"What to Expect When You're Expecting"

Finding out you are pregnant, yet not sharing the news with others, can be quite stressful.  We wanted to tell EVERYONE but recognized a trip to the doctor to confirm the status was important first.  So, while waiting a week for this first medical visit, I decided to begin reading the highly recommended book What to Expect When You're Expecting by Heidi Murkoff, Arlene Eisenberg & Sandee Hathaway in order to pass the time.  Socializing with our friends was going to be tough, especially when we constantly get the question about whether or not we are "trying."  I didn't think I could handle it without blowing our cover.  We had been dodging the "trying" questions for months.  It's hard to tell people you are "trying" but it's not "working."  I've realized that starting a family is an incredibly personal thing.  I think sometimes people harmlessly assume that since you are not pregnant yet, it means you don't want to be.  Anyways, having some good reading material would at least help us avoid the conversation, until at least we knew for sure.

I headed to the public library and picked up a copy of this pregnancy bible I had heard so much about.  Once I began reading about the nine month (really ten month!) journey through pregnancy, I had a variety of mixed emotions.  Morning sickness, tiredness, swollen ankles, varicose veins, 30+ weight gain, stretch marks, no caffeine, limited food, and bye-bye to that evening glass of red wine...could I even do this??  How do people work and live normal lives and do this??  I should have known what to expect; our good friends had been through it all twice, recently.  People around us everywhere were having babies.  But somehow, it became VERY REAL when it became MY BODY involved.  However, I had already made the choice to do this.  And with this, I decided that I was going to do the best damn job I possibly could at being pregnant and developing a healthy, happy baby to join our little Foley family.  Thank goodness I have a fantastic husband to help me along the way...