Thursday, July 30, 2009

Rh Negative

I had an appointment with my OB/GYN yesterday. I got to pee in a cup (always fun for ladies), wrestle with a blood pressure cuff, and give a huge vial of blood. It was a great time!

In talking with my doctor, she revealed that my previous blood work indicated that I am Rh negative. Apparently about 13% of the population is Rh negative, and it really doesn't cause issues for anyone except pregnant people. If my baby is Rh positive, my Rh negative blood will produce antibodies that will attack my baby. We don't know at this point if the baby is Rh positive. There is a chance that Matt is Rh negative too, and then there's really nothing to worry about.

Actually - the doctor said there isn't anything to worry about anyway. There is medication that they will give me in my third trimester to prevent any issues that might occur. The doctor is not worried at all, so I won't worry either.

If you're interested in reading about this Rh negative business, check out this article.

The rest of our appointment was spent with the business office chatting about how much we get to pay for this little baby. We're planning on delivering at Methodist Hospital, because 1) it's a great hospital and 2) they have seriously awesome benefits for Methodist clergy there. Methodist will bill our insurance, and whatever isn't covered will be written off completely. COMPLETELY! Isn't that great? Too bad my doctor's bills aren't covered the same way.

We left feeling excited about our baby, our arms laden with more freebies from the doctor's office. The staff there is so sweet and caring and gentle. It was a great day!

This is your mother speaking...

My family is a little (a lot?) crazy. We fight big, we love big, we laugh big...it's exciting all the time. We like to poke fun at each other, and almost always have a good time together.

Because of all the goofing around, I think my mom always feels like she has to really make it clear when she's about to switch into "Mom Mode" and exert the power given to her by her position in our family. She usually does this by saying, "This is your mother speaking..." and then continuing on with her edict.

I got one such statement from my mom this morning on Facebook after I posted the link to last night's blog post. Here is what she had to say: "It is all going to be just fine. This is your mother speaking. Try enjoying this experience instead of worrying about it." Message received Mom!

I guess I should make it very clear that I AM enjoying this pregnancy most of the time. I am enjoying dreaming about our little baby. I love thinking about the nursery, and can't wait to get started on it. I like looking at baby clothes, imagining what it will be to put Squooshy's little feet into tiny socks and wrap his soft, clean little tushie in a diaper. I really am excited about it, and I love thinking about this baby inside of me.

HOWEVER: I'm not enjoying the nausea or the spotting that I have experienced. I just can't. The nausea is starting to get better, but when I see that little bit of blood, it makes me nervous.

I think I'll start enjoying the actual physical part of the pregnancy when I start to feel it! Right now I just feel tired, bloated, nauseous, and although I KNOW in my head that I'm feeling these things because I'm pregnant, it's not OBVIOUS to a part of my brain that I'm pregnant. When I start feeling those flutters, seeing that baby bump, etc....I think I'll REALLY start to enjoy being pregnant. Despite the ultrasounds I've seen, I think it will be so much more real when I begin to feel Squooshy growing and moving inside of me every day.

This is your daughter speaking: Mom - I'm okay! I promise...and I love you!

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Last Week...

I know I didn't post much last week. Okay - I don't think I posted at all last week. I apologize for that...really! I was in Atlanta all last week for the PAUMCS Certification Institute. It was a great class, and I really enjoyed myself...even though I pushed my body a little too hard.

Tuesday last week I guess I pushed myself really hard, because the spotting came back that morning. I discovered it during a break in class, and it really shook me up. A couple ladies from the class took me over to the emergency room at Emory University Hospital where I spent quite a few hours getting poked, prodded, etc. I got through triage pretty quickly, but because the emergency room was really full, I was stuck in a bed in the hallway. I laid there as the really great nurses cared for me, got my info, drew blood, etc. Shortly after that, I was wheeled down for an ultrasound. On that trip down the hall, the fear totally took over. I rolled down that freezing cold hallway crying my eyes out. The nurse was so sweet. She just keep telling me that everything was going to be okay, hugging me, etc. I kept crying and shaking...so scared about what might be happening...wondering why God would bless us with this pregnancy just to rip it away.

