It was Saturday (9/18/10) evening. Rick was in the field until Sunday afternoon. The kids were playing nicely together in Elliot's room. I was bored so I was searching the internet for anything that would catch my interest. Then I remembered that First Response has a widgit that calculates the date in which you can take and early response pregnancy test based on your LMP and average days in your cycle. So I went to the site and found out that I had already passed the date and could take the test at any time. Well, my bladder was full. Why not now? So off I went to the bathroom to pull out my monthly supply of pregnancy tests (I've kept them on hand since Rick and I had been trying to concieve a baby for almost a year). I knew taking the test at night is not perfect timing, but the website said my early date had already come and gone so everything should be just fine, right? What bad could happen? I would only see one line, like every other month and we would try again. I thought to myself "here goes nothing" as I peed on the stick. I didn't wait long before I looked in the result window (only enough time to wipe and flush), and all I saw was the very distinct bright pink line that shows up on EVERY test. The one that when alone means "sorry, you're not pregnant. Try again next time." I didn't wait for another line to show up because I had been down this path so many times and was not up for the tension it causes. So I slipped the stick back in the pink wrapper, put it in the trash can, gave myself my usual pep talk, and went on with my nightly business. I wasn't pregnant, or at least I thought I wasn't pregnant...
Sunday (9/19/10) morning rolled around, and the sun was shining, the air was crisp, and I had a really good night's sleep (no snoring to wake me). I got up had my usual coffee turned on my favorite kind of music (the kind that drives Rick nuts) and began cleaning the house. I had completely forgotten about the pee stick sitting in the trash can in my bathroom. I was in a good mood and determined to have the house clean for Rick when he came home from the field. The kids had a friend spend the night so they were occupied with playing with him and legos. As I began cleaning the master bedroom and bathroom I couldn't help but notice the pink wrapper sticking out of the trash can. It seemed as though it was just teasing me. Taunting me. As if it was saying "Come on Kara you know you want to look just one more time. You didn't get a real good look last night. Just one more little peek won't hurt. Come on, you know you want to." I reluctantly picked up the wrapper and carefully pulled the stick out just far enough so that I could see the results window... Wait, is that what I think it is? Could it be? It looked as though there was a very faint hint of a line in the result window that I had not seen for nearly 10 years. I took it to the window to get a better look, my knees already shaking, my face pale, and tears welling in my eyes. The sun's light did not deny the very faint hint of the line. Beginning to think that I was crazy and just seeing things because I had wanted it so bad and I was in such a good mood, I quickly pulled out another test. I had a full bladder from all of the coffee I drank (again, not ideal timing, but I needed to know if I was crazy or not). I peed on the stick. Again the usual bright pink line showed up almost instantly and I began thinking to myself "this is really going to F%$# with my head." I waited an additional 160 long excruciating seconds (almost as long as the box recommends). It felt like an eternity, but I knew I had to wait. It was a good thing that I was sitting when the time was up because the very faint hint of a pink line began to show up. It wasn't messing with my head after all, but now what? My whole body had gone numb, and I had a hard time holding back tears. I wanted to scream "I'm pregnant" to the whole world at the top of my lungs, but Rick was still in the field and he had no idea. I could barely contain myself. I walked around like a numb zombie because I couldn't believe what I had just seen. Proof that I'm pregnant. Now how do I tell Rick?
