I'm merely following the crowd

Because Jennifer said Swistle said to share how we found out we were pregnant, I'm going to do just that...



We had been trying for a few months. I think we started trying in January of 2000. I remember this because I began having KILLER KNOCK-ME-OUT-WITH-NARCOTICS MIGRAINE HEADACHES. By April, I was accustomed to the swing of headaches, when I should expect them, their intensity and duration.



The Mighty Hunter's mother was in the final phases of her terminal leukemia. She was at home, not going many places. Accepting visitors as she was capable of tolerating. We were spending every possible minute with her. We were that she would live long enough to see her first grandchild. (spoiler: she saw the first ultrasound, but that was all.)



My brother's wife was expecting their third child, due early in May.



In our part of Alabama, churches that have cemetaries have a Sunday (or Saturday sometimes) set aside for special services. Here in North Alabama, we call it Decoration. Further south, it is called Homecoming. Decoration at our church is always on Mother's Day.



Yes, Mother's Day. (Which is great for those whose mothers are in attendance - living or otherwise. But for those like myself, whose mother's are elsewhere, it's not so lovely.)



A few days prior to Mother's Day, I had my annual gynecologist exam. It was scheduled on the day I expected to start my period. They did a pregnancy test - negative. I didn't start that day.



I didn't start the next day.


By Mother's Day, I still had not started. The Mighty Hunter had already begun teasing me that I was pregnant.



I told him, in no uncertain terms, that I could not be pregnant because I had not ovulated. I was late because of stress. My cycle was irregular in length. yak yak yak. blah blah blah. bilthering of the crazy already pregnant Gal. But to prove him wrong - WRONG, I say - I bought a test on Saturday.

You are probably thinking that I had been doing something to determine my cycle length, ovulation day, etc. You know, basal temperature, mucus check, etc. Nope. I did none of that. I just KNEW.

Mother's Day morning, I woke up early because I had to pee like a racehorse. I remembered the test and peed on my stick. As I sat there - ahem - finishing my business. I might have fallen back to sleep. (I am known to sleep-pee from time to time. Thankfully, I usually sleep-walk to the toilet before I begin sleep-peeing.)

I have no idea how long I waited, since I may have been asleep during some of that time. But before I returned to bed, I looked at the stick.

Two lines. Two very clear lines.

You're probably wondering how quickly I ran to the bedroom, awakened The Sleeping Hunter to tell him of the exciting, thrilling, wonderful news.

I didn't exactly run. You could probably describe what I did as sitting, with my pjs around my ankles, stunned and almost silent. I muttered an incredulous "oh crap" and slipped back in bed without waking The Sleeping Hunter.

I lay there, awake, mourning my existence as a mostly carefree adult until he woke and made his trip to the bathroom. I had left the double-barreled weapon test stick on the counter, close to the toilet. When he returned to bed, he snuggled up to me.

Did you see the thing on the counter?

what thing?

The pregnancy test. (preparing myself to eat my serving of crow)

no.... You're pregnant, aren't you? I told you. I told you. I told you. Nanee-nanee-booboo.

Yes, dangit. I'm pregnant. You were right. I was wrong. Shut up. Scoot up close and snuggle while you still can before I explode into a pregnant whale.



We got up and dressed and went to his parent's house to share the news and be with the family.

Mom, Dad, we have something to tell you....

his mom: She's pregnant.

I wish I could say that his mother's answer held enthusiasm and excitement and joy and sunshine and butterflies and unicorns and rainbows. It didn't. It was the answer of the grandmother who knew she would never see her grandchild. It was sad. It was... resigned.

When we went to see my mother later that day, we played charades. Her reaction was everything I dreamed.

(My mother-in-law passed away June 30, 2000 - my mother's birthday. She never met either of my children. But I make myself feel better about it all by thinking that she watched over them, from her seat in the choir in Heaven, until they came out kicking and screaming.)

Without having ever seen her grandmother, Stinkerbell has some behaviors that are clear reminders of her. It's uncanny. It's wonderful.

Oh, and that ovulation date that I "didn't have" - it was tax day. The same day that a friend of mine went into rehab for pain medication addiction. It's easy to remember at least!



My story about finding out about my second pregnancy with Lucky is fodder for another post.