Let's Make a Baby!

So, this isn't in "real time" but I figured if this blog is all about parenthood & Gabriel we gotta start from the beginning, right?

Back in December of 2003 I casually said to Chuck, "Ya know, if we got pregnant in December, and had a baby in September- that's when my clerkship ends and that would be perfect time off before starting a new job".

We waited quite a bit b/f starting a family although I suspect Chuck was game long ago- he was just waiting for me to warm up to the idea. I had always envisioned being at my "real long-term" job for year before conceiving to "prove" myself in the workplace, not to mention our desire to be in a better place financially.

But as many will attest to, there is no *perfect* time. I had come to that realization with a friend's mom who literally just passed away entirely unexpectedly from heart failure, another good friend was dealing with breast cancer, Chuck's cousin's mom being diagnosed and then passing away from cancer rather quickly, a few other friends who had been trying to conceive for awhile and were experiencing fertility problems.

And wadda ya know? I got pregnant.

Long ago Chuck had always said he envisioned finding out by getting a present, a silver rattle or something to that effect. The guy doesn't take stress too well (neither do I but I thrive on it, another story altogether).

So January 12th I took a home pregnancy test for the first time, sort of half-heartedly as I didn't expect to be pregnant...and WHAT IN THE **@#!....there was a "+" sign....do these things really work? I had no idea. I went work, not telling a SOUL and walked a few blocks away, LOL, and whipped out the cell to make an appointment w/my OB for the following day, quite the covert operation...

The next day I went to the doc for a "REAL" pregnancy test first thing in the morning...and yeppers I was preggo and yeppers that old wive's tale of getting preggo right after going off the pill really is true....

WOW. Baby on the way. Now what?