Thursday, August 12, 2010
Day 33 of menstrual cycle - I drove home from work for lunch hour as I usually did everyday. I talked Chad into going to Target with me to pick up a couple things. My friend's baby shower was coming up, so I purchased a few boardbooks about belly buttons, a hungry caterpillar, and love. We also purchased a few boxes of our favorite organic mac and cheese and a pregnancy test. There was a feeling inside me that started that Sunday before - a feeling that I just might be pregnant. I purposely waited several days to see if I would start my cycle, but when it never came, my excitement began to grow. Of course, I had not been on any medication or received any treatments since June, so it was also very possible that my body didn't ovulate and I wouldn't have a normal period. But, I bought the test anyway.
As soon as we got home, I took the test, closed the toilet lid, and sat there eating my lunch in anticipation. I only had ten more minutes before I had to report back to work. After what seemed like forever, the word, 'Pregnant' popped up on the digital screen and I almost choked on my food. I grabbed the test and the rest of my food and ran in to the living room, still chewing my last bite. Chad was sitting on the couch, eating his lunch and watching Friends. He looked at me with wide eyes as I ran and stood directly in front of him, waving the test. "No way," he said. And, I said, "Read it!" He sat up and put his food down as he looked at the test. A smirk crawled across his face and I started to cry. There were so many emotions surging through my body at this point that I began to lose my breath. After six months of treatment and negative pregnancy tests, it was very difficult for us to actually believe that we did this when we were on a break from treatment - without treatment - on our own. How amazing is that?!
Chad told me to call the clinic, so I did and they asked that I come in as soon as I could for a blood draw. I called my supervisor and told him that something had come up and I needed to stop by my doctor's office before returning to work. He said it was fine, and Chad and I were off to the clinic. I could barely contain myself. My heart was pounding out of my chest and I prayed the whole way there that the baby would be healthy and I would be a healthy and safe place for the little one to grow. I was so scared and felt an overwhelming amount of responsibility for the wee cluster of cells that was growing in my body - a baby. A baby was growing in my belly!
Once we arrived at the clinic, all the nurses greeted us with smiles and hugs. One of the nurses walked us to an exam room and drew a vial of blood. "I will sweet talk the lab so maybe they will give us your results today. I will call you either this afternoon or tomorrow morning." She also scheduled me to come back in on Monday morning before work so they could take another blood draw to check my levels to ensure everything was normal. I thanked the nurse and we left. Chad dropped me off at work and I could barely stay at my desk. I wanted to tell everyone I saw the great news. Around 4:00 pm that afternoon, the nurse called and said that I was, indeed, pregnant, but that my progesterone levels were a bit lower than they like to see. She said she would call in a prescription for Prometrium that I would need to start taking that night, twice a day, until they asked me to stop. I could not wait to tell Chad the great news and even though he asked that I tell him in person, I couldn't keep it in a minute longer. I called him and told him we were for sure pregnant, but that I needed to pick up a prescription for my progesterone levels. He was so excited and asked if he could call his family and tell them, but I had a better idea to break the surprising news!
After eating dinner at Chad's favorite sushi place (I had veggie sushi), we went by Wal-Mart and purchased some Baby Ruth candy bars and a few bags of Sugar Babies. Our plan was to make goody bags for our parents and see if they could catch the hint. If for some reason, they didn't get it, we purchased two baby bibs that said, "I love Grandma" for my mom and Carol, Chad's mom. Chad drove to my parent's house and I assembled the goody bags on the way. We couldn't wait to get there . . .
My mom is a school teacher and that day was her first day of class, so when we arrived, I gave her the goody bag and passed one to my dad. I told her it was a little treat to reward her for her first day of class, which was usually always tiring for her. They accepted their goody bags and looked inside. Chad and I just sat there, waiting for them to figure it out. My dad sat there with the Sugar Babies in one hand and the Baby Ruth in the other, looked at me and said, "Really? Is this what I think it is? Are you?" And, my mom said, "What are you talking about?" and looked over at Chad and me. I looked at her and said, "Yes! I am pregnant!" My dad shot out of his chair and started dancing and howling, laughing, and thanking God. My mom stood up in utter disbelief and asked it if was really true. "Yes," I said. "I'm pregnant!" and tears rolled down my cheeks as I reached to hug her. My brother sat across the room and cried. He said this was the best news he had heard in a very long time. Then, it was picture time . . . (Just a note: The snow globe you will see my mom holding in the picture is something she bought a couple years before. It has a baby angel in the globe and on the base of the globe, it says, "Wish." She said it was her lucky snow globe and every time she shook it up, she wished for a grandbaby. It seemed this little snow globe was no joke after all!)
After the photo shoot, we were off to Chad's parent's house. When we arrived, Chad's dad, Jerry, wasn't there yet, so we waited and chatted about the beginning of Chad's second year of medical school. As soon as Chad asked, "Where is Jerry?" He walked in the door and I pulled the goody bags out of my oversized purse. We distributed them - one to Jerry, one to Carol, one to Taylor (Chad's little sister) and waited for them to "solve the puzzle." They figured out the puzzle a lot faster than my parents did and Taylor started jumping up and down. Everyone hugged us and the phone calls started . . . . . the texts and the pictures. The news was spreading like wildfire. Jerry called Chad's brother, Nick, and asked him to stop by because Chad had something to tell him. After about ten minutes, Nick was there and pulled a card out of his pocket that said, "I'm going to be an uncle." "Is this right?" he asked Chad. "Yes, how did you know?" Chad said. "Well, I've never got a call from my dad before asking me to stop by because you had something to tell me. There was only one thing it could be."
A few minutes after the photos were taken, my parents knocked on the door. They had been waiting around the corner in their neighborhood until we broke the news to Chad's family. They joined in on the celebration and talk among the grandparents soon shifted to what they wanted the baby to call them - choices, choices!
One thing that stands out to Chad and me when we remember that day is how very deeply joyful everyone in our family was. This blessing was an answer to many prayers and the fact that we conceived when we "were on a break" from treatment was even more special to us. We had accomplished what we were told would probably never happen. All things are possible through Christ!
Keep in mind and to help you from being confused - this is my story from last year, during the late summer of 2010. :)
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