How To Fake Drink From a Boot

So right after the whole peeing on a stick and figuring out I was indeed with child, I had to hop on a flight- solo- to Iowa for my cousin's wedding. Since my family is literally spread out coast-to-coast, we consider weddings and such to also serve as family reunions. It's all the same... hugs, tears, laughing, everyone telling stories and talking over each other, lots of food and... of course drinks.

I was tired, but felt okay. I knew I wasn't ready to talk about our new found situation with everyone. I was still having trouble believing it was true. The last thing I wanted was to tell someone, word gets out, and it turns out the tests I took were expired or malfunctioning or something. Anyway Mark and I decided to keep this a secret for now. Which made the wedding interesting.

I survived the rehearsal dinner by drinking soda waters (with lime) and I think I pulled it off. My wine glass was filled by the server so I kept sneaking it over to my sister, in exchange for her near empty glass. (Sorry J, now you know why you were so hungover the next day.) All in all I was proud of myself until all the cousins wanted to go checkout the nightlife in Des Moines. I really was super tired, so I just said "I'm too tired and going to bed." Aside from the obligatory accusations like "you're lame" and "you should be ashamed to call yourself a Spartan" everyone let me go in peace. Which was SO the right choice considering sister rolled into our room well past 3am smelling of pizza and tequilla. And yes at this point I could already smell EVERYTHING.

The wedding itself was an absolute blast... I continued on my Soda-with-lime ruse and rather enjoyed knowing I could still tear it up on the dance floor sans alcohol. (I'm not claiming to be good, mind you...but I did dance like a maniac along with all the drunkards.) This was probably my favorite part of the weekend...our family tends to have a good time when a dance floor in involved.

Then came the last call, and as I knew it would, conversation turned to "where are we headed tonight?" Apparently DSM has quite the social scene, as my sister/cousins discovered the evening prior. I tried the "I'm too tired" card again, but no one was having it. Some one even caught my feeble attempts on camera:

Me: But I'm so sleepy. 

Cousin & Sister: Whatever put your big girl pants on we're going drinking.

 

 

I once caught a fish "thiiiiis" big!

I don't know what prompted me to pee on the stick that morning. Something felt off, but I was fairly certain it was just my messed up body...not to mention my schedule has been out of whack since the marathon. I went from running an average of 30 miles a week to 10 miles a week. Of course that was causing this. I was so convinced that this was the case, I barely looked at the stick...just as I tossed it into the waste basket I saw it...a faint pink line next to the normal line. What?! Now I know why they sell those things in 3 packs. I tested one more time and sure enough the line came back. I would have tested again, but I was all peed out.

I finished getting ready for work and walked down stairs in a daze. The hubs was in the kitchen. "Um, honey?" I said. He looked at me, "Are we out of milk?" he asked. I told him we were, and then said the first thing that came to mind: "You're planning on sticking around for awhile right? Like Forever?" he smiled, came over to me and gave me a hug. "Of course. I'm pretty sure that's why I married you." Pause. "Why are you asking me this?"

Me: "Because we are going to have a baby?"

When hubs gets excited or amped about something, his arms flail out like he's showing you he caught a fish "thiiiiis big". He did that and goes "REALLY?!?!" all loud and boisterously. Then gets all misty eyed, hugs me, and keeps saying things like "Wow! Are you sure? Oh my gosh!" It was as good as a moment like that could go. As for me, I felt strangely unemotional. It still hadn't sunk in. And now I have to go to work, then fly out of town for a wedding.

The rest of the day was a blur. I do remember googling everything about pregnancy and finally having to cut myself off...too much too soon. But the last image I saw before I shut down, was a black and white photo of tiny baby feet in between two pairs of grown up feet. It stirred something inside of me- thoughts about what an amazing father the hubs will be...thoughts about laughing at something funny baby did...thoughts that this is happening and God obviously has a timing for everything, no matter what we think is best.

It was also the first time I got a twinge of fear- what if something happens to it?

And so it begins...