Celebrations

Two days ago I finally broke down and took a pregnancy test. Jeff and I had been trying for a while to get pregnant, but "life" just seemed to get in the way. I had taken pregnancy tests before and had gotten my hopes up (just like most women that are trying to conceive) and several times I had to stare at that single line on the pregnancy test (clearly labeled on the test as "Not Pregnant"). I know rejection is part of life, but when you want something so badly and are so ready for it and you see that one single line, it's hard to swallow.

New Orleans had been in a perpetual state of celebration since around November 2009 - our Saints were having their best season EVER and the holidays were right around the corner....then we made it to the Super Bowl - and WON THE SUPERBOWL which made way for more excitement in the air! It also happened that Mardi Gras was only one week after the Superbowl this year...needless to say, our City was on a high like never before! Jeff and I certainly enjoyed all of the celebrations during this time...with me keeping in the back of my mind that we were still "trying".

Mardi Gras came and went and slowly our City started settling back in and we all tried to remember what our "normal" routines were. In January, I quit my job at Lambeth House and started working at one of Jeff's gym's part time. It was fine at first, but then left little time for studying for my personal training certification. After the hooplah of the Superbowl and Mardi Gras died down, Jeff and I decided that I would stay home full time so that I could study and get this certification under my belt.

During this time, I noticed that I was feeling dizzy at random times. I thought maybe it was because I was hungry (which, if you know me well, you know that I'm ALWAYS hungry) - so I didn't think much of it. It was also during this time that I started suspecting that we just might have succeeded in making a Superbowl/Mardi Gras baby...other changes started happening in my body (womanly changes that don't usually happen around that time of the month). So I just kept checking on these changes and didn't mention a word of it to anyone...not even to Jeff - I didn't want to jinx anything.

About a week ago we noticed another strange thing happening to me...I couldn't sleep. Jeff often jokes that I can fall asleep anywhere and sleep through just about anything...which WAS true. A week ago I started waking up at 5 am and then it was 3am and could not go back to sleep to save my life. I tried chamomile tea, watching boring TV, reading, warm milk...you name it, and I'm sure I tried it. Nothing seemed to be able to lull me back to dream land. I think that's when Jeff started getting a little suspicious.

It was a few days before I was supposed to start my period and thanks to the wonderful world of science, there are pregnancy tests that will tell you if you're pregnant up to 6 days before your missed period. To the men out there - this is a big deal when you're waiting and waiting to find out! So on March 3rd I woke up and decided to take the test. I was so nervous (and exhausted from waking up at 3am). So i peed on the little stick and anxiously awaited the results. One line turned pink immediately (which is supposed to happen to let you know the test isn't defective)....then....the faintest of faint second line appeared. In the next 3 minutes the line got a little darker.....HOT DOG, WE DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PREGGO!

I'm not sure how I waited until Jeff woke up to tell him the news. We were both in a state of disbelief and even though the test was positive, we didn't want to get our hopes up in case it was, by some slight chance, wrong. So before I went to work, I stopped at the drug store and bought another test. Jeff must have asked me about a dozen times that day if and when I was going to take the second test! The instructions say it's best to take it in the early morning, so I waited until the next day to take it. Since I was up at 3am the next morning, I peed on the stick again....results...I was 2 for 2!!!! Positively Preggo!