Frequently Asked Questions

The purpose of this blog is twofold: First, it’s an easy way to share information and pictures with family and friends; Second, it’s as close to journaling my pregnancy as I’m gonna come. I often look at those pregnancy journals and think how nice it would be to record the actual date I found out about the pregnancy and the first day I ever felt my baby kick. Then reality sets in and I realize this is me we’re talking about. As good as my intentions may be, I’ve just never been a faithful journaler. That said, this entry will focus on capturing some things I may enjoy remembering in the future. These are some of the “Frequently Asked Questions” I get (and enjoy sharing the answers to!) and might enjoy reminiscing over later on…maybe for the sake of comparing this pregnancy with a future pregnancy…maybe our son will inquire about some pregnancy detail…or maybe just to add more visual appeal to my scrapbook. Whatever the reason, here’s to my blog journal!

How did you tell James the news?

I had some pretty grandiose plans on how I was going to tell James I was pregnant. They all fell through the moment the test stick turned positive. I started shaking and the room started spinning. Once I could walk again, I grabbed my camera and took pictures of the positive test results (that was an integral part of my grandiose plans). It was around 5:00 on a Friday morning and James was still in bed. After getting some snapshots, I looked in the mirror and knew I couldn’t wait for another second to break the news to The Papa. So I started walking down the hallway toward the bedroom and James was just getting out of bed. He looked at me and said, “Are you pregnant?” I just shook my head yes. I was literally speechless.

Have you had any cravings or food aversions?

I haven’t had a lot of cravings. Lemon water has tasted amazing, so I suppose that counts. I’ve had several food aversions, though. I used to eat a banana nearly everyday; now, I can’t stand the smell or taste of bananas. Even before I knew I was pregnant I was weirded out because I brought some bananas to work with me – as was my usual habit - and ended up throwing them away because the site and smell of them grossed me out.

If I knew then what I know now, I would have concluded early on I was expecting…

They say some women begin to crave certain baby-related scents. Looking back, I realize this definitely happened to me. I try to buy a new car freshener once a month or so and I always get Vanilla. Before I found out I was pregnant, I bought Powder. I also usually keep a small, travel-size bottle of lotion in my purse. After conceiving but before getting a positive pregnancy result, I purchased a travel-size bottle of Johnson’s Baby Lotion to keep in my purse because it smelled SO good!

The other tell-tale sign I was pregnant was having to pee ALL THE TIME. The day I found out I was pregnant I was going to make a doctor’s appointment because I was convinced I had a bladder infection.

Have you had “Pregnancy Brain?”

Okay, this one I wasn’t prepared for. I had heard of it, but quite frankly figured it was an excuse. Today, I am a true believer in the curse of pregnancy brain. The worst thing I’ve done (so far) that I wholeheartedly blame on the pregnancy is leaving my house with bread baking in the oven. I realized it about 10 minutes after I’d left and I was mortified. I had to call my neighbor and ask her to go over to my house to take care of this fiasco before my house caught on fire. All I can say is Thank God for good neighbors!

Did you know it was a boy before the sonogram confirmed this?

In short, no. The Sunday before our 20-week sonogram I was at my grandparents watching some of my little cousins play, all of whom happen to be boys between the ages of 8 and 12. They were wrestling and rough housing around. I remember thinking “this baby has got to be a girl because God knows I can’t handle all the combat action little boys bring.” I grew up with sisters so wrestling around seems so violent. In all fairness I do have a brother, but with 20 years between us it’s not like we really grew up together. Plus he’s the perfect example of what I’m talking about. His life philosophy: anything can be turned into a gun or light saber with a little imagination. Low and behold, a few days later we find out it is indeed a boy. Joe, the pastor at our church, said it best: God won’t give you more than you can handle, but he might bring you pretty close to the edge.

Don’t get me wrong, though. I am so excited to be having a boy! Now, when I see boys wrestling for “fun,” I just have to take a deep breath, smile and realize I am about to embark on a journey of letting go. Of course this would be true of a girl, too, just maybe in a different way.