Lucky Number Seven

Flashback:  We had only been married a few months.  I was teaching full time.  We had 6 kids under the age of 9.  People asked us if we were going to have more kids.  Justin and I would simultaneously shout, “NO”!   Then one night, after an argument (probably about kids), I received a prompting.  We were not speaking to each other as we went to bed.  While laying in the dark, I broke the silence and said, “You know there’s one more, right?”  and Justin replied, “Yep”. 

That conversation took place nearly 3 1/2 years ago.  We’ve known for that long, that there was one more little spirit waiting to join our family.  Through all our chaos and trials, we finally decided things had calmed down enough to start trying last summer.  I got pregnant on the first month of trying.  It was unbelievable!  After just 7 weeks, I miscarried.  It was a devastating roller coaster.  Finding out I was pregnant right away and telling family and friends right away (up), spotting for 3 weeks (down), getting HCG levels tested multiple times and having the levels continue to increase during spotting (up), having severe cramping and losing the pregnancy (down).   There’s nothing worse than telling everyone you’re pregnant, losing a pregnancy and then having everyone ask you how you’re feeling and having to say, “I’m not pregnant anymore”.  It’s awkward!  That’s why I waited so long to spill the news this time!

After taking some time to get my health in order and recover emotionally, 9 months after the last pregnancy, we are expecting again!  I didn’t even have to take a pregnancy test to know!  We were deep sea fishing in Cabo San Lucas.  The boat ride made me sick (I have never gotten seasick).  The smell of the dead fish made me sick.  Even the smell of Justin’s Chapstick made me want to hurl.  Then and there, I knew I was pregnant and told Justin.  He didn’t believe me until 5 days later when we made it back to the states and I took a test, but I already knew! 

This baby is important to our family because it is our bond.  Justin and I will have a blood-related child.  The kids will share a blood-related sibling.  Our parents will have a blood-related grandchild.  It ties us all together more as a family unit and is the perfect finishing touch to complete our family!  This child is definitely “lucky number seven”!

I have actually experienced many intense pregnancy symptoms that I’ve never had in any previous pregnancies.  I guess I lied when I told Justin, “I don’t get sick, I just get a little tired”.  I was in my 20’s then.  Now I am in my mid-thirties, and boy there’s a difference!  Besides the nausea, extreme fatigue and intense food aversions, I have come up with a more detailed list of these symptoms from my experience:  

Here’s My Top 10 List of:  You know you’re pregnant when…

10.  Watching “Yes to the Dress” makes you cry.

9.  You are not able to drink your favorite beverage.  I have not been able to drink a Dr. Pepper for over 2 months now.  It makes me sick.  For those of you that know me, this has been an addiction of mine for years.  It runs in the family genetics and now, I just can’t drink it anymore.

8.  Your nightstand drawer is full of Tums, Gas X, Tylenol, Prenatal Vitamins and a snack.

7.  You’re so hungry, yet nothing sounds good.

6.  You’re thirsty, but water even tastes gross.

5.  You act on a food craving, take a bite and decide that you don’t want it.

4.  French fries and fry sauce from Arctic Circle is the only steady food choice that always works and never makes you sick.

3.  You’re worn out by noon and need to lay down to rest, like for the rest of the afternoon and evening until bedtime.

2.  When you do cook, crockpot meals are cooked in the garage since the smells make you sick.

1.  Weekly Meal Planning starts to look like this: Monday-Subway, Tuesday-Costa Vida, Wednesday-In N Out, Thursday-Zupas, Friday-Texas Roadhouse, Saturday – Tepanyaki, Sunday-hope a grandparent invites you over for Sunday dinner so you don’t have to worry about feeding your family.

I am now in my 14th week.   Next week we are going to try to find out whether we will be bringing home a pink or blue bundle of joy on or around October 22nd!