And I'm back with some actual news!

Yes, I'm pregnant! I'm 7 weeks and 5 days along, and we saw our baby's heartbeat for the first time yesterday morning. Nothing compares to the feeling that I felt as I lay on the table, in the world's smallest room, with an ultrasound machine next to me, and surrounded by Tito, a nurse, my doctor and a student doctor. At one point all of them were literally leaning over me to see that sweet heartbeat! I know I'll remember that moment for years to come, both for the way I felt and for the comicality of it all.

I of course freaked out a little when I first looked at the screen and saw nothing. What I didn't know until a little bit later was that my doc was looking at my ovaries and bladder not my uterus! As soon as he started looking at the uterus, there it was...our little baby blob with a nice strong, fast, flickering heartbeat. It was amazing. I started crying, couldn't stop (happy tears, happy tears!) and held onto Tito's hand who was also emotional, although he kept leaning towards the screen (and subsequently OVER me!) :)

This whole pregnancy was a surprise, or as much as one can be for someone TTC. We totally thought our timing was off this month. I've known since I got a positive HPT on July 15th...which was only 8 days past ovulation for me. So early, but I was at the gym working out and just felt dizzy and not right. Bought a test on the way home, took it, and instantly there was a faint line. We've been TTC for 7 months so I've taken plenty of these tests now, and know what an evaporation line looks like. This was not one! I decided to leave it for the recommended 3 minutes and went to put away groceries. In the meantime Tito came home, and I bypassed him to the bathroom because I wanted to make sure the test was positive before I told him! He thought I was playing some sort of game and "hiding" on him and followed me into the bathroom. I couldn't shut the door in time and he came in and saw me holding the stick. I just put it down and said "Babe, I think I might be pregnant." He, being the analytical engineer that he is said "that line isn't the same color as the other one. I don't know if you are." I explained to him all about HCG levels and that there really is no "false positive" no matter how light. So what did we do? We Googled. Yes, we Googled other people's 8dpo positive pregnancy tests. And I took another one a few hours later with the same results. And another one the next morning - still positive and getting darker.

I called my doc and was able to get in to see the attending the next day to confirm. I expected a blood test. They said since I'd peed on three HPT's that I was pregnant. It still didn't feel "real". But I started taking all of the precautions (funny thing was that I'd bought a bottle of wine when I'd bought the HPT figuring if it was negative I'd have a drink. So I called Tito and said "I can't have that drink now...I'm really pregnant.")

I, being skeptical, took another 6 tests over the course of the following week, watching the line get darker each time. In my defense, I didn't buy them all. They were all ones I'd bought before when we were TTC and hadn't used. I figured they'd probably expire before I'd get a chance to use them again, and I felt wasteful throwing them out, so I took them!

We of course were super excited and in awe. Happy and unable to put into words how we felt. We knew it was still early (I was just shy of 4 weeks at this point) but we told my parents and his parents, and then his whole family (being a Latino family, you can't just tell one person or two, you need to share with everyone!) So we were assured that many prayers were coming our way and the baby's way for a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby and mom at the end of it all.

Since finding out I've felt every spectrum of the pregnancy symptoms. My doc said it was normal although most books said you don't feel them until 6 or 7 weeks. I had the dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea, food aversion, smell aversion, back pain, sleeplessness, headaches, etc., etc., etc. Poor Tito has to deal with me not being able to stand the smell of his cologne or some foods he makes. It seems like the things I notice the most are the bad smells...so the catbox (of which I'm relieved of cleaning duty!), trash, garbage disposal, food in the fridge, etc.

Since I hit 6 weeks, it seems like the hormones have cranked up and the feelings I "shouldn't have gotten" according to books and everyone else, were intensified. Nausea lasts all day with no relief in site. I've tried a few things that seem to work - watermelon, ginger ale, ginger chews (these work but are gross, so I will not be eating them!), lemon candies, and my doctor recommended to me taking vitamin B6. He said if that didn't work on its own I could take B6 with Unisom. Took a B6 last night and it seemed to work. I also keep snacks by my bed, and when I get up to go to the bathroom at night I eat a cracker or two before falling back asleep. Helps to keep food in my stomach.

I'm looking foward to sharing this journey with you all over the next 7 months or so.