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Thursday, March 15, 2012

Neglecting the second child already...

Ella was a complete surprise. 

In March 2008, I had "puffed" up a little and Jeff had started jokingly talking to my belly.  BUT I was on birth control, so I wasn't worried about his insinuations.  On Monday, March 17, 2008 we went to California Pizza Kitchen with friends for a not-crowded St. Patty's Day dinner.  I had a couple margaritas (the only drink they serve that is green)... no worries.

On Wednesday, March 19, I knew something was up.  There are things that happen in a normal cycle that weren't happening... I was WAY off so I knew something was shady.  That night we had a mission dinner at our church and I was the person designated to talk about the mission we were supporting.  Everyone was shocked to "see" that I was so nervous... I wasn't socializing, I was visibly sweating, my voice was shaky...
HA!  They had no clue that I would be making a run to CVS following the dinner.

At CVS I picked up a two-test box of the digital tests (I ain't into reading the lines) and a 6-pack of beer for Jeff... I figured that if the answer was what I thought it would be, he'd need at least one of those.

I watched t.v. for a bit and then took a commercial break to pee on the stick.  It said "pregnant".  I slowly went to where Jeff was lifting weights and waited for him to notice that I was there.  When I told him, he had NO REACTION AT ALL...  He just went back to lifting.
I took the phone to the computer and called my mama... here is how that conversation went:
Sandy: "Hello"
Evelyn: "Hi" the sobs start here
Sandy: "Evelyn?  What's wrong?"
Evelyn: between sobs "I don't think anything is wrong"
Sandy: "Then why are you crying?"
Evelyn: "Because I peed on a stick..."
Sandy: bursting out laughing "And it said?"
Evelyn: said in heaving sobs "That I'm pregnant"
Sandy: hysterical laughter

Yep - there you go folks, the most compassionate mother ever...

The next day I called a friend's ob/gyn (I didn't have one) and requested an appointment.  When the nurse told me that their next "new mom" orientation day was in three-four weeks I yelled at her, "BUT I'M PREGNANT NOW!!!"
They scheduled me to see a nurse practitioner the next day.
On March 21, 2008 it was confirmed that I was indeed pregnant...

From the doctors office I immediately went to Barnes & Noble and bought a pregnancy journal.  I wrote in it faithfully - every question I had, every insane thought in my head.  I saw the same nurse practitioner quite often and she informed me that I was the most hilarious mom-to-be she had ever worked with.  Not because I'm really all that funny, but because I KNOW when I'm being ridiculous and I often started my questions with, "I know I'm not supposed to believe everything I read online, but..."

I posted ultrasound photos and belly pictures on my blog and updated everyone I knew every time I spoke to them...  We still have her first ultrasound photo in a frame (thanks, Kris).  I was the ultimate mama - just look at my facebook photos.  I am up to EIGHT albums dedicated just to Ella!!!  I took so many pictures of her in our 10 days in California last year that she started saying, "No pictures, mama" and still shies away from the camera.

Now - THIS BABY?  The speck, as we're calling "it"...
Well, I have some ultrasound photos.  They are tucked into my agenda and have yet to be scanned...
I went to price pregnancy journals last week.  The same one I used for Ella is actually the cheapest, but I deemed the $13 to be "too much" figuring that I'll just find Ella's and write in a different color ink.
Um... I'm almost 17 weeks and have yet to do that.

Back to that wonderfully compassionate mama...
When I was in high school we ran across a bunch of 110 film.  For those of you too young to know what that is:

Hannafords (a grocery store that used to exist in Richmond) was running a special on developing film - $3 a roll!  We took a huge bag in.  You'd be surprised to find out that there were BABY PICTURES OF WARREN in the developed pictures.  Poor second kid...

I'm having a feeling that I become like my wonderful mama every day.

Despite her laughing at my tears and never developing baby pictures of Warren, we knew we were the two most loved kids in the world.  We still know that.

Man, I hope I'm like my mama...

As for the speck... here's the most recent ultrasound photo taken in the emergency room while they were supposed to be checking my kidneys (they did, but then they took pictures of the baby for me...)
January 31, 2012
I really do need to dig out my pregnancy journal from Ella and check somethings... for example, I *think* I felt the baby move yesterday and they were surprised at my 16 week check up that I hadn't... but I can't remember how far along I was when I felt Ella's flutters.  Yesterday wasn't flutters, it was like a tiny elbow or foot (so it very well might have been gas...).
 
Mark your calendars, people, April 2 we find out if Speck is a Joe or an ***** 
(not telling our girl name yet!).  
I am super excited about that!!!! 

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