All of this is hopefully going into a physical journal for the baby eventually, but just so I don't forget here are some important days in our lives lately:
Summer 2010
While attending a random sacrament meeting, I got a sudden, very powerful impression that we were supposed to have a baby soon. The speakers were full-time missionaries talking about missionary work, their message was not even closely resembling the topic of starting a family. I think that my Heavenly Father knows me well enough to send messages completely off subject so that I know that I didn't come up with the idea and listen. And boy was I listening! At the point the thought of having a baby still terrified me and if it were left up to me, kids would be at least a couple years further down the road. However, I knew that it wasn't up to me and spent the rest of the meeting pondering and talking with Heavenly Father to figure out when. I got a surprisingly very specific answer down to the month we need to start trying. I leaned over to Ammon and said, "Um...we need to have a family council later..." He said something along the lines of: "Uh oh. It's about a baby isn't it?"
During the following months our fears gradually became excitement. It even got to the point where we sat down and compared the timeline of the first impression I got and an even earlier plan to see what we felt would be better. Despite my attempts to negotiate in my prayers for a baby to to come sooner, I knew that we were supposed to stick with the original plan. While waiting anxiously, I studied up on all the signs of pregnancy so I would know when that day came. Consequently every other month I was "sure" I was pregnant and Ammon learned to cope with a lot of false alarms.
January 28, 2011
The first day I realized I was pregnant. My stomach was peeling a little and I just felt "different".( I hated hearing that from other people before this pregnancy when I asked how they knew, but there really is no way to describe it. Mother's instinct I guess.) I got really nervous and then wondered if I was making it up in my head yet again. I decided to pray about it and then I knew for sure.
The original plan was to wait for Valentine's Day to tell Ammon, but after the excitement and anxiety building up all day I blurted it out that night. Our conversation went something like this:
Ammon: (gave me a hug) You look really pretty today. Did you do something different?
Me: No... (thinking: YES I look different because I'm pregnant! It's cute that he noticed, but I am NOT telling him until Valentine's Day)
Ammon: changing the subject...to who-knows-what
Me: (interrupting) Can I just tell you something!?
Ammon: yeah...
Me: I think I'm pregnant! I wasn't going to tell you but I've been so excited and nervous all day, I just need to tell someone.
Ammon: Sure, like you were last month and the month before...
Me: No, this time it's
real
Ammon: How do you know?
Me: I don't know! I just do.
February 14, 2011
Since I couldn't wait to tell Ammon until Valentine's Day, we figured we could at least wait to take an "official" test until then. We both had school that day, so not much time. I woke up early that morning prepared with a full bladder to do the deed. This wasn't especially hard, since by this time I felt like I was having to spend way to many trips to the restroom. A plus sign immediately showed up, but I acted oblivious and made Ammon wait specific amount of minutes before I let him in on the secret. We were so excited! Our celebration was short since Ammon had class, but it was a good morning.
March 18, 2011
Our first visit to the doctor. Our doctor is Tandy Olsen at the IHC Budge Clinic in the Logan Hospital. If we're being honest, I picked him because I figured with a name like Tandy, the doctor could be a woman. He's obviously not a woman like I would have hoped, but he is really good about explaining every step of the process and making me feel less nervous. We got to see an ultra sound of the baby. We saw the heartbeat and in my opinion the cutest little baby I've ever seen. Dr. Olsen's attempts to get pictures for measurement were thwarted a few times because the baby kept wiggling and kicking their little legs (showing off for us I'm sure).
March 19, 2011
We told the family. Technically 12 weeks is when the chance of miscarriage really lowers and most people share the news. For us 12 weeks would have landed right on April Fool's Day. Not only is that not one of my favorite holidays, but I didn't want this announcement to not be taken seriously or to be shared with thousands of other fake pregnancy announcements. We cheated and told them early. After the ultrasound, I just wanted to show everyone. Since the due date is October 14, my brother-in-law Austin's b-day, we decided to make some kind of wanted poster for our little birthday thief.
May 3, 2011
We heard the baby's heartbeat. 153 healthy beats per minute. We also heard the bad news that we won't find out the gender until May 31st! What's your vote? Boy or Girl?
May 15/16 (in the middle of the night)
I have been really anxious to be able to feel the baby move lately. There were early times that I thought maybe I felt something, but it is usually right as I'm on the verge of sleep and my brain isn't functioning at a level to really discern what's really going on. While in this state last night, I thought I was feeling my heartbeat in my stomach. Then I realized that the either my heart was being very inconsistent (slightly troubling) or someone else was making their presence known. I was excited, but I must admit feeling slightly weird about the fact that there is a little person moving around inside me jabbing me from the inside. I'm sure I will get used to it over time, and eventually get really excited for that little person to be on the outside rather than inside as the jabs get more powerful.
