Congrats!! It's a Boy...or a Girl!!

Yes, that's right, Eddie and I are expecting. We couldn't be happier. I wasn't able to make a post thus far, because we wanted to tell the family first, so I know I'm way behind...here are all of the juicy details...

Eddie and I had been discussing wanting kids since before we were married. Of course, we could never come to the same conclusion on a number, but we both knew we wanted at least a few little “Magan's” and “Eddie's” running around some day.

Well, the topic of conversation got even heavier back in October of last year. The entire time we were in Midland, I tried to stay with the doctor I had here in Dallas...I came in town often enough, so I thought it's easy enough to set up appointments for when I visit. Then, in the fall I decided it was time to switch to a Midland doctor...so I called up a doctor there and set up an appointment and told my doctor here that I was switching. Not only did I want to switch because of distance, but my current doctor was only a Gyno, and I knew Eddie and I would want to have kids one day and I needed a OBGYN. Days before my appointment, I received the news that we were moving!! Yeah, we were finally heading home!! But UUUUUggghh...what's the point in starting a new relationship, with a new doctor, just to switch again? So, I decided to cancel my appointment with the Midland doctor. But because I had no doctor, I had no pills, either...hence the start of the baby conversation. I had already done my research and knew that it would take time for that to get out of my system, so after a quick 1-on-1 conversation, we decided for me to go off of birth control and let nature take its course.

At first, there were no plans for trying, we were just going to see what happened. We really wanted to get moved to Dallas, find a home, get moved in and get settled, before truly beginning any Baby Making. Months passed, and as you're fully aware, no house. But after months and months of Ups and DOWNs, we finally made an offer on a house...it was March 20th...I still remember the day, because it was on that day, shortly after making our offer, while were in the car driving to Fort Worth for an evening that we had planned with friends, that we stumbled across the idea that it was time to start a little family of our own...

I was super excited. I went out during the first week and bought about 4-5 books and began reading up. It was quite interesting hiding them from family, though...how do you hide a huge pile of books that say “PREGNANCY” all over them?!?!? But, we didn't want to spill the beans til we could SPILL THE BEANS...I knew it could take time, so I just wanted to wait until we were actually pregnant, instead of having to hear the constant “Are you pregnant?” ... “Well, any news?” … “Has it happened?” conversations and questions. The first month came and went with no success. But I knew that it would take time, so I tried to be patient.

We were on to Month #2!! Our Anniversary Month!! It was a very exciting month, not only were we celebrating our 1st Wedding Anniversary, but we were going to close on our house. I won't go into details about our Anniversary celebration, because I already have, but as you know from my last blog, we started by celebrating with our family & friends, and then we went on an amazing trip to the Hot Springs area where we enjoyed plenty of relaxation and “us” time. It was just what the doctor ordered!! I couldn't have asked for a better vacation. And then, the week after we returned from our trip, we closed on our house!! Everything was falling into place!! I felt like I had the perfect life, with the perfect husband (at least perfect for me), a new house, I was happy and healthy, everything was great.

I knew by stories from friends, that when you're pregnant you're not supposed to lift heavy boxes, so despite the fact that it was about 5 days early, I took an at home pregnancy test, just out of curiosity...figured “if we were successful during Month #2, I'll want to take it easy during the move.” But it was negative, so I was like: “Bring on the move!!” We moved in the weekend after our close with the help of family and friends and have been unpacking ever since.

Things began getting busy!! My business with Tiffany, Lil' Slice of Heaven, began to boom. I didn't seem to have any free time with my husband, I was struggling to find the time to unpack, and I was exhausted!!

Monday came and went with no “fairy” as my best friend likes to call it, or at least that's her code word for every woman's little monthly visitor. I didn't think anything of it, I had already seen the negative prego test, so I assumed it was coming. Tuesday came and went, no fairy ... Wednesday … Thursday … Friday … I was starting to get a little suspicious. Saturday morning and still no fairy had me heading to the grocery store. I was scheduled to deliver a cake that afternoon, so I rushed up to the store and purchased the test. After having received a negative result three previous tries, twice in Month 1 and once before the move, I decided to try a different brand: Clear Blue Easy...it's digital!! Expecting to receive the 4th “NO, you're not pregnant!!” from the pee stick, I was starting to feel like the stick was mocking me or something, I went into the bathroom, followed the pretty self-explanatory steps: pee on stick, replace cap, set it on counter and wait ... then I waited. While waiting for the inevitable “no” that I knew I was going to receive, I began wondering what was wrong with me … almost a whole week late, I'm never late, very regular … and then I looked down “PREGNANT” … yup, it was right there on that little digital stick “PREGNANT” … what?!?!? pregnant?!?!?! I couldn't believe it. I looked again “PREGNANT” … it was still there, no “not” before it, no “just kidding” popping up, just “PREGNANT” … and I was like “Whoa!!!” I was excited and nervous and didn't believe it and couldn't believe it and was like what do I do now and holy crap!! I attempted to relax, I had a delivery to make. I wanted to seem like everything was just fine. I finished the day with my little charade. I didn't tell anyone of my findings, thinking, “Surely this test isn't right, I'll take another one tomorrow.” I took it with me in my car and kept glancing at it, expecting it to change, but every time it was the same “PREGNANT.”

