A lot has happened in the past 7 days or so...I'll do my best to catch up without boring everyone (anyone?) who may be reading this.
Monday: my first doctor's appointment! I'd been nervous/excited about it for weeks. With almost no symptoms at all, how could there really be a baby in there? Well guess what?
These aren't that good because I can't for the life of me figure out how to use my scanner, so I had to take a picture of the ultrasound photo. But it DOES kinda sorta look like a little person, right? It was moving and flopping around a lot, and we got to hear the heartbeat which sounded fast and strong to my untrained ear. I couldn't stop laughing! And we officially learned that Bean Sprout is due November 4, 2012 (although I already knew that). Suddenly, this seems real. I'm actually going to be responsible for another person. I'm feeling...unsettled.
Tuesday: Mary came to visit us! It was so lovely to have family come see our new house and to share our news. The secret-keeping was starting to really weigh on me so it was nice to get it out in the open (a little). It also really helped calm my nerves a bit about telling my parents.
Thursday: Moment of truth. I must have tried on 14 different outfits, trying to look as slim as possible. Truth be told, I don't know that I've gotten any bigger in my stomach and I'm still wearing my old jeans. I was just paranoid I was going to step off the plane and Mom was immediately going to know. We stayed pretty busy the first few hours I was there, going out to lunch, stopping by my Grandma's to see her and my little cousin Abriella and before I knew it, we were at the house, Jay, Courtney and Gino were there, and we were patiently waiting for my Dad to bring home Portillo's. (Oh Portillo's, how I miss you living out on the East Coast!) So, Dad comes home and we greet each other and sit down to dinner. And I'm like, really panicky. Maybe it's because I have to acknowledge to my parents that yes, I have a vagina and occasionally it gets put to use. Who wants to tell their parents that? So anyway, I hand them the card I had picked out and Mom, who desperately needs glasses and refuses to get any, opens it and begins to read. After what seems like 10 minutes, she finally sees the little ultrasound picture inside the card and says "you're pregnant?" Jay is perturbed by her slowness on the uptake. "Yes?" I say, gauging her reaction. And she's happy! Super excited. We hug. What a relief. What about you, Dad? He is...quiet. Then he changes the subject. Odd. I bluntly make sure they know that this happened after we got engaged, in case that's why he is being weird about it. "Yes, I did the math and realized that immediately." Okay...Well, we got to talking later and it turns out he is still getting used to the idea of being a grandfather (oh the Forever Young mindset of the Baby Boomer generation!) and he is a little sad because he thinks this means I will never move back to Chicago. This makes me cry (it's the hormones). I explain to him that it's just the opposite, I want to leave Connecticut more than ever now. He seems better about. I still think he would prefer to just get through the wedding first before dealing with this new information. Can you blame him? I'm just so glad to finally get the news off my chest. It's been killing me the past month! Now it's out there and it's real. Oh happy day!
Friday: My final dress fitting. And my boobs are too big. I can barely breathe when the seamstress zips up the dress. Guess taking it in was pointless since she'll just have to let it out again. At least the stomach area is no problem. Thanks for staying small, Sprout.
Saturday: My first trip into a maternity store. I am wary at best. At least I am not alone, as Courtney has accompanied me to make sure I don't end up crying at the uglies that are surely in store for me. I do not want to end up in some nasty muu-muu, but my bras are comically ill-fitting at this point, and a friend recommended that I get some leggings sooner rather than later. Surprisingly, the clothes are cute! I get a few camisoles, a couple shirts, leggings, and a bra that covers way too much of my boobs (after wearing only racy lacy lingerie for years, it's an adjustment. I'm never giving up my Hanky Panky's though!) but is very comfortable. Lauren meets me at the hair salon and I get to share my news with one more person. She is also super excited! Hooray, this is going so well! Everyone loves Sprout already. We head back to my parents house and into...my surprise birthday party! I'd almost completely forgotten about my birthday with everything else that's going on. It's perfect, just casual and fun with Lou Malnati's for dinner (Oh deep-dish pizza, how I miss you living out on the East Coast!) A great day all around and I go to sleep exhausted and happy.
Sunday: Shower day! I'm just so excited to see everyone. We have a nice lunch at Tuscany, and everyone is very generous with gifts. My parents both give a speech and of course, Dad's makes everyone a little teary. I am just so happy to have a drama-free afternoon, so when my Grandma tells me she is coming to my wedding, I end up spilling the news about the Sprout to her too. More excitement and hugs. It was such a great day. It was such a great trip! Can't wait to see everyone again in a few weeks!
Here's a pic of my in-town bridesmaids and me at the shower:
