My husband had to work on Christmas Day. He left for work about 1:30pm, so we were all able to celebrate Christmas together in the morning. I woke up with my boobs still really tender, as they had been for the last few days. My husband and I both thought it was just PMS; after all, I had been really irritable for the last week before my period was supposed to start. And the entire family always braces themselves for my irritability until I'm on the rag.
I was on Day 33 of my cycle. My cycle has gone to Day 31 but never Day 33 (without being pregnant of course). The kids and I lazed around after my husband went to work on Christmas Day, and it occurred to me while I sat there reading Book 2 of Ken Follett's Century Trilogy, Winter of the World:
No period (Past Day 31) + Tender Boobs = ept
I had an extra one buried somewhere in the baskets filled with toiletries under my sink. I had taken a pregnancy test once or twice throughout our relationship, when my cycle got to Day 31 and Aunt Flow still had not come to visit. The tests, of course, to my relief (and disappointment) came out negative.
Disappointment because I love babies! I love the way they smell, I love the way they cry, I love their toothless smiles, I love their laugh, I love all the cute baby clothes, I love how innocent and adorable and vulnerable and babyfull they are! But my overall response was usually relief because my husband and I were content with my two children from my previous marriage, now 10 and 6.
I've only had 3 positive pregnancy tests in my life. The first one was in 2004, the next one was in 2007, and the next one would be on Christmas Day, 2014. That + sign just glared at me! Was it true? I was in disbelief. Shocked, really. But the evidence was staring me right in the face, and I couldn't deny it anymore. I realized that my body was trying to tell me the whole week. My bowel movements were irregular (your digestion slows down so the body can absorb nutrients to support the baby), my boobs were tender to the touch (elevated hormones), and the unmistakable missed period (sperm + egg + implantation = baby!). (See: Early Signs of Pregnancy)
The only problem was, I had to wait a whole eleven hours for my husband to come home! Aaaaargh! I had to tell someone! So I called my best friend, Robin. I always call her in a crisis. I call her to give her good new too. When she doesn't answer, I totally understand. She works full-time and supports a family of 7! This includes two growing tweens and three children ages 5 and under. But today, I would not understand if she did not answer her phone! This was a combination of good news and a crisis! And I would go crazy if I couldn't talk to anyone. She initially did not answer (the first frantic 5 times I tried calling and got her voicemail), but after calling her husband's cell phone, she called me back on her phone. No. She wasn't avoiding me. She just didn't hear her phone.
Whenever I have any news at all, I usually tell my husband first. But I didn't want to tell him over the phone. Robin and I agreed that it would be best to tell him in person. I decided to fold up a baby blanket and created a pocket into which the pregnancy test would be inserted. I placed it in a box and wrapped it in Christmas paper. The label said, "To My Husband, From Your Wife."
The kids and I went to an 8:10pm showing of Annie, so we were home just a little before my husband got home. We got the kids to bed, and I presented his gift to him in the bedroom. He was pleasantly surprised. He was very eager to open his gift, and he shook the box after he unwrapped it. When he opened the box, he saw the blanket, and then found the test. He pulled it out and looked at the results.
"Are you pregnant?" he asked, bewildered.
"Yes," I smiled and nodded reluctantly.
"Are you serious or are you just messing with me?"
"I'm not messing with you. I'm pregnant. You're going to be a daddy," I said.
I waited and watched for his response carefully. And then there it was. He smiled. And I was relieved.
Although we had both resigned ourselves to not having children of our own together, we knew the possibility existed as we used the rhythm method as our most natural form of birth control. It worked for the past four and half years, but we were always prepared to accept the possibility that we would one day make a baby. Our plan was to get the kids to college, he would retire, and we would travel the world. So you can imagine my relief when he responded favorably to the fact that his last Christmas gift of this year was the baby growing inside me. I didn't think it was possible, but I fell more in love with my husband in the last 12 hours than I ever have been. It could be hormones, or maybe it's just that I am blissfully happy at the prospect of having a baby with the Love of my Life.
We will be welcoming Baby G. in August 2015.
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