HPT, Pudge, & Wiggles

I have been waiting entirely too long to write this post, and I haven’t blogged in a while because I couldn’t think of anything to talk about that didn’t involve baby Brooks. I also have discovered through this process that I am a very bad secret-keeper. It’s not that I mean to tell people, I just can’t ever remember who I’m not telling what.

Alas – it is time to finally shout our excitement for our baby that will be coming sometime in the vicinity of August 25, 2011.

This baby was a complete surprise to Taylor and I both. Since I’ve been married, I cried wolf many-a-time about possibly being pregnant because of my forgetfulness when it came to taking that very important little pill at night. I’ve been forgetting my pills every now and then for quite some time now, but finally it caught up to me and – boom – here comes baby.

It all started once up on a time on December 15th. Taylor was out of town and I didn’t feel good so I stayed home from work. I hadn’t felt good for a few days, so I decided to take a pregnancy test on a whim, even though I knew I definitely wasn’t pregnant, since I was on birth control.

Turns out not only the first, but the second test I took showed two very distinct, very positive results. At this point I’m freaking out like a 15 year old in high school. My palms are sweating profusely when I call Taylor and tell him.

The conversation went something like this:
Me: Hey. So…I think I’m pregnant.
Him: Ha. Why? You always say that.
Me: Yes, I realize that. But this time I really think I am.
Him: Why?
Me: Because I had two pregnancy tests confirm. That’s pretty positive evidence, right?

He was excited from moment one (he even suggested buying a billboard to announce to the world) …but it took me a while to overcome the shock. I also still needed proof of this alleged baby, so I went to a local lab clinic.

I walk into a lab clinic – basically a place for druggies to check their urine to see if anything will show up on their next screening at work – and tell them I need a blood test done.

Mind you – at this point, I’m maybe 4 weeks along.

While I’m filling out some paperwork, this girl behind the counter makes conversation because she can tell I’m freaking out.

Her: Is this your first?
Me: [Gulp] Yes.
Her: Aw…[insert patronizing face] how old are you, sweetie?
Me: 23.
Her: Oh. That’s a fine age. Does your boyfriend know?
Me: No. But my husband does.
Her: [insert “you’re an idiot” face] Oh. Then why are you so nervous?

She took my blood, missed my vein, took my blood again, and as I’m leaving….

Her: You know, I knew you were pregnant when you walked in.
Me: Is that right? How’d you know?
Her: I could just tell. Well, and I saw the little pudge.

Pudge, really? I’m 4 weeks. I won’t have a “pudge” for 12 more weeks. That “pudge” you think is so cute is the Girl Scout cookies I can’t stop eating. Thanks for trying though.

So we finally went to the doctor for the second appointment yesterday and got to see the little dude/dudette for the first time since last month when the doctor printed off a sonogram picture of what appeared to be a flake of dust on their machine. Supposedly that speck was a baby, but I have my suspicions. Either way, we finally got to see little one in full baby form:

It was an incredible moment, as I’m sure most of you have experienced. We heard and saw the heartbeat, oooing and ahhhing over the little tiny arms and legs. I was always afraid I’d me that mom who can’t appreciate the sonogram. I mean..someone hands you a black and white picture of a blob and then says, “Isn’t he/she just SO cute?” Really, what can you do with that? No. It looks like someone spilled whiteout on that picture.

The good news is I did appreciate my baby’s picture, because you could see so clearly the little body parts. After we just looked for a while, the doctor said, “Let’s wake this baby up!” as she began to poke and prod on me. I really had my doubts, but sure enough little Brooks just started going nuts and wiggling around like crazy. It was the most incredible experience to date, I do believe.

It’s always funny to me how easily I forgot how little control we have over our lives. I met Taylor the first day at ACU, I got pregnant years before we were expecting to… God is in control with such greater plans than I can even imagine, and somehow I forget that about once a day. (Let the record show that even though I forget, I still think I have great plans every now and then. It’s just that not many of them come to fruition.)

I can’t wait to bring mini-Brooks home to our family. For the first time for Taylor and I, we will get to watch our baby be loved and doted on by 4 grandparents (plus a few pseudo-g’rents) and a kazillion aunts and uncles. Neither Taylor nor I were able to experience that in it’s fullest capacity, so I cannot wait to see that for my child.

I’m sure many of my posts will be dominated with baby-talk, or at least gross things I crave while preggers…like egg drop soup and Italian-style pizza (whatever that means). All-in-all, we are two very proud parents who are praying fervently for this little one to be healthy!