The Peanut

I wasn't supposed to test for four more days, but the wait was torture. I planned to buy a test that Friday because Saturday morning was test day and I knew if I had a test in the house I would cave and test early and I was trying to be a good girl - something I'm not known for. While at work I just couldn't contain myself any longer. I grabbed my purse and walked across the parking lot to the store to buy a test. I told myself I'd wait to use it the very next morning so that 1. Seth could be there and 2. First morning urine contains the highest concentration of the pregnancy hormone. But that plan lasted all of the five minutes it took me to get to the store and buy the test because the second I bought it knew I couldn't wait. So I found the restroom. Yes, I found the public restroom to take my pregnancy test in. I keep shit classy.

I walked in the stall and ripped the box open. The thing is layered in cellophane type material so I was making all kinds of noise but I didn't care. I didn't read the instructions, I just hovered over the toilet (girls, you know what I mean) and peed on this stick that was about to make me incredibly happy or indescribably heartbroken. I stood there, pants around my ankles, staring at this stick, watching it work its magic and within seconds I saw a line in the first window then another appeared in the second window. I let out an, "Oh my God!" and immediately starting crying while grinning ear to ear. I made myself decent and walked out of the stall. An older woman, probably in her 60s turned to me and asked, "Are you okay, hon?" With the peed filled stick still in my hand I said, "Hell yeah! I'm fuckin' pregnant!" She smiled. We hugged. And I didn't even think to ask her name. So now, all I can say when I tell the story of how I found out that I was pregnant was that a random, nice, old lady was the first I officially told. What can I say?

When I got back to my desk I phoned Seth and gave him a bogus story of how I needed him to sign some papers regarding the kids. I knew he was about to brief because he had a flight that day, so I needed to be fast, so I immediately left work and drove straight to his work. When I got there, my well-organized, always prepared husband walked out of the building toward my car with his pen in his hand! That tickled me, so I grabbed a random piece of paper sitting in the back seat and popped out of the car to greet him. He reached for the paper and I didn't hand it over, instead I said something like: So I don't really have anything for you to sign but this couldn't wait and I wanted to tell you in person. Then I pulled out the pregnancy test from behind the paper and held it up. He was speechless. He just grabbed me and we kissed, hugged, and smiled the biggest smiles our mouths would form. This little person that is half him and half me is growing inside me. We were thrilled. It was the best moment we've ever shared.

I wanted to wanted to wait until we were past the first trimester to announce that we were adding another member to our, by some standards, already large family. But...I was having such bad morning sickness (lasting all day) that there was no more hiding it.  And once we saw our baby's little heartbeat for the first time I felt much better about announcing it to the masses. So we did. Of course we told our kiddos, parents, and siblings first, as well as a few close friends. And then we did the 21st century thing and announced it on social media.

Personally, I have found that baby number one is the only one that takes forever to "show." With Ethan, my oldest, I didn't really show until month five or so. But with each subsequent kiddo, including this one, I feel like the second I peed two lines on that stick I looked eight months pregnant. I'd say I officially got "the pooch", you know, the one where you look like you ate a little too much pasta. Or where people just think you're just letting yourself go rather than pregnant.  

Pasta belly and all, we're beyond thrilled. Words don't explain how grateful we are to have made this amazing baby together. And it's funny how life always has a way of working itself out phenomenally for us. How everything adds up to make perfect sense. How timing is so very perfect. How lucky we are to have the life that we have.