Only 34 weeks left

Just an update on what I've been up to -

This pregnancy is kicking my ASK. I'm either sleeping, trying not to hurl, spending loads of time deciding what I want to eat, throwing out what I just decided I would eat, popping back Tums. Rinse. Repeat. I do sincerely love being pregnant, this is just not my favorite part. I'll deal with it though because hopefully it means that little sweet pea is getting nice and cozy.

We decided to tell the kids - they were excited for about a minute but didn't seem terribly impressed. They both did tell us, however, that they want a girl baby, and that her name should be Sara (Bubba's pick) or Dora (MJ's pick). Maybe we will go with Dora in the hopes of having a more Mexican looking baby friend.

My parents also know now courtesy of MJ and the big mouth she inherited from me. They came to visit this past Saturday, barely had time to take off their jackets before MJ blurted "Mommy has a baby in her belly!" In retrospect, expecting a 4-year-old to keep is secret is pretty ridiculous. Not the best strategy on our part.

So that's what is new on my end. It's hard to believe that something the size of a grape is wreaking such havoc on my body. Sweet little Dora is just hard at work.

My Calm, Relaxing TTC Story

It's been quite a whirlwind since I last posted. I had forgotten all of the lovely symptoms that go along with the first few weeks of pregnancy. I have zero energy which doesn't really go well with having two rambunctious kids and a horse-sized dog. I am thankful though for each and every symptom because it's a sign that little sweet pea is getting nice and cozy.

We had decided to unofficially start trying to conceive in January. I'm too much of a spaz and way too forgetful to take my temperature every morning, so we took a more relaxed route. I planned to stay completely calm during my TTC journey. Well, it's a good thing it didn't take that long because I was the furthest thing from calm.

On Al's birthday (CD 11 to you fellow TTCers), I thought "wouldn't it be nice to give Al a positive pregnancy test as a present?" So I took a test and was greeted with this result:

Holy tiny, pale line!! I freaked out, wrapped it up and presented it to Al later after dinner, all the while giving myself major props for such an awesome birthday present. Al's response: "what am I looking at here?" He thought I had hallucinated a line because he saw absolutely nothing. For realz? In case you are in Al's camp, here is a slightly edited version of the above picture:

(Don't hate on my penmanship)

Al, being the entirely too logical person that he is, didn't want to get his hopes up by getting all excited about a line he couldn't see. This really interfered with my excitement. So I waited a few days, retested, and got my clear as day positive!

I kid. That's what a normal, rational person would do. What I did was pee on many, many subsequent tests, and then scrutinized them under direct light. I also googled "evaporation lines" "home pregnancy tests" "first response" "faint positives" in every imaginable combination. I also may or may not have uploaded a picture to this site. Dear friends, I wish I was kidding. And it probably wouldn't surprise you that I also stalked this site.

Al saw me on the verge of insanity and had the common sense to hide my remaining pregnancy tests, and limit my use of google. Four days after my first test, and two days after my mild psychosis, Al gave me a test and that sweet second line showed up right away. And Al saw it too.

In November we will, God willing, become a family of five. I am so ridiculously happy! I am also hoping just a teeny bit that this one resembles me. It would be nice to not be mistaken for the Mexican nanny anymore.

*This post is linked to Rage Against the Minivan's Keepin It Real*

Expecting Al Clone # 3

=)