Suddenly a calm came over me, and I was finally able to gather myself for the ultrasound. (I found out later that this was probably about the time our class was praying for me and the baby. Those girls can PRAY!) The technician was really kind, and she gave me lots of attention. I was able to spend some time looking at Squooshy, watching him move inside of me. It was fun to see him flutter as I shifted my position on the bed! I was sucked into the miracle on that black and white screen, but was startled when a weird noise filled the room.

"What is that?" I asked Bobbie. I thought the machine was malfunctioning or something.
"That's your baby's heart!"

Whoa.

Woosh-woosh-woosh-woosh-woosh-woosh

It was AWESOME!

There he (or she) was - alive, moving on the screen, blood pumping through his little heart! It was an amazing moment. I was suddenly very sad that Matt wasn't there too.

After a long day in the ER, I was allowed to go. Everything looked great. The ultrasound and pelvic exam showed nothing to be concerned about. The doctor just told me to take it easy. She said that some women just can't do normal activities when they're pregnant. I guess I get to be one of those women.

I know I keep going there with this pregnancy - to that place where I'm sure God has made a mistake, and will surely correct his error by ending this little life taking shape inside of my womb. Somehow I guess I can't believe that I deserve to become a mother. I can't believe that I would be so worthy of such a huge responsibility - of such a huge blessing. I think when you get to the heart of the matter, it's a trust issue. I have trouble trusting God. I can't believe how easy that is for me to admit! I should be able to trust him - with my life, my baby's life, my husband's life, etc. I feel so out of control with this pregnancy...and something inside of me is having trouble trusting that God IS in complete control.

The day after my adventure in the ER, I went with a great group of gals to Stone Mountain Park. They wanted to ride the lift to the top of the mountain, but I stayed at the bottom to rest a little. I sat among some big comfy rocks, and watched people from the shade.

A lot of families were there, and the young children all seemed to enjoy climbing the rocks, jumping from one to the next. One little girl, who was probably only 3 or 4, climbed up to the biggest rock. Her dad came up to the rock, and said, "Jump! I'll catch you!" She didn't even hesitate. She spread her arms wide open and flung herself off that rock into her daddy's waiting and capable arms. You could tell that they loved each other. You could see the pride and love exuding from the father's face, and the trust his young daughter placed in him was more than apparent.

As I watched this brief exchange, God seemed to break through my thoughts and remind me that HE loves me MORE than that father loves his daughter. That he wants me to TRUST him as I leap into motherhood. He wants me to trust him with the care of my baby. He is in complete control of Squooshy as his little body grows and his little spirit forms inside of me. Only God knows what is best for me, for Matt and for this child of ours. I pray that He sees fit to let us see this pregnancy through to fruition. That he lets us raise this child up in His name, and that this baby grows to be someone who changes the world for Christ.

I pray for this baby. I pray for my marriage. I pray for Matt and I as we become parents. Most of all, I pray that I can trust God in this...our biggest adventure.

Squooshy this week...

Here is what our little Squooshy is up to at week 10:


By the end of Week 10, your baby graduates from embryo to fetus, which literally means "little one." It also translates to "I'm just going to keep getting bigger and bigger and so are you!" Other highlights this week:

  • Your baby has finally morphed from a little tadpole into, well, a baby. Not only is the face more human-like, but that unflattering "tail" (really just the developing spinal cord) has disappeared, fusing into the spinal column.

  • Your baby now has discernible fingers and toes, which will explain the steady stream of kicks and punches you'll feel down the line.

  • Junior's skeleton is starting to grow and harden. The ears are beginning to take shape and the eyelids are no longer transparent. Tooth buds are forming, although your baby won't get any teeth until six or seven (or eight or nine or 10) months after birth.

