Things You Don't Know About Until You Are Expecting...

We’ve encountered quite a few surprises throughout our pregnancy so far. We know that there are probably many more to come, but we’ve listed the ones we know of below in no specific order:

1. There are no words to describe the emotions that you feel when you see a positive home pregnancy test, especially if you’ve been trying for a few months. It is a combination of total excitement and total fear all mixed up together with a bit of anxiety, wonder and pure joy. You want to cry and laugh and smile all at the same time, but you just aren’t really sure how to. I, for one, had to sit down. (I think Brian did too once he realized that I wasn’t “messing” with him.)

2. When you find out that you are pregnant, you are already four weeks along. This is very confusing for us logical folk. You didn’t actually conceive until two weeks (more or less) after the first day of your last period, but the doctors will tell you that that day (the first day of your last missed period) is when the counting started. Therefore, when you have missed your next period, you are already 4 weeks along. This is all very exciting except for the fact that you end up being pregnant for 40 weeks. 40 weeks divided by 4 weeks per month equals 10 months, so you are actually pregnant for 10 months? We haven’t quite figured this one out, but we will surely let you know if we do…

3. From what we have learned, most doctors don’t schedule your first appointment until you are between 8 and 10 weeks. For those of you that are good at math, that’s another 4 to 6 weeks of unknowns AFTER you’ve found out that you are in fact expecting. The anticipation for your first appointment makes those 4 to 6 weeks go by soooo sllooowwww.

4. Pre-natal vitamins are like horse pills. That’s all I have to say about that.

5. Being pregnant takes exhaustion to a whole new level. It’s confusing to get your normal amount of sleep and not have done anything too out of the ordinary just to be exhausted at 7:30 pm the next day. I, literally, can go to bed an hour or two before my normal bedtime and still sleep through the entire night...and still be tired the next day.

6. You have never felt extreme nausea and extreme starvation at the same time until you are expecting. And you’re not sure which one to obey.

7. Your gag reflexes have a new heightened sense of awareness. I never knew brushing my own teeth would make me gag, but it does.

We are excited to experience all the other quirks and surprises we know are ahead of us throughout this pregnancy. We will continue to keep you posted!

Lots of love,

Brian, Erin, & Baby