it's the little things...: extra, extra, read all about it...

There are many books, blogs, websites, journals, and other periodicals that are out there to help you through pregnancy...but, there isn't any literature (at least that I have come across) that tells you how hard it will be to keep a secret THIS big.

That's right, the Groettum's are having a baby! After what this past year has brought, it is a serious blessing and we are over the moon with excitement. Actually, that doesn't even begin to explain how happy we are!

Here's the scoop...

You all read my previous post about our frustrations and troubles over the past year. We had gotten to the point where if we weren't pregnant in March, we were ready to stop trying (because that's when it seems to happen for everyone). I started to get anxious to take a test, but kept talking myself out of it because I didn't want to be disappointed. Finally, when Andy was at the gym, I decided to go for it. I had to talk to myself about each scenario to prepare myself for whatever was about to happen. I decided that if it was negative, we could call our doctor to start the arduous process of testing to get some answers and help to start a family. If it was positive, well, obviously I would be excited. But there was something else I had to think about, what if it was positive and we had another miscarriage? Well, I decided that if that happened, we would be able to be referred to a Reproductive Endocrinologist, so we would at least be moving forward to have our dream of starting a family. I cried when I read the little stick when I saw what it said...

Meanwhile, I paced around the house holding the stick until Andy got home and was able to show it to him (this made Chewy very nervous). When he saw the stick, an instant smile broke on his face and then a look of worry shortly followed. I told him the mental process I had gone through in my head and he agreed with me. We hugged and braced ourselves for the road ahead.

Since that night, a lot has happened. We told a few close friends and most family, I found my favorite non-alcoholic drink (Shirley Temple), we had visitors, and we had our first doctor's appointment.

We were ecstatic to make it to our first appointment. This was a huge milestone for us and yet, we were still nervous. What if we didn't see a heartbeat? What if something was wrong?

Our worries were quickly swept away as the appointment went on. The nurse practitioner took us through family history and said we didn't have any risks to worry about, she said all of my symptoms were a great sign, and finally, we got into the exam room.

There is nothing better than having your first ultrasound and seeing the little person inside of your stomach. Andy and I were both speechless (except to continuously ask if everything was okay).
As we held hands, we watched the little baby show up on the screen exactly where it was supposed to be. I felt a little squeeze from Andy as the nurse pointed out the heartbeat, which was a little white flicker on the screen. Wow, is all I have to say!

I, probably like many others, had an idea of what the first ultrasound would be like from the many romantic comedies I have watched. It completely beat my expectations. In the movies, the woman always acts like she can't see anything and then gets really sad. I had prepared myself for this, but what we saw was very distinguishable. There was a head, a spine, some arm buds, and it was very clear what was in the picture. See for yourself...

Ultrasound from our 8 week appointment

We have now had our second appointment and are 12 weeks along in the pregnancy. We are ready to share it with the anyone who will listen to our news. We want to shout it from the mountaintops and come out from our little bubble that we have created for ourselves as we play the waiting came of the first trimester. We are very ready (although a little nervous) to be parents and welcome everything that is ahead for us on this journey. No matter what, we will tackle the obstacles and the celebrations together and there is no little thing in that.

There is nothing small about this miracle, besides its actual size right now, which is a lime! We are embarking on the journey of parenthood, which is HUGE. I am growing a tiny human being in my stomach, which is also HUGE. We are extremely grateful for everyone's positive energy and prayers that were sent in our direction. I am a strong believer that they helped our little Gizmo stick around this time. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts and souls for your kind words, thoughts, and prayers as it truly demonstrates the power of what the human mind can do and what the universe is capable of.