  • Baby's brain will make an incredible 25,000 new neurons every minute this week. While you may feel like you're losing as many as he's gaining, we can assure you it's not permanent. "Pregnancy brain," like nausea and bloating, is a temporary symptom that soon shall pass. (And then you'll get "Mommy brain," but we won't go there now.)

  • If you're baby is a boy, he's started producing that macho hormone testosterone. And whether your baby is a boy or a girl, the kidneys are creating copious amounts of urine. Lucky for you, you won't have to change a diaper for another 30 weeks.

  • Baby weighs only 4 grams and measures 1 1/2 inches, about the size of a mondo Brazil nut.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Squooshy this week...

Here's what Squooshy is up to this week:

Your new resident is nearly an inch long — about the size of a grape — and weighs just a fraction of an ounce. She's starting to look more and more human. Her essential body parts are accounted for, though they'll go through plenty of fine-tuning in the coming months. Other changes abound: Your baby's heart finishes dividing into four chambers, and the valves start to form — as do her tiny teeth. The embryonic "tail" is completely gone. Your baby's organs, muscles, and nerves are kicking into gear. The external sex organs are there but won't be distinguishable as male or female for another few weeks.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Daddy Books

One thing that I do a lot is read. Unfortunately, I have a form of literary ADD, so typically it takes me a couple months to get through a book, primarily because I'm trying to read four or five at a time. However, Katie asked me the other night if I was going to ready any "daddy books." I hadn't really put a lot of thought into it. So, I'm asking for a bit of help. Any suggestions for good "daddy books" out there? I'll try to read a couple in the next 31 weeks, but I don't want to waste my time (or money) on daddy books that aren't very good.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Leaving on a jet plane...

Tomorrow morning I will be leaving for Atlanta for a week-long class at Candler Seminary. I'm a member of PAUMCS - the Professional Association of United Methodist Church Secretaries - and this class is a certification institute. I'm not entirely sure what we will be learning, but MONTHS ago (when I signed up) I was sure I wanted to do it. Granted, I didn't know then that I would be a pregnant, tired, nauseous mess now, but I still want to participate in the class.

I hate to fly. I know the statistics say that I'm safer in the air than I am on the ground, but I still don't like to fly. Gravity and I have an understanding. I am a large woman, and as such, gravity makes sure that I am as close to the ground as possible at all times. Defying this arrangement seems unnatural, thus filling any time I spend on a plane with anxiety. Also - I had a really rough flight on the way to New Orleans earlier this year - one in which I was SURE the plane was going down, and I spent the better part of the flight clinging to my sister in fright and praying incoherently out loud - so flying REALLY doesn't sit well with me right now. Then take into account the fact that I am pregnant, and this has somehow created an anxious beast inside what was already an anxious beast, and well...you get the picture. Tomorrow will be hell.

I hate being away from Matt - especially now that I am having this baby. I will miss him terribly, and will count down the days until Saturday when he pics me up at the airport in Indy. I'm nervous about having to be alert all day every day for 6 days straight. I've been so tired and sick lately, that I've been spending a lot of time in bed. This week will definitely be hard! I'm just hoping to get some good shopping in, learn a lot in class, and make some good friends with my other classmates.

Okay - I have to pack now. We'll see if I get time to blog in ATL. :)

Friday, July 17, 2009

Bloggy prayers...

Cindy Beall writes a blog that I really enjoy reading. Today she put out a call for prayer requests, and I mentioned little Squooshy and our pregnancy. Below is the prayer that she sent up for us, and I wanted to copy it here. I couldn't have said it better myself:

Heavenly Father, I come to you on behalf of Katie. I pray that this little one growing inside her will do mighty things for your kingdom. I pray that Katie's pregnancy will go smoothly and that this child will be born fully healthy and content. Thank you for new life! In Jesus' name I pray.

You can check out Cindy's blog here: http://cindybeall.com/ - you won't regret it! THANKS CINDY!

Squooshy this week...

