Eight Weeks and Counting...

So here I sit, after over five years of marriage, two months pregnant.  We have chosen to leave our wonderful, easy, self-centered, financially stable lives behind to embrace the chaos that is parenthood.  Something tells me I am way in over my head.  After all, I have never even changed a diaper. 

I have decided to share some answers to a few common questions that I have been on the receiving end of lately.  Here goes….

Question #1: Do you have a gut feeling (literally) about the gender of the baby?

Answer:  Yes, I am 99% sure this baby is a boy.  However, Jonah is certain that we are having a girl.  So certain, indeed, that he already has a beautiful name picked out for her.

Question # 2: How far along are you?

Answer:  8 weeks, 4 days, and 17 hours

Question # 3: Do you have specific cravings?

Answer:  First of all, I have discovered it is possible to be hungry and nauseas at the same time.  I crave carbohydrates…pure and simple.  Favorites include bread, french fries, and pasta.  I also eat a meal every two hours during the day.  I find that if I am always eating I am less likely to throw up.  Oh, and I also eat a small meal at 3:00 in the morning when I can.  I find that this helps my stomach stabilize which makes it easier to get through the work day.  So, I literally eat my way around the clock. 

Question # 4:  How did Jonah react?

Answer:  First of all, let me give you a little background.  I found out I was pregnant the one week of the year that Jonah was literally unreachable.  Jonah was in Alaska during the last week of August on vacation with his family.  He had very weak cell phone reception, although looking back I probably wouldn’t have called him with this news. I knew I was pregnant for five whole days before I was able to share the news with Jonah upon his return.  What a homecoming!  His first words were, “What, you’re pregnant?”  His confusion and concern quickly turned to excitement. 

Question # 5: How long did you try to get pregnant?

Answer:  I almost feel guilty saying this, because I have friends who tried for a long time before conceiving and friends that are still trying to conceive.  Honestly, though, it took us one month to get pregnant.  We feel grateful that we didn’t go through the painstaking process of trying and failing for a number of months. 

Question # 6: How are you feeling?

Answer:  Let me preface my response by saying that I am not a complainer.  However, I feel I have earned the right to say just a few words.  Being nauseas 24/7 is literally depressing.  I only broke down twice, but I endured six really rough weeks.  I am hopeful now that I am getting over this stage. I am sharing this because if anyone else who is newly pregnant reads this blog I want them to know that it will get easier and, at some point, you will start to feel human again.

Question # 7:  How did you react when you found out you were pregnant?

Answer:  Looking back and knowing what I know now about typical symptoms of early pregnancy, I should have known before I even took the test.  However, I will gladly describe my reaction.   Here was the scene:  it was a typical Thursday at work, August 26^th, until I felt like I was going to get sick.  And then I did get sick - twice.  My friend Kristen had a pregnancy test on hand and suggested that I take it just to “rule it out.”  I took it knowing that it would be negative.  After all, who gets pregnant that fast?  I thought I came down with the flu.  I took it and I remembering saying to myself out loud as I was about to view the results, “It’s going to be negative.”  When I saw those two lines (one bold and one very faint) I was so overwhelmed that I literally threw the test down on the bathroom counter.  Thank God I had a friend there to process this information with me.  I remember having a hard time catching my breath and I kept saying, “I can’t believe it.”  There were tears of both panic and joy.

This concludes the question and answer portion of the session.  I want to wrap up this blog post by saying thanks to all of my friends and family who have showered me with support and encouragement over the past month.  I have received so many congratulations cards and phone calls.  This means so much to me especially during my really nauseas days!  Thanks for reading and stay tuned!  Who knows what next week will bring in a day in the life of the pregnant girl next door!