Unexpectedly Expecting

As most out there know (but not all--sorry, Sallie! I've been wanting to call you!!!), Dave and I got a big surprise this Father's Day when we found out I'm pregnant. We had big plans to begin trying around November so we could hopefully have a summer baby during the university break. Now we get one at the beginning of the winter semester--a much more stressful time! But that's okay...we have two very loving and doting mothers who I believe won't have a problem coming out to give us a hand. It just means no classes for me (probably) during that semester. The baby is due around February 15th. Considering we have several friends who have been hoping and trying and praying for a baby for long periods of time, we count ourselves incredibly blessed, overly blessed, for the ease of this "accident".

Today we all three went to the midwife and got to hear the heartbeat for the first time. It was such a joy to finally know there's definitely, for sure, without a doubt, a little baby in there. Up until this point, which is pretty late--the 12 week mark, we hadn't had too much indication except the one little plus sign (and the obvious lack of a monthly visitor.) I have felt pretty normal, besides a few twinges of nausea, a craving for sausage gravy and biscuits which I still haven't given in to, and, oh yeah, that unusual seasickness in the sailboat yesterday (the waves were ridiculously choppy though and even Cora seemed to be looking green. She kept cuddling close and putting her face down into my arm.) My first visit to the midwife at 8 weeks was particularly uneventful. Just a relaxed little get-to-know you chat. No peeing in a cup or even touching my belly. They said it's better to just get to know each other first before they go poking and prodding. Just like the laid-back west coast. So I left still not having any confirmation that I was indeed pregnant. It may sound weird that I wanted this assurance, but if you had felt as surprised and shocked as I did by that little plus sign you would want an additional verification as well. So today I finally got it. Dave too was anxious to actually hear the proof and that sweet little heartbeat sound was music. I had hoped to record it and put it on the blog, but not surprisingly, I forgot the mini voice recorder. Maybe that's another of my pregnancy symptoms I didn't mention: forgetfulness. No, that's been here ever since Cora came along. And I think the toddler stage is just making it worse because it takes so much energy just to get us dressed and out of the house without remembering the fun optional extras. Anyway, it was beautiful and I wish I could share it. Though, okay, I guess it might have been a little dull to listen to a recorded thumping noise. We'll leave you alone until the ultrasound. Here we get one ultrasound at which, as long as it's after 20 weeks, they'll tell you what the sex is (some policy apparently in order to limit abortions due to gender--how horrible!) So I told them to schedule me for right at 20 weeks because we're dying to know if Cora will have a little brother or sister! And to know if some poor little boy is going to have to share a pink room with Cora for his first year and a half.