My adventure to motherhood began like best of you. I looked bottomward at a pregnancy test and saw a absolute sign. And did not accept what I saw. I sat aback bottomward on the toilet and aloof stared. My anatomy acquainted weak. And tingly. My aboriginal anticipation was, “Wow. So that’s how it happens. This little tiny analysis aloof told me that a babyish has amorphous growing central of ME? Is that absolutely it? Is it absolutely real?” I didn’t accept it. So, of course, I went and bought four added tests. Because two, three, or four positive tests were not abundant to affirm it was accurate for me. Afterwards the fifth absolute result, I was convinced.

I. Am. PREGNANT!!!!!

When I found out I was assured my aboriginal child, we were not aggravating for children. I was in the average of an acute two-year Master’s affairs in Alliance and Ancestors Analysis that was not a alpha and stop program. So it was a little alarming how I would antithesis it all. But I believed that God knew that was ALOOF the time He capital our aboriginal son to access the world. And my shock bound angry into elation.

When I alleged my bedmate at work, I aloof audibly said, “Uh, babe. I aloof took a abundance test. And it says I’m pregnant?!!”

To which he responded, “This is good. This is good. Now go buy fruit.”

And I was like, ”Wait, what?!”

To which he already afresh said, “Go buy fruit.”

At that point, I absitively he charge be talking in code. So I sat and approved to break what he “really” meant for the hours until he accustomed home. But already he accustomed and hugged me, he said, “No, there was no abstruseness code. I aloof capital you to eat article advantageous for the baby.” We still beam about the bake-apple affair to this day. (For the record, in befitting with my candied tooth, I did not buy bake-apple that afternoon. I anticipate I ate a amber bar instead. And my oldest son still loves amber to this day.)

The alpha of the journey.

From that point on, my pregnancy adventure began like so abounding others. We anon and creatively told our families. Back we begin out December 27, we came up with fibs to accept them drive to our abode two hours abroad afterwards we had ALOOF been with them for Christmas so we could acquaint them in person. And both moms anon cried!

At anniversary 6, I began to feel nauseous. I began to accretion weight. I began to feel tired. So badly annoyed I could not accept it. But afterwards the first trimester, my affection subsided. But I still wasn’t showing. Again about anniversary 18, my abdomen bang popped. And from that point on, my anatomy began to booty abundance actual seriously. I gained 43 pounds total (the aforementioned bulk with anniversary of my sons) and swelled up to attending unrecognizable. Decidedly my nose. I like to say I gained my abundance weight in my nose.

By anniversary 30, my beautiful babyish bang looked like a abate in my stomach. And unfortunately, I had heartburn so abominably that my eyes would aloof flood baptize while seeing clients, and they would ask me if I was accepting emotional. I’d aloof affably say, “No, I’m aloof accepting heartburn. Amuse abide with your adventure and try not to apperception the tears alive bottomward my face over here.” And they answerable me. And again would ask me the aforementioned affair the afterward session.

To be honest, I am one of those women who does not adulation pregnancy. I feel and attending so clashing my accustomed self, which is aberrant for me. But to break strong, I focus on the actuality that I accept ACTIVITY growing central of me. And what an amazing phenomenon that is. I additionally try to abstain the mirror and scale.

Labor started, and activity always changed.

For the last month afore my due date, my apprehension grew and grew and grew. I so badly capital to go into labor and accommodated my amazing little babyish boy! But it aloof wouldn’t happen. I acquainted like I would be abundant forever.

One day in Baronial 2008, bristles canicule afore my due date, I woke up to balmy cramping. But I did not anticipate a affair about it. I aloof went to see clients, and it connected through my aboriginal two audience of the day. Afterwards activity home early, I alleged my bedmate at assignment and told him I was abandoning my audience for the night. He anon said, “You’re in labor.” But I insisted I was not. I aloof capital to booty it accessible and not add accent to a applicant by carrying a babyish in session.

My contractions connected throughout the day but didn’t assume to be accepting abundant added acute or constant until about 8 pm. I absitively to accept my bedmate time them, and abiding enough, they were bristles account afar consistently. I took a battery while he got added being ready, and the contractions began to get painful. My Dad came to get our dog as we headed to the hospital at 11 pm. As he collection up, I said, “Don’t worry. I don’t anticipate this is the absolute thing.”

I chock-full and couldn’t allocution because it aching so badly, again continued, “But we’ll alarm you.” Again I began throwing up all over my yard. To which my Dad looked at my bedmate and said. “She’s in labor. See you at the hospital.”

Our son is born!

Sure enough, back I arrived at the hospital, I was aggrandized to four centimeters. I connected advanced with little pain, which was acceptable because I had absitively to accept my son naturally. The citizen came in and arrested me afterwards about 2 hours and told me I was at a 9. And I looked over at my bedmate and said, “If this is all it feels like, I’m calmly activity to be able to do this.”

Then the absolute doctor came in and said, “You’re alone at a 7, sweetie. I don’t apperceive what the citizen was accomplishing cogent you that you were at a 9.” And no eventually had he absolved out of the room, and my contractions acquainted like addition angry up the punch about 100 percent. Suddenly, the affliction hit. And I was desperate. And not adequate my life. To put it nicely.

I afraid out in a tub through the transition period, again told my bedmate and mom I bare to get out of the bathtub to use the restroom. My mom, who had formed in activity and commitment for 10 years, told me that I was acceptable ready to push. And abiding enough, I was.

After about 15 account of pushing, my son was born! I captivated him for about 1 minute, again acquainted like I was so weak, I had to duke him aback to my husband, which was not the anamnesis I had hoped for. I will additional you the capacity of how abundant I enjoyed natural childbirth. And aloof leave it at this: I chose to use epidurals with my abutting two deliveries. And the aboriginal affair I told my sister back she absolved up to congratulate me was, “Get drugs.”

Those aboriginal adored moments are what I dreamed about.

After about 15 minutes, I acquainted added recovered and was able to booty my son again. I breastfed him and captivated him. I had the aboriginal anamnesis I had hoped for throughout pregnancy. And it was wonderful. And it was magical. Honestly, it was the sweetest affair I’ve anytime experienced.

For the next two weeks afterwards he was born, I cannot anticipate of a time I acquainted so happy. (I accomplished the aforementioned affair afterwards my added two sons, too.) It’s like this admirable time in activity area you assuredly accept what you’ve waited for, for so long. And I could not get abundant of him! I would breach up back he would leave the room. And honestly, I backward on a babyish aerial for the aboriginal year of motherhood. I was artlessly joyful. Admitting actuality beddy-bye deprived.

My son has afflicted me.

His birth, his life, was the alpha of my adventure of motherhood. From the moment I aboriginal took the test, there was no attractive back. I was my baby’s mommy. And that babyish was mine. And there is annihilation I adulation more.

Motherhood has developed me in means I never imagined. Been pushed added than I anytime anticipation possible. And acclaimed things I never knew would accomplish me blessed (Everybody clap! He aloof peed in the potty!!).

My sons are my afflatus for all I do. Afore acceptable one, the title—MOMMY—did not assume cool glamorous. But already I had him, already I had them, I cannot anticipate of a appellation I adulation more. And I cannot acknowledge God abundant for the privilege. Or for the applesauce that ensues on this adventure through motherhood. Because if there were no crazy, there would be no them.