Starting our family...symptoms and blessings

Fred and I decided that in our second year of marriage, we should start trying for a baby. We only had a small window of time to get pregnant. I wanted to still teach and so the window opened in August and it would have closed in October. I felt confident that if it was meant to be, it would happen. And it took only a few weeks to get pregnant. We did not take a pregnancy test until 6 weeks, but I knew secretly inside I was. I was in the bathtub when my feelings were confirmed. I peed on the pink stick and a few minutes later, Fred came in and read that he saw a positive pink sign. I lay back in the tub and thought about how our lives would change. It was kind of a surreal moment.

For the next few months, I had symptoms that in comparison with other pregos were pretty mild. I have had a cold for pretty much my whole pregnancy. It made it hard for me to sleep and I made weird vibrating snores on especially stuffy nights. I threw up almost every morning, usually because I gagged on my toothbrush, but sometimes I didn't make it out of the shower before it came on. It was mostly yellow, acidic bile. Very gross. It wasn't fun, but at least it only happened once a day. Other than that, if I ate on time, or didn't eat too much, I would be fine.

Our first ultrasound appointment was pretty neat, seeing the baby move for the first time. Michelle was our first midwife, but she broke her arm and we had to change to Karen McBride 8 months into the pregnancy. :( It was sad, but I guess a doctor is a doctor. When they took my blood for the first time, I could barely splash some blood in the tube. I was so dehydrated. It was hard to drink a lot at school, because bathroom escapes were not easy. He sat low on my bladder too and so I was CONSTANTLY going to the bathroom. That was one of my least favorite symptoms. Then the heartburn came. I had never had that before. Before every meal, after every meal, in between meals, anytime really, I felt this burning in my chest. Thank goodness for Tums, although chalky it may have been. On week 19 or 20, we went to a doctors appointment, and they always gave us an ultrasound to add to our cd. This time, we found out our little jellybean was a boy, and that he loved to move around. Michelle had to chase him around with the ultrasound stick. So we already had a boy and girl name picked out...Anna Claire and Fred the fifth. It was a deal breaker. I was a little sad to find out it was a boy just because every woman wants a little girl to take care of, and what if I never get one? But I am also glad it was a boy because we could get the legacy taken care of and I would not have to keep trying for a boy. Mixed feelings I guess.

Months later, I am excited to be having a boy first, although at all the baby showers, the girl clothing was so much more cuter. :( Oh well, hopefully one day. He continues to grow healthy and strong. Then I started having pains right under my chest that was kind of a numbing feeling. It was horrible. I iced it almost every night and took a bath most nights until I realized I smelled like old bathwater all the time. Then I started limiting my baths. :)

Teaching got harder and harder. Standing up was becoming so hard so I would sit behind my desk most of the day. Thank goodness for Lori Taylor and all of her help in my classroom. My students were very supportive and excited. I shared with them an ultrasound and gave them updates regularly. When it came closer tot he date, I am sure they got tired of all the extra errands I had them run for me, and all them many things I dropped and had them pick up for me.

Fred has been a gem throughout my entire pregnancy. He's had his days, but for the most part, has been so supportive and helpful. I get very emotional, especially the last two weeks of my pregnancy, and I am very needy. I couldn't, or chose not to cook. It made me sick to even smell food and standing more than I had to was never what I wanted. And so he gracefully cooked all the food, made my grits, macaroni and cheese, ice cream splits, or whatever I was craving at the time. He was my hero. And on really bad nights, he would rub my feet or play with my hair and we would watch our shows in bed. It became our hangout spot. We never ate at the table, which has become a terrible habit which we now need to break. He always holds me when I have my emotional moments, and they are many!