Hello little blog of mine.
We’ve been through a lot together and while I have thought about deleting you often (just last night), I decided to give it one last go to see if maybe I could get back into the swing of writing. + with this major life change (hi baby!), I may regret not being able to look back on this journey like I can for so many others in my life (my young 20′s, engagement, wedding...)!
So here I am, 20 weeks pregnant! I know they say time flies and I’ve witnessed it before, but time is truly soaring by and before I know it I will have a tiny human to call my own. But let’s go back to the beginning.
We found out we were pregnant on March sixth. Brandon was in the kitchen cooking dinner, and I was upstairs deciding whether or not to take a test. I had already taken two with (false) negatives and knew I took them way too early. Should I waste another test? The answer was yes, why not! So I yelled down the stairs letting Brandon know I was going to try again. Those three minutes of waiting surprisingly went fast, but truth be told, I already knew, it was positive! In our tiny bathroom on the second floor, we found out we were going to be parents!
[We are very fortunate that we had no issues conceiving and don’t take that for granted knowing how difficult it can be for some couples, a few close to our hearts. We feel so blessed.]
From the moment we found out, I already had a handful of pregnancy symptoms. I couldn’t drink my beloved cup of coffee anymore without it making me sick and nausea had already set up camp and stayed for the next several weeks. But the worst symptom of all, the raging hormones! I am still battling those daily and have an inkling they won’t be going away even postpartum.
Brandon and I decided to tell our family as soon as we could but we wanted to do it in person. I kept my little secret for nearly two weeks, and if you know me, you know I talk to my sister no less than ten times a day, so this was no easy task. Finally on St. Patrick’s Day we shared the lucky news with my family and then a few weeks later, we spilled the beans on Easter (get it?) to Brandon’s family. The weeks to follow, we told our closest friends until we made the news public in May.
Back to my symptoms, in late March with a weakened immune system I had the worst sinus infection mixed with nausea + dry heaving and surely doubted why I wanted this. It was pure torture. The feeling of wanting to vomit but your body refusing you that relief. And just when you feel like “yes, I can eat whatever I want now that I am pregnant” you can’t. Everything tasted awful and toast + crackers became my breakfast, lunch and dinner. Eventually, I was able to eat again but was in complete survival mode and only ate what I could stomach i.e. burgers, fries, pizza, Eggo waffles. See a trend? Carbs! Finally, I was able to let fruit back into my life, and since then it has been a staple craving.
Despite being ill all day long, I had to continue showing up for work during our most busiest of seasons and still had house-to-do’s that needed to be completed. Luckily, I had Brandon. He ran to the store, at all hours, for whatever I needed (mostly popsicles). He found every ginger flavored item in the city to try to relieve my nausea (turns out, I despise ginger anything except in the form of ginger ale).
At week 7 of the pregnancy, we had our first doctors appointment and it was the first time we laid eyes on our baby. A little bean! Hearing the heartbeat made every symptom disappear. I’d do it all over again (x a thousand) just to see and hear our baby. Before we knew it, it was week 12, almost the end of the dreaded first trimester and we got to see our baby again. This time s/he looked less like a bean, a little more like an alien but beautiful nonetheless! Our child.
The second trimester was just as everyone said, heavenly! No more constant nausea and all foods started to taste good (hello vegetables and ice cream!). Plus, I proudly started to show! At 14 weeks we had an appointment to find out the sex of our baby. We made an appointment to find out early because not knowing was unbearable! With both sets of parents by our side, we found out... it was a BOY! (I had already known, mother’s instinct I suppose!) It was my natural reaction to cry hysterically, as I have become accustomed to but the happiest of tears! A boy, our little boy.
At the start of my 18th week, we headed to Florida to celebrate one year of marriage and a ‘babymoon’ if you will. One last vacation just the two of us, although baby boy made his presence known by letting us feel him kick for the first time! We were sitting by the pool, on our lounge chairs when I felt him for the first time. Tiny vibrations! With Brandon’s hand across my stomach and the biggest smiles across our faces, we felt our son! Talk about the best. feeling. ever! With every kick our bond grows stronger and my love grows deeper (keep kicking little-one!).
& here we are, 20 weeks and halfway through the pregnancy. I am excited for all that is to come. Excited, anxious, scared. It surely is a miracle and while I may not be doing it so gracefully, I am constantly amazed at my body and appreciative that God has allowed us this opportunity to become parents. Here’s to the next 19+ weeks!
