That was today’s number.

Number?

Oh, wait, let me catch you up.

WE’RE PREGNANT. 

OK. Breathe. Back to business.

I tried really hard to not “symptom spot” during this transfer, but of course, it’s hard to stop completely, especially when the same symptoms kept happening. Progesterone injections are super rude because they make your body think it’s pregnant – it acts pregnant before you even have an embryo transfer! Every symptom that pops up would be the ultimate sign for all non-IVF moms, but for an IVF mom-to-be, the symptoms are just terrible mind games. This time, however, starting the day after the transfer, I started feeling the same pulling, pinching, cramping sensation in the same place. If you’re a loyal reader you might remember that I felt when I first ovulated (over a year ago!) and I definitely felt when our little one implanted. It was the same feeling for days, increasing in intensity (never pain, but definite sensations!). I prayed and prayed each day that the sensation would continue to grow because I just KNEW that it was our baby, getting settled. I tried to not tell Shane too much – I didn’t want to get him too excited, despite KNOWING, and frankly, what if I didn’t know? What if I was completely wrong?

Monday morning, April 3, I had my first beta blood test – the blood pregnancy test. I didn’t take a home test first because after seeing the NO so many times, I just couldn’t stand to see it again. The nurse and I agreed that my blood definitely looked pregnant and I was on my way to BHS to spend the day teaching and not thinking about the test results (yeah right). I was pretty much tongue tied all day, completely absent minded…good qualities in a teacher!

Around 1:30, I got the call. I let it go to voicemail because I wasn’t going to repeat the terrible last time. I waited for the message to transcribe so I could just read it but it was taking forever! I waited ten minutes and caved and listened to the message and heard “202” “excellent” “stay on…” and just cried and cried. Of course there were students in my room (though not in class) so they were the first (albeit clueless) witnesses to the joy.

In a strange twist of events, Shane decided that the test was the next day, on April 4th. He continued to tell me that the test was Tuesday, did I want him to take me, etc., and I continued to play along with his incorrect assumption. We were preparing for Shane’s mom and stepdad to spend Monday night with us, which was the perfect excuse to hide both the FET instruction sheet and the calendar, both of which had the correct date written on them. After I left our faculty meeting (YES, I had to stay at school with my big giant secret until 4:00 that day…even had to do a presentation!) I ran to CVS to put together my reveal gift for Shane. Over the weekend, I ordered Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss and Your Baby’s First Word Will Be Dada by Jimmy Fallon. I figured either I would use them as part of my surprise for Shane or they would just become part of a library down the road. When I got The Call, I had to put my plan into action.

Shane is starting his new job soon, so I figured the guise could be just that – a new job. I bought a card congratulating him on his new job, hurried home, wrapped the gifts, and hid them in our bedroom. Thankfully the first day of a pregnancy (or the first day you’re aware of the pregnancy) is pretty surreal so I was able to play it cool as we had dinner, visited, and watched the first Indians game of the year. I figured around that time, we’d go to bed, and I’d (quietly) give him the news. That night was also the final of March Madness so we watched the end of that too. Earlier I’d convinced Shane that we should go to bed at the same time (“You’re going to bed when I do, right?” “Sure…” “OK great” – I didn’t have a rationale for getting him in there when I asked – thankfully he didn’t ask for one!) so when I got up, he followed me, no questions asked.

I felt bad giving him the news with his mom right downstairs, but in order to surprise him, I had to tell him before the 4th – the day he thought I was going for the test. When we got upstairs, I closed the door and told him I had some surprises for his new job. We settled in and I gave him the gifts, one by one. I didn’t let a lot of time pass between each gift because I didn’t want him to think too hard. We started with Hop on Pop, the “gift from Sadie,” then the Jimmy Fallon book, and then the baby cowboy boots I’d bought years ago when I thought I’d be surprising him with the same news. The video of me telling him is below – way better than I can describe myself. 🙂

https://videopress.com/embed/6UZsMHIY?hd=0&autoPlay=0&permalink=0&loop=0<

oor guy went downstairs after I went to sleep to spend more time with his mom and Hank with that huge news stewing in his mind. On Tuesday, I just had to take some home pregnancy tests. After years of negatives, I wanted to see the words and the line myself! What a feeling!< a href=”https://shaneandalison.files.wordpress.com/2017/04/img_0922.jpg”&gt;<<
’s all still incredibly surreal… It’s so exciting and feels like it’s not really happening at the same time. I look at baby stuff on Pinterest and it still feels like the daydreaming days… but it is real! 36 weeks to go!<<
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