So, the cat's out of the bag...we are pregnant! We found out at that we were pregnant {ironically} on Labor Day, but decided to wait a while before telling anybody... Here's a snippet from my own journal about how I felt when I found out the news (sorry if it's overshare to anybody)...
Well, today's the day! I took a maternity test, and it was POSITIVE! Tyler's out of town right now (in Idaho with his dad), but he comes back tonight (thank goodness!).
Last Tuesday I was feeling cramps, but I thought they were just regular period cramps, since I was supposed to get my period on Friday. Tyler left Thursday, and in all honesty I thought my period would come on Friday (I'm not one to be late, or skip a period). Friday came and went...Saturday came and went. On Sunday, I was starting to feel a little bit of hope that I wouldn't be getting my period! Sunday came and went, and NO period. I told myself if I woke up Monday morning and still didn't have my period, I would take a pregnancy test. Well, today's Monday and no period, so I took a test, and low and behold, I'm pregnant. I couldn't believe it! I really wanted it, but I just kept trying to not get my hopes up.
What's funny is that last two nights I have had dreams about being pregnant...actually taking pregnancy tests, and getting positive results. The dreams felt SO real. I would even wake in the middle of the night, and feel like I needed to take a pregnancy test.
Something that I truly felt contributed to our getting pregnant is me being more consistent in reading my scriptures and saying prayer. I know that without those things this pregnancy would not have happened. I'm grateful the Lord has trusted me with a baby, and I really hope I can keep it healthy and strong, and let it develop correctly. We're going to need a lot of prayers in the next 9 months (as well as temple trips).
It has been a TOUGH secret to keep, but I am so glad we did. Now, we're almost halfway (18 weeks last Friday), and we were able to tell everybody the gender (we found out at 16 weeks)...a girl!
We decided to tell a few close friends, here in AZ, when I was 14 weeks, just because it was getting harder and harder to keep the secret, and I was starting to show a little bit. At a get together, with our 3 closest couple friends, we were playing a game like charades, and when I got up, I pointed to myself, and then made a big belly, and they were totally thrown off. Finally, Dave said, "are you guys trying to tell us you're pregnant?" We said yes, and it was so fun to see all of their faces/reactions.
At 16 weeks, we found out the gender, and that's when I told my work (Gap too)/class. Good thing kids are oblivious because I've been peeing like crazy, and they hadn't noticed a thing. I decided to just tell my students, and then let them spread it around school (6th graders are LOUD). I played Hangman with them, and spelled out, "Mrs. Gregory is pregnant!" I was so excited to tell them, maybe more excited than anybody else :) I started to even tear up a bit. They were just beyond elated, and it made me even more happy when they were so upset that I was so due May 8th (two weeks before school ends) haha. You know you've done your job when your students would rather have you around then a sub :). Over the next week, people at the school found out.
The next week, we were going home, and that's when we wanted to tell family (we wanted to see them in person). We were supposed to meet up with Shawn & Lisa before they left out of town, but they unexpectedly left early (out of their control), so we missed them, which was such a bummer because they were the only ones from Tyler's family in Utah at that time. But that's ok, we were able to FaceTime them later that day and tell them the news. We made cheap Christmas cards (through Walmart) to give everyone (preview above), and let the card say the big news. Sooo...we started with Tiersh & Josh, since they picked us up from the airport. Tiersha said she knew it, and I believe her. She always knew we'd wait a long time to tell everybody. Then, back at my parents house we told my family, my grandma & grandpa Sheppard, Paige and her girls, Robyn, my Uncle Cory & Joyce, and Alma & Audrey were there too (bonus!). They were all shocked! It was so fun to have everybody in one place, and really worked out nice.
We told more people that day and the next, and then eventually it made it's way onto Instagram/Facebook. We feel so fortunate to be pregnant at this time, and really do feel like so many people are being super supportive. We are excited for this next chapter, and know our life is about to be rocked, but we're excited for it.
I know you can never be "ready" to have a child, but I really do feel like we waited so long to have a baby because we wanted to both be on the same page, and feel like we
wanted a baby. I'm so excited to see Tyler with a little baby girl, especially since he comes from all boys, but I know he will do great. He's so much more patient than I am, and will be wonderful with a daughter. We're still in shock, at times, but it's becoming more real the bigger I get, and the further along we are.
Everybody keeps asking how I'm feeling, and honestly, I feel so lucky. I haven't been sick one bit, and have been able to do everything completely normal. I feel extremely blessed. I really haven't had food cravings, or been more tired than usual. I think working like crazy (I've been working at Gap 2-4 nights a week for the last 2 months, on top of teaching) has really helped keep me busy, and kept my mind off of being tired. Although, I'm not going to lie, I'm excited for my hours to get cut down once January comes.
Anyway, we're going on 19 weeks pregnant, due May 8th, and expecting a girl! If you made it through that whole post, you deserve a cookie :).
