So I was reading a friend's blog and she had her pregnancy broken down by week, starting with week 4 with what she experienced that week. I'm a little late to do that but there are a few stories that I want to write and down and remember.
It was last summer when Casey and I were driving home from Bear Lake when we had our first long discussion about when we would start having kids. Since we got married everytime we had a pregnancy scare, I would FREAK out. Casey was always the calm one that was ready for it whenever it happened. So we were talking and I was saying that we couldn't get pregnant until next year. Casey didn't understand that. He said if we were ready now, then we could start trying now. I was apparently not quite ready cause the idea still stressed me out.
Casey told me on our second date that him and whoever his wife was gonna be would be naming thier first born son Easton. Every time we mentioned us when we had kids, we would say "well when Easton is here" and our spare bedroom I would call "Easton's Room". I guess because of that I have always thought of our first child as a boy. Fast foward a few months after riding home from Bear Lake. One day I was reading my scriptures. The chapter I was in had nothing to do with having kids but all of a sudden the voice of a little girl came into my mind and said, "mom, I'm waiting". I've only had a handful of experiences like that in my life. I have those words and that voice engrained in my mind forever.
Then a few weeks after that experience Casey and I were at church on Sunday. It became kind of a game that we played almost every sunday for years that we would come up with names that we want to name our kids and write them down during sacrament. Always starting with Easton and then the others would change week to week. I had been thinking about the name "Elsie" for a girl for a few months and finally wrote it down. Casey said he liked it. Then a few days later I was having lunch with Casey as I always did on wednesdays. This particular day Casey and I had talked about kids the whole time. If it was the right time, when it would be the right time, how we would make it work financially, how it would work with Casey still in school... the works. Leaving lunch that day I was headed to the temple with Corrine and I said, "Okay well, i'll go to the temple and pray about Elsie". Corrine and I get to the temple and even though most often we would do initiatories, this particular day we had time to do a session. I get the name for who I'm doing work for... "Elsie...". If that wasn't an answer, I don't know what is. I don't think I listened to a single word that session.
By early January Casey and I had been trying for almost 5 months. It was starting to get pretty hard to look at those negative pregnancy tests. One day at work a co-worker was talking about how his wife and sister-in-law were having trouble and they went a saw a guy named Mark Johnson in Orem. He is a homeopathic guy that has a reputation for his "raspberry root drops" getting women pregnant. I went home and told Casey about it and that in maybe in a few months if I'm still not pregnant that maybe we should try him. Casey said "why wait" and I went a saw Mark shortly after that. Mark gave me the raspberry root drops and progestorone (in case any of you are wondering... he's 50 for a visit and then the drops were $20 per bottle after that and the bottles last you two months). Through something I think is called "electronic acupunture" he also told me I was lactose intolerant (which I already know) and that I was allergic to a certain chemical.. all I remember is it starts with an A and would make me predisposed to being an alcoholic (which my allergy to this chemical would also explain why certain perfumes and colognes make me nauscious). So kinda cool... I guess he didn't tell me anything I didn't already know but it was an interesting experience.
About a month after my appointment with Mark I was riding in the car with Casey pretty discouraged that I wasn't pregnant. I told Casey that I probably wouldn't get pregnant until I didn't want to be anymore because that is just how my life works and since I would never not want to be pregnant... that we would probably NEVER get pregnant. (I didn't meet Casey until I the very DAY i swore guys off). Maybe a little dramatic but I promise, it's true. That was a Saturday. The following week went like this:
Monday: negative prenancy test
Tuesday: job interview
Wednesday: second negative pregnancy test
Thursday: job offer. Relieved that I wasn't pregnant because that would give me time to adjust to the new job.
Later on Thursday: STILL hadn't gotten my period. Called Mark to ask him if the drops were messing with my system. He said no and that I need to get a blood test.
Friday morning: digital pregnancy test = positive.
One thing that I do want to mention is that a few days before that Saturday when I got pretty I started having to go to the bathroom during the night. That has never really happened to me and I thought it was really weird...but didn't think anything more of it. It wasn't until after I found out I was pregnant and started hearing that pregnant women have to pee a lot that I put it together. Now I know that one of the first signs of pregnancy will be having to go to the bathroom in the night (that's if it ever goes away... i'm up to four times a night now, Ehrrr).
At this point I could start telling you about my morning (aka- ALL DAY) sickness and how awful I have felt. I started feeling really sick at week 7. I have had quite a few lines go through my mind in the last few months to tell others what I really think. If we had shared with Facebook sooner some of those thoughts may have been status updates... but in the end, i'm glad they are not and I am just trying to forget. I am now 15 weeks and its slowly getting better. Day by day.
Despite the sickness, Casey and I are thrilled and very excited. Because of the Elsie experience I think we are having a girl, but my heart is still pretty set on Easton. If it's not a girl this time around, I know that Elsie is out there somewhere. I am hoping to find out the gender *maybe* tomorrow. Whatever it is, we will be thrilled and I will get to start decorating the nursery!!