Here is our weekly pregnancy update for 8 weeks:

Your baby is now 5/8 of an inch long, about the size of a kidney bean. New this week: Webbed fingers and toes are poking out from your baby's hands and feet, his eyelids practically cover his eyes, breathing tubes extend from his throat to the branches of his developing lungs, and his "tail" is just about gone. His arms have lengthened, too, and his hands are now flexed at the wrist and meet over his heart. His knee joints have formed, and his feet may be long enough to meet in front of his body. In his brain, nerve cells are branching out to connect with one another, forming primitive neural pathways.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Sacrifice...

It's been weeks since I last had a Pepsi, and folks, I'm DYING for one right now! I had no idea what kind of sacrifices I would have to make for this baby. No Pepsi, no sleeping without getting up to pee, no days without nausea...a whole host of gross things I WON'T mention here (today anyway). What gives? The sad thing is that Squooshy will probably never understand just how much I gave up for him to have life. I totally feel like Jesus right now...

Looking forward to the day in about 7 months when I can have a Pepsi again. Unless someone is going to tell me that I can't breastfeed if I drink caffeine. If that's the case, I'd better start begging for those free Enfamil samples pronto!

G'night folks....

Doing great...

Today is Thursday, and I haven't had any spotting since Sunday afternoon. Thank you Lord! I've been feeling great (other than the nausea), and now that the spotting is on hiatus, my mind is busy getting excited about the baby rather than worrying about it.

Matt and I went to Babies R Us and Buy Buy Baby last night to look at bedding. We picked out a really cute, modern, set in calming brown and sage green. We both saw it and loved it right away. Now I'm starting to dream up what the nursery is going to look like, and I can't help but get really excited about furnishing that little room! If you're interested in checking it out, click here: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3341350

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Daddy-to-be Chimes In

Katie asked me the other day why I hadn't posted anything to this blog yet. Truth is, I don't really know what to say. I was totally shocked at the news that we were expecting. We have had a few worrisome times, as you can read in some of the earlier posts, but I'm trusting in God to pull us through and bless us with a healthy baby. I can't explain it, but it is the same feeling that I had when we were having such a hard time conceiving. For some reason, I just know that things are going to be all right.

For the record, and I'm putting it in writing so nobody can disagree with me, I think we're going to have a baby girl. I have no reason to think that other than the fact that most of our family (on both sides) has had girls first. I'm definitely not saying that I'll be disappointed if it is a boy, but I just think we're going to have a girl. Either way, all I am really praying for is what every expecting father is praying for - a healthy baby and a healthy momma. Somehow, I trust that God is going to come through on both accounts.

I'm sure I'll have more thoughts about becoming a father as the time gets closer and as everything starts to come together. I'm excited. A little nervous, but mostly just excited.

Downward Dog...

Mom sent me an e-mail this week telling me about a yoga pose called the "Downward Dog." Apparently it will make you feel more energized, get your blood pumping, etc. Here's what it looks like:

I wrote her back, and told her that pose is what got me in this situation to begin with! :) I was just kidding of course, but I still laughed at myself.

I hope little Squooshy is just as funny as I have convinced myself I am!

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Cravings...

I've always wondered what I would crave when I was pregnant. I already love pickles (in quite an unhealthy way), so what could this little human growing inside of me do to my palate?

I haven't had very many cravings that would be considered crazy or weird. I'm certain my body is telling me to eat more protein, because eggs and beef always sound good to me! I keep telling Matt that this is most definitely his baby, because it wants steak all the time! Not that there was a question of paternity...

Over the weekend I had a craving for Papa John's pizza. Matt was happy to oblige, even though this craving took him 20 miles away to our nearest PJ's. He's so good to me!

I'm still eating a lot of saltines, but that is more out of necessity than cravings. This nausea has been kicking my butt now and again, but the crackers really help. It's a good thing I like them!

It's going to be interesting to see what other cravings develop. Anyone have any fun cravings stories from their pregnancies?

Monday, July 13, 2009

From the mouths of babes...

Tonight Kamryn asked me sweetly, "Aunt Katie, is Baby Squooshy here yet?" I giggled and told her that, no, Squooshy was not here yet. She looked up and said, "Squooshy is still in your belly?" I told her yes, and she patted my belly gently, and said, "Come out Squooshy!"

Later we talked about Squooshy some more.
"Kamryn, do you think Squooshy is a boy or a girl?"
"A girl," she said definitely. "I want a girl!"

She's so precious. I know Squooshy will love his/her big cousin Kamryn!

Good day...

No spotting today! YAY! Sure makes me feel better about this pregnancy...

Buster Hearts Zesta

The only human food Buster (our kitty) has any interest in is saltines. Whenever he hears the package crinkling, he comes running to get one. I usually give him one, which he then removes the salt from quickly, and leaves a soggy cracker sitting on the floor. Since I have been eating a steady diet of saltines lately, you can imagine the frenzy that has been surrounding my every cracker consumption.

This morning was no exception. The past few days I have been withholding crackers from our little kitty - for fear that he would get a little too spoiled, and begin begging for food all the time. Today as I laid in bed settling my stomach before I got up to get ready for work, Buster came in nosing around my crackers for a little snack. I kept telling him no, pushing him away, etc. Finally, Buster admitted defeat and backed off. A minute later, I noticed that he had laid down near the sleeve of crackers, wrapped his paws around them in a little kitty-hug, and rested his head on top of them. It was so cute! It was almost like he was saying, "I don't care if you don't give me crackers...I'm going to love them anyway!"

He is such a sweet boy. He drives me crazy sometimes, but this morning he made me giggle. :)

Anxiety...

I've been having a lot of anxiety about this pregnancy. The spotting I mentioned before worries me, even though our doctor doesn't seem too concerned about it. We did have an ultrasound last week, and saw that the baby was healthy and growing at that time, but for some reason, I can't help but worry. I worry a lot anyway, and I think this shift into motherhood is only making my anxiety worse!

Yesterday was particularly excruciating. My spotting was worse than ever, even though it really wasn't too bad. It made me VERY nervous. We had an open house yesterday for our congregations, and one of our church members is a nurse. She asked me how I was doing, and I told her about what had been going on. She told me that she wasn't too concerned since I had been doing it from the start, and had a successful ultrasound. She also told me about her miscarriage though. It helped me to kind of understand what I would be feeling/seeing if I were to miscarry. Calmed me at first to know that my symptoms aren't all that bad. But later last night, I couldn't sleep. Every gurgle of my stomach, every little anything sent a jolt of fear through me, and I laid there in bed most of the night worried for this little baby of mine.

I know the stress that I experienced last night is NOT good for the baby, but I had a really hard time calming myself. I'm hoping that this anxiety goes away soon. It only adds to my nausea!

Prayers are of course appreciated...for me and this little Squooshy, and for Matt too! He thought I was a handful before - he doesn't know what's coming!

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Squooshy???

This is Kamryn:
She is one of our nieces - my sister's daughter. She will be 3 next month, and has been such a sweet blessing to our lives since the day she was born!

The other night we were snuggled together in Gramma Glo's bed watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas (she loves that movie). She asked me what the baby's name was. I said, "The baby doesn't have a name yet Kamryn. What do you think it's name should be?" She thought really hard for a minute, and then said, "Squooshy. Let's name that baby Squooshy!"

So Squooshy it is...until we find out the gender and settle on a real name of course. Something tells me though, that this could possibly turn into one of those awesome embarrassing nicknames later on!

Some of our favorite responses...

Here are what our friends and family had to say as we told them our fun news:

God is so good! I am sitting her crying my eye out! I am so happy for you and Matt! Congratulations! Take it easy and enjoy this time-it goes by fast!


YAY YAY YAY!!!!! I am SOOOOOOOOOO excited for you! I am jumping up and down in my living room!!! :)


I am sooo sooo happy for you, my friend :) Your email totally made my day! You know I've been praying for you, and I know that this is just a miracle from our wonderful Lord!


AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm screaming! I am! I love this!!!!!! PRAISE GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Oh Katie,
What a wonderful, wonderful email message! God bless you, Matt and Swishy. All of you will be in my prayers. I rejoice for you, and for Swishy. What a fortunate baby. Smiling with great joy for you and God's goodness,


Yeah! I am so excited for you both. Isaac and I will being praying for you during your pregnancy. Hopefully your in a month from now your energy will be back. We are thinking about you. What a fun surprise? Isn't it amazing what God can do for us.


YES SWISHERS!!!!! I'm so excited for you guys!! The world was due for another Swisher in my opinion. Today is a HAPPY DAY!


AAAWWWWW! I'm crying! I am so happy for you and Matt. I hope this pregnancy goes well. Please know that I will be praying everyday for the baby to make it into this world safely. I know how much you and Matt want this. How great! I can only imagine your excitement.


OHHHHH KATIE!!!! I'M SOOOOOOOOO HAPPY FOR YOU!!!!!!! I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU AND HUG YOU AND SING TO THE LITTLE ONE!!!! YAYYYYYY!!!


yeepee!!!!!! Oh I'm sooo happy for you and Matt. I'm going to put baby Swisher and family in my daily prayers from now on.


Katie!!!!! I just checked my e-mail from this week! What a great way to start a holiday!! Leave it to you to make me cry! Congratulations! I am so excited for you I don't even know what to say!!! That doesn't often happen! Wow! I know it is early but keep us posted! You know we will have to have a shower! I am so excited!


Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm sooooooo happy for you and Matt. That's so exciting. One of my best friends told me when I met Steve and we got engaged that God is faithful (sometimes it just takes longer than we'd like). I really believe that now.


CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!! I cannot even begin to express how excited we are for you!!! We will pray that the next 32 weeks go as well as the last 8 have!!


Did you hear a bunch of squealing between here and Indy around 11 your time last night - that was Grandma, Stefanie & me. Stef hadn't checked her email nor had I so Grandma got to tell us! Congratulations - and I'm thinking that Feb. 20 would be an awesome date to have a lil' Swishy! 'Course, Matt probably thinks Feb. 23 and Stef is bent on Feb. 17!!!!!


We are soooooo freakin excited for you guys! I talked to Matt last
night on the phone and he was just sooo excited. IDK if I have ever
heard him that excited before. I told him last night if there is
anything you guys need just let us know.


This is the best news EVER!!!! I'm in tears! Praying for you!


OH MY!!! i could not be more excited to read this email this morning!!!! Praise God! you are going to be the most lovely mom in the world!!! take care of yourself....sleep...eat...love it up!


I'm 'leaking' (as my kids would say)-crying....with joy for you!!! I know of your struggles to get pregnant...God had a plan.


Oh my goodness!! Congratulations!! I totally did a jump up and down girly dance when I got this email -- I'm so happy for you guys :)


CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!
Your mom just called and told me the great news. I can’t tell you how happy I am for you and Matt. The two of you will make the BEST parents!



Tomorrow I'll put up some of my favorite Facebook responses. Telling people has been so much fun!!!

Spotting...

So, apparently having a baby is a pretty scary and wondrous and miraculous thing. What's scary for us (maybe only me...Matt seems to be pretty calm about it) is that I've been spotting quite a bit. Never a lot at once, just a tiny bit frequently. Here's a little something from an e-mail I sent to a friend tonight:

My spotting is still coming and going. Sometimes it's non-existent, sometimes it's pretty noticeable. The ultrasound showed that I have a couple small sub chorionic hemorages that are probably causing the spotting. The doctor said that they are fairly common, and are caused by the sac attaching to the uterus. The doctor wasn't really concerned about it, since they are small and only in one spot. She said if they were surrounding the sac, she would be much more worried. The spotting seems to be worse when I am experiencing constipation (which sucks, but is very normal for pregnancy...). It kind of makes sense to my non-educated brain though. I mean, if there's pressure behind the uterus, I would think it would naturally force some of the blood out, but who really knows. I'm just trying to stay calm about it until something drastically changes or until my next doctor's appointment - which ever comes first. I see my doc again on July 29th.

