8 Weeks 5 days

Pregnancy has not been all flowers and sunshine. I do not feel the happiest nor the healthiest I've ever been in my life. The women that told you you'd feel like a million bucks, they lied. I'm sure there are some women out there that feel amazing. Gosh I wish I was one of them.

Pregnancy has made me absolutely miserable. I throw up at least 3 times a day and if I'm not throwing up I feel like I'm going to. I have to pee again before I've even left the bathroom and I haven't slept more than 3 hours in a row in 4 weeks.

No one ever told me how lousy I'd feel. I guess if they tell you have miserable the first trimester really is you won't get pregnant.

The last month has been a real roller coaster. Getting the house ready for sale has been a lot of work. My husband has been wonderfully attentive and has bent over backwards to make sure I (and baby) get whatever I need.

We've made it past the most scary part of the first trimester. Our chances of miscarriage have now dropped down to about 5%. Did you know that 1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage? Well, they do. Talk about a lot of pressure on a woman and her uterus!

We told our parents a couple weeks ago, which means most of my parents' friends know now too. Several of our friends have been told but we're keeping it really quiet until we get through the first trimester. I guess that means we're doing our best to keep it off Facebook.

Party Time

We just found out we're pregnant and we're going to a party with a bunch of friends. None of them have children and most aren't even paired off in long-term relationships.

It isn't that we're too young to be having children. We're in our early 30's and both have good jobs. We even own a home (well, condo). It is just that most our friends just aren't having kids. Most the people I know that are my age already have several kids or aren't going to have them. Our social crowd seems to have split into two groups: those with and those without.

So here we are, at a party with this news hanging over us and we're supposed to behave like nothing is going on. Of course I'm seriously nauseated and barely keeping anything down, and I now have to find a way to dodge drinking at this party.

Not more than 30 minutes into the party we get asked the typically newlywed question by the first attendee, "When are you having kids?" My husband hears the question from across the room and his eyes meet mine. He's waiting for the answer so he knows how the rest of the evening will go.

I just smiled and laughed, and said we're thinking about it. My husband nods his hear and continues about his conversation.

I tour their house and start feeling anxious. They have an actual yard and spare rooms. They look like they might be planning on having kids eventually (at least based off their new very large home). I realize our condo is just not the place I want to raise our kids.

After fielding the "are you going to have kids" question at least 6 more times we decide it's late and time to go home. We get into the car and we look at each other. "We need to move" tumbles out of both of our mouths. I'm so lucky that my husband and I are so well matched.

Now not only are we expecting our first child but we're going to buy a new house. Let it never be said that we do things halfway!

Pregnant?!?

My husband and I weren't really trying to get pregnant but we weren't really trying not to either. I was tracking my cycles and I had stopped taking birth control. We used protection when I was supposed to be ovulating. We weren't going to actively start trying until next year. We wanted to move to a new house and go one one more big trip before we settled down and gave up our single lives.

That all went out the window pretty quickly. Baby had other ideas.

My period wasn't even late but I felt nauseas and tired and was worried I might be getting the flu. Our friends had recently moved to a great new place and were throwing their first backyard summer bash that evening. I didn't want to go if I was really coming down with something. I hate it when people show up to social events and spread their disgusting cold germs.

I sat down at my computer and did a little googling. I thought about my symptoms and the pieces started to fall into place pretty quickly. Congestion CHECK. Breast tenderness DOUBLE CHECK. Nausea CHECK. Exhaustion CHECK. Crying for no reason CHECK. Something just felt different.

I had a pregnancy test I'd purchased months before but had never used. My internal dialogue went something like this: Why no just take it? It will probably be negative and I can just curl up in bed with a good book and stay in for the evening. I was wrong. 

No more than 30 seconds after I peed on that little stick was there a bright blue line. I was pregnant! Holy crap. It must be wrong! This wasn't what I planned. I decided to reread the directions. Yep, all signs point toward pregnant. Well this is just dandy.

My husband is yelling for me. We're supposed to be leaving. We're going to be late. CRAP! I'm not one for secrets. No reason to deal with this huge news on my own. I open the bathroom door and say "We need to talk. I think I'm pregnant". Poor husband was blindsided. "Really? Are you sure? Let me see that." He takes the pregnancy test and proceeds to read the directions. "Did you do it right?" Did I do it right?!? Its peeing on a stick. I'm an intelligent woman. I can pee on a stick correctly...can't I??

The news settles in a bit and we look at each other. OK. I guess this is it. My husband starts to look happy. He's going to be a dad. He hugs me and asks "Are we still going to the party?" No reason not to. My whole world hasn't just been turned upside down or anything. 

We stop at the pharmacy on the way to the party and pick up some prenatal vitamins and another box of pregnancy tests to use later. We want to be sure. We splurge on the kind with a digital readout just to be sure we're reading the results right.

This party is going to be a blast...