the first try...I really thought it would take a bit longer...:-)

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