The next day was Mother's Day. I had a lot to do, but all the while that constant “PREGNANT” was in my head. With the belief that the first test had to be wrong, I thought, “I'll get the type of test I took the first three times … it kept saying no, so surely it will be more accurate.” I purchased it along with other Mother's Day materials and went home. After unloading the groceries, I went into the bathroom and again went through the steps again, more careful than before: pee on stick, replace cap, set it on counter and wait ... the whole time thinking yesterday must have been a false positive. I waited and watched and then it came...not one line but two!! I was pregnant. OMG!! I was pregnant. I placed the tests under the blanket on our bed to keep them out of sight and went to find my husband. Eddie was outside trying to start up the grill, we had invited the family over for a little Mother's Day barbeque. I asked him to come inside and follow me into the bedroom. Just as he walked in, I said, “Looks like we had a very special delivery just in time for Mother's Day” and pulled out the tests. He looked at them, looked at me, and with excitement in his voice he said, “Are you sure? Did you take both of them?” I know I had just caught him totally off guard, but I thought, “Well, isn't that an odd question? Both of them? Of course I took both!!” He was so excited!! Freaked out, but excited. We decided not to say anything until we had a doctors confirmation. But hiding it from my family as they began piling into our house was tough.

We went two weeks keeping the little secret. I just knew I was going to blurt it out to someone, but I did good. That first Monday, I set up an appointment with a OBGYN not too far from my office for Thursday, May 20th...a week and a ½, I had to wait a week and a ½ for confirmation...WOW, that's a long wait when you're a possible first time prego wanting to know if the test was accurate or if your body is just falling apart. That weekend, Eddie and I made our first baby purchase: a “Pack N Play” for my parents for their birthday present...it was how we were going to deliver the news. We arrived at Baby's R Us and walked towards the bassinets and play pens. Halfway to our destination, Eddie yells “No way” and takes off towards the stroller isle. Of course, I was curious. As I approached with I'm sure a true look of “what are you doing” on my face. In excitement, he said “Look” as he pointed at a box, giant grin on his face. I looked at the box and saw that it was a twins stroller (two-seater) and began to wonder “why is my husband excited about a stroller for two?” By now, I'm sure my confusion was obvious by the look on my face and he said “Jeep!!” It was a Jeep brand stroller, and what you may or may not know is he is a true Jeep LOVER!! Having one of his very own parked right out side of Baby's R Us. He was like a kid in a candy store. I told him let's consider that later, right now we are on a mission, secretly excited that he was excited about shopping for baby stuff...even if it was because Jeep was on the label. We found the “Pack N Plays” and began to weigh the options. Before long we were heading to the check out counter, “Pack N Play” on Eddie's shoulder. We couldn't believe we were on our way to make our first baby purchase. OMG, we're going to be parents!! We had to hide it in our closet for a week, so no one would see it.

The second week was just like the first. It seemed like forever before Thursday finally arrived, but it did. Eddie picked me up from my office, and we traveled down the tollway to the doctors office. Having never been there before, it was lots of fun finding it (I know you can't hear my tone, but I can assure you that I'm being sarcastic...our doctor's office is located in Plano Presbyterian Hospital, which can be a HUGE hospital when you don't know where you're going). But we finally found the office, only 15 minutes late. Northlake OBGYN, Dr. Denning (thank you Karie for the suggestion). After filling out the paperwork and waiting and waiting and waiting, they finally called my name, and off we went down a long hallway, following the nurse. She took my weight “Eww, that wasn't pretty.” Then, I asked if they were going to do any kind of test to confirm the pregnancy, and it came...we were going to have our first sonogram. OMG!! She sat us down to wait for Dr. Denning...it wasn't a long wait, but it was an excited wait. Our first sonogram, this was the real deal!! After having a short conversation with Dr. Denning, she walked us down the hall and into the sonogram room. And it began, and I patiently awaited. As I'm sure many mothers before me have, I looked and looked and all I could see was a blur. “Where is it?” I wondered. “Where is my baby?” It seemed to take forever...all blur, no baby. The operator clicked away, never seeming nervous, never seeming concerned … just click, click, click. I got really nervous, certain that there was no baby, just the false positive I had assumed less than two weeks before. And then it happened, I saw this little blob ... then it blinked and it blinked and it blinked and it blinked … “That's the heartbeat,” the operator said. Eddie and I looked at one another and smiled. Of course, I teared up, too. I just couldn't believe it. “There's our baby,” I thought as I sighed the biggest sigh of relief ever. After finishing our sonogram, we went back down the hall and finished our conversation and my list of 20 questions for Dr. Denning. Then, it was off for blood testing. I got a queasy feeling in my belly...I HATE needles, HATE HATE HATE them!! But I was a big girl, repeating over and over in my head “This is for the baby.” After we left, I gave Eddie a gift I had put together to celebrate our first appointment: half A&M baby stuff and, of course, half Texas Tech. He loved it!! He took me back to work, and it hit me, “Oh my goodness, we are going to be parents!!”