How we found out, and how we spread the news...

I'm pregnant, and I'm TIRED, so to save myself a lot of repeating, I'm copying part of an e-mail I sent a friend recently about how we found out little Squooshy was coming. It's my blog, I'll do what I want! Enjoy...

So, for the past few weeks, I have been feeling INCREDIBLY tired, light-headed, a little nauseous, my heart was pounding a little bit, etc. I thought I was dying or something, and really started to panic. I decided last Wednesday to visit my physician to see what was going on. As I told the nurse about my symptoms, I started to panic a little right there, and she was like, "Calm down! I'm sure everything is fine. Now, go pee in this cup. I want to do a pregnancy test." I was like, "I never pass these, but whatever."

So I peed in the cup, and five minutes later the doctor came in and said, "So how do you feel about being a mother?" I FREAKED! I just burst into tears, asked him if I was dreaming, and cried some more. As I was leaving, the nurse Jennifer (who I LOVE), stopped me and said, "You didn't think you were getting out of here without giving me a hug, did you? CONGRATS!" It was so great. She knows how much we have been trying, and how heartbroken we have been. It was awesome.

I went down to the parking lot, sat in the car, and called Matt. I wasn't going to be home until the next night, because I was working my 2-day stint in Indy. I wish I could have told him in person, but I couldn't wait to tell him. I had to let him know over the phone! He knew I had been at the doctor, so after we greeted each other, he said, "So what did the doctor say?" I was like, "Well, he says I'm pregnant!" Matt just sat there quiet for a moment, and then he said, "What?" I repeated, "I'm pregnant!" I heard him start to cry (which he never does), and he just asked, "Really?" I was like, "Yeah! Isn't that crazy?" He was floored, and we both just sat there crying on the phone together for a few minutes.

We decided to go ahead and tell our families, so as he was on the phone with his parents and sister, I went to Mom and Dad's. My brother and Mom were both napping, but I grabbed Robert, got Dad from in front of the TV, and dragged them into Mom and Dad's room where Mom was still sleeping. I went to Mom, leaned over her and tried to get her to wake up. She turned to me all groggy-like, and I said, "I'm going to have a baby..." She was like, "What?" I said again, "I'm going to have a baby. I'm pregnant!" She said, "You're lying! No way! No way!" Meanwhile my dad and my brother are both like, "What? Awesome! Yeah! That's awesome! Woo-hoo! Alright!" It was so great. Then my mom jumped out of bed and gave me the biggest hug she's given me in a very long time.

After we all settled down a bit, my brother just kept telling me how awesome it was, and how happy he was for us. He knew that we had been struggling, and I guess he had been concerned about it. You could just tell that he was genuinely excited about it. He even got on the phone with his good friends (they all grew up together, and are good friends of the family) and told them the news.

Mom and I had plans to meet my sister at the mall, and then have dinner with her and my grandma and two aunts. We caught up with Kelly as she was finishing trying things on in a fitting room. She came out with her goodies, and said, "So where do you guys want to shop tonight?" I just looked at her and said, "Oh, I don't know. I was thinking maybe we could check out Motherhood Maternity..." I wish I had a video camera taping her reaction! Her facial expressions went from confusion to understanding to shock to crying to smiling all in the span of just a few seconds! She was like, "What? Oh...wait? What? You're pregnant? OHMYGOSH!" It was great...She said later that night that, even though she isn't much of a church-going person, she had never believed in God as much as she did right then.

Then at dinner, after our drinks had been delivered and our order was placed, I just leaned over the table to my grandma and said, "Hey Grandma, guess what I found out today? I'm going to have a baby!" Everyone was so excited! Later on Grandma told me that she had never been more excited to hear that someone was having a baby as she was that night. This is coming from the woman who gave birth to six of her own children, and has dozens of grandchildren and great-grandchildren!

Telling people has been so much fun! Our churches are totally excited for us. Everyone is offering to babysit and spoil little Squooshy rotten! I'm going to hold them to that...