TTC, TWW, and my BFP.

If there's anything a special education teacher loves, it's acronyms- step into a SPED classroom and you'll hear about ARD's, FIE's, LRE, and lets not forget IEP's! Turns out trying to have a baby comes with a ton as well.
Here are a few important ones:
TTC- trying to conceive
TWW- "the two week wait" the stretch between ovulation and the moment when a home pregnancy test might provide reliable feedback
BBT- basal body temperature or thermometer, which is what you track your cycles, ovulation and what not
BFP- big fat positive
oh and my favorite POAS- pee on a stick... because it sounds funny.
there's a ton more of course, but you can peruse google if you're that curious.

Anyway, here's my TTC story:
 I always knew I wanted to be a mom, but in the midst of a mortgage, student loans, car payments (and my lulu lemon addiction-- ladies, you feel me?) I couldn't see how we could add another mouth to feed to the equation.

I also had the luxury of free time.
 Kid-less people, think of anything you do, now imagine trying to get the permission of a tiny dictator who's native tongue is screaming... suddenly doing the most mundane things, like peeing, become very complicated. 

It took 3 years of marriage for my hubby and I to feel comfortable trying for a baby, or TTC.

In December of 2014 we felt ready... to talk about it at least. We weren't magically rich, but at least more stable in our careers, and I finally felt like I was ready to put my stuff on a back burner and focus on something (someone) else.

Another fact about me: I'm an all-or-nothing type person. Once I decided (and convinced my hubby) that I wanted to try for a baby it became my top priority. I began researching, and buying books, and reading all of the TTC blogs. All of which pretty much convinced me that it would take me a long time to conceive, if I could at all. 

**Warning- this will get pretty nerdy**

Well it turns out it's actually pretty complicated to make a baby. Surprising right? I mean, have you ever been to a Wal Mart? 
I learned that you can only get pregnant during a specific part of your cycle called the "fertile window" 

"Pregnancy is technically only possible during the five days before ovulation through to the day of ovulation.

These six days are the ‘fertile window’ in a woman’s cycle, and reflect the lifespan of sperm (5 days) and the lifespan of the ovum (24 hours).

If a woman has sex six or more days before she ovulates, the chance she will get pregnant is virtually zero. If she has sex five days before she ovulates, her probability of pregnancy is about 10%."
                   -yourfertility.org
All this talk of ovulation and cycles made me realize that I have never paid much attention to my cycle. I hardly ever had a period at this point, maybe every 2-3 months. That fact never bothered me, in fact I enjoyed it because, lets face it, periods suck. I wasn't sure when my last period even was, much less my last 4 or 5. 

Oops.

 Am I broken? Could I ovulate? Will I ever get pregnant? How much is IVF? 

This rambling was pretty much how my OCD brain was firing. So I bought the books, a BBT (basal body thermometer), and starting tracking everything from my temperature, CM (google that one on your own), and purchased various herbs and other contraptions. 

See what I mean by an all-or-nothing person? I'm pretty sure my husband was contemplating divorce... or taking away my debit card.

By the way, I don't mean to freak anyone out, just trying to give insight to my overthinking brain. 

**I definitely recommend this book to anyone wanting to have a baby now or ever! I'm almost embarrassed that I was 26 before learning things about my body that this book taught me.**

We set our date to start trying for March of 2015

I scheduled an appt with an OB for February so I could get a full run down on my body and it's no-cycle-havin' self. 

However,because I was just so sure it was going to take a while for us to get pregnant, and I am the MOST impatient person ever, I convinced my husband to change our original date to start trying from  March to January :)

So beginning of January the trying commenced. 

On January 4th my temperature spiked, meaning I had already ovulated, and our baby window was closed. I was sad that it happened so quickly!

The