Now that I had the proof I needed, I had to find a cute way to surprise Rick. I didn't want the kids to know until after Rick had found out, so that would prove to be the most difficult task of the day. I thought and thought about how I would tell him. I took the kids to the store on the pretense that I was buying a baby gift for a co-worker. They had no idea that I was really buying a baby gift for their new sibling. I was still numb from finding out, and I only heard what I wanted to hear. It was if I was floating on a cloud and nothing could bother me. We went to the commissary and parked in the "expectant mother or mother with infant" parking spot. I told the kids "we're pretending I'm pregnant today." The kids were cool with that. As we shopped I had to be really careful not to let the news out of the bag. It was a really good thing that I really do have a co-worker who is pregnant. Aeris did such an amazing job picking things out. She found a sleeper that came with a monkey bib and monkey slippers. Then we found a shirt/pant set that had a monkey on the butt. I call my babies my monkeys all the time so what better outfit for little monkey. I also bought a baby blanket (to make into a baby and dress with the new clothes), and some newborn (tiny) onesis. As we were shopping my brain kept thinking about how I was going to surprise Rick. Would I just hand him this "baby" I was going to make? Would I just tell him? Would I just show him the pregnancy tests and let him figure it out? I decided that I would make him a card and decorate a onesi for the baby. So when we got home I made a card for Rick. On the outside it said "Do you know the significance of two pink lines? I do..." and on the inside I listed all the common symptoms of pregnancy. Then I made a onesis for the baby that said "The Newest Edition to the McDonald Family 1 2 3 4 5" on the front and on the back it said "1. Daddy Rick, 2. Mommy Kara 3. Big Sis Aeris, 4. Big Bro Elliot, And Me makes 5." I had to make them secretly because my crafty daughter would've wanted to get her hands on it and make one too if she knew what I was doing, but then the cat would be out of the bag. I got everything ready for Rick and then went to work on cleaning the house. He had called earlier and said that he would be home around 1300, so I wouldn't have to wait long for his arrival. That was great for me because I was nearly bursting at the seams with excitement. My emotions got so bad that I had to tell someone, so I sat down and wrote a letter to Rick's gram out in Nevada, and told her all about it. I felt a little better, but not enough so I called a friend (who is also pregnant), but it went right to voicemail, so I hung up. Well, 1300 rolled around no Rick... 1400... 1500...1600 now I'm really going crazy... 1700... where is he?... 1800 arrggghhh, I can't handle it... 1820 YEAH he's here. He comes in the house in a really bad mood because his field problem was tough and he had gotten into trouble. He wanted to tell me about it, but I can't hardly wait to tell him the good news. I drag him into our bedroom and lock the door (I still don't want the kids to find out) and give him a card. He says "is it bad? Did I do something wrong? What did I do now?" He plops on our bed and opens the card with his disgusting field hands. Looks at the front of the card... looks at me and asks "really?" over and over again. All I can say is yes, really. I showed him the other things I prepared for him. His bad mood dissapates almost instantly. He's a happy man that desperately needs a good shower. Now when and how do we tell the kids? ...
After Rick looked at the sticks that I peed on and squinted to see the very faint hint of a pink line we both asked ourselves, "when should we tell the kids?" We both agreed that we should wait until I was a little further along, but shortly after, I'm talking seconds later, we changed our minds. It was important for them to know. I was just nervous if they could handle it if I lost the baby. Rick and I were so excited about it that both of us could hardly contain ourselves. So Rick pulled Aeris into our bedroom and sat her down on our bed. I let him do the talking because he needed to share the good news himself (I know how good it feels to get good news out). Her initial reaction was a little scary because she was very afraid that she would no longer be daddy's little girl. That made me really nervous. I thought we were only going to tell her for right now so I went to the kitchen to finish up dinner. Meanwhile Rick told Elliot. I don't know what his reaction was because I wasn't there. he must have been really happy because he came running out and gave me a great big hug.
At dinner Rick reminded me in a playful way that I was eating for two now so I needed to eat well. conversation was around what is growing inside my belly. In the middle of a bite of the roast beef I made Elliot had an "ah ha" moment. He blurted, "that's why mom parked in the pregnancy parking spot today!" I explained to Aeris that what we bought at the store was not all for my friend at work and some of it was for her new baby brother or sister. She said,"That's why you spent more money, and liked all the monkey stuff!" She got a little teary eyed because she realized that she had picked out the first things for her new sibling. I call my kids monkey one and monkey two, sometimes I even call them monkey butts. So what was picked out for the baby was very appropriate.
Later that evening Rick called his Dad to give him the news, and I called my parents. They were happy, but my parents held reservations because I'm not very far along at all. They didn't want to jinx it. It was a very good night.
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