Monday, April 4, 2011

One year ago today.....

One year ago today it was Easter.  Pat and I had recently returned from my birthday trip down to Gatlinburg and had spent the weekend celebrating Easter with our families.  On Saturday we went to Michigan to celebrate with the Knox clan.  I was working on homework on the way there and suddenly got carsick which was pretty unusual for me.  Then on Sunday, we headed to church with my family in the morning.  I remember looking around at everyone in their nice Easter clothes.  I saw a couple towards the back with a baby and I knew that next year, I would be bringing my baby to the Easter Sunday service.  I remember sitting there in the pew next to my mom, almost giddy with excitement as I just knew I was pregnant.

So that afternoon, alone in the bathroom I took a tiny, little test.

And my world hasn't been the same since!

Lots of things happened right after that test.  It wasn't a very strong positive, but it was positive still the same.  It confirmed what I already knew in my heart to be true.  Deep down inside me was a tiny life forming.

The first 4 weeks after that positive pregnancy test were filled with fear.  I was spotting, I was cramping, I didn't ovulate according to any doctors "schedule".  Their fuzzy math had me further along than what I knew I was.  No one believed me and kept tossing out phrases like ectopic pregnancy and molar pregnancy.

I was scared for my life and for that of my baby.

But the little girl takes after my side and is as my mom likes to say "one tough cookie".  She hung on!  I had a fairly easy pregnancy, but my normal was not the standard normal.  Spotting for me was normal.  Braxton Hicks contractions ALL. THE. TIME was normal.

None of that mattered though as my sweet little girl kept growing and thriving.

And then, almost 4 months ago, I got to finally meet her.

She has been a blessing, a joy and the definition of true love.