FINALLY the weekend came...we were finally going to share our news with the world. We continued as if nothing was different and patiently awaited Sunday afternoon. I wrapped my parents gift, first by posting a message on all sides that said “You're going to be grandparents” and then wrapped it up with white polka dotted wrapping paper and finished it with a bow. I included a card from the baby inside the gift and placed a card from Eddie and me on the outside. Then I went to Wal-Mart and made photo copies of the sonogram. I purchased frames for the Grandparents-to-Be (both sets), one for our house and one for my office. I wrapped the one for Eddie's parents to use as their “We're Pregnant” message delivery. We piled everything into the car and off we went to my parents house. I was so nervous when we arrived. I couldn't stop shaking, I was so anxious. We made it through lunch, and then it was present time. After they opened their presents from everyone else, I invited them into the kitchen to open ours (there was more room in there). I think everyone else was curious what we got them, because everyone piled into the kitchen. I video taped their reaction on my camera...first, they opened the card and laughed (it was a funny one) ... then they began to tear the paper, I know I must have held my breathe, my mom got a confused look on her face when she saw the message and tilted her head to the side to read it (it was sideways), looked at me and began screaming. She ran over and hugged me. She, and everyone else, was so excited. Finally, the news was out!! They asked lots of questions and everyone kind of dug thru the box to check out the new present. They were so happy for us. Then, after cake and more visiting, Eddie and I were off to his parents house. When we arrived, his parents and Caitlin (our niece) were inside. Bill, Melinda, Becca & Rachel were driving up in front of us. We walked into the living room. Eddie called his Dad into the room and handed his mom the gift bag. She opened the card and immediately knew as she read “Grandparents” on the front of the card. She didn't have to see what was in the bag, she knew. Caitlin asked, “What does it say?” As Eddie's mom read the card out loud, Melinda paused in the hallway and looked at me and smiled. She slowly took a few steps back and her smile grew. Just as my family was, his family was just as excited too!! His mom jumped on the phone and called his sisters and brother to share the news. Everyone was so happy!! We visited for a little bit longer, but then we had to go...Eddie had to go to work.

After Eddie went to work, I rushed over to my best friend, Brynn's, house. She had been asking me for months when we were going to hurry up and get pregnant, so I was super excited to share the news. When I was on my way, I found out my other best friend, Kristen, was going to be there within a few hours, too. So, I decided to wait and tell them together. I was really wanting to tell them together, and this was the perfect opportunity. I waited and waited and visited with Brynn and waited and waited and entertained her son and waited and waited. Kristen was running behind. Ugghhhh!! I was bursting at the seams. I was so ready to tell the world. After what seemed like FOREVER, Kristen pulled up out front. I was relieved. FINALLY!! I was going to get to share the news. I waited for Kristen to say her hello's and then pulled Brynn and Kristen to the side. I said, “I just wanted to know if January works for yall!!” A confused looked covered their faces as they asked “for what?” I slipped the sonogram picture out of my pocket, and their SCREAMS immediately filled the house. They were SOOOOOO excited and so were Brynn's mom and sister-in-law and brother. They asked lots of questions and even informed me that they are planning my shower...how fun!! They truly are the best-est friends a girl could ask for!!

Well, so FINALLY the family knew and my girl friends knew, and it was time to shout it to the world. After a few attempts at calling others on the phone with no answers, I decided to send out the mass text messages. Before I could even get them all out, I was flooded with positive “congratulatory” responses. I got a phone call from my other best friend, Anvia, who was so excited for us. We probably chatted for a good 30-45 minutes. She shared her prego experience and asked me about my journey thus far and I asked how her family was doing. It was great to catch up, we had not talked in a while.

This weekend was a fun weekend!! And it's so nice now that I don't have to keep any more secrets. I shared the news with my co-workers today, who were also very excited for me.

I still can't believe that I'm going to be a Mom. I don't know if I'll ever truly believe it til the day I say, “Eddie, it's time to go!!” But I really am so excited about starting a family with the man of my dreams, my husband.

Baby Webb is due January 20th, so you can anticipate plenty of more prego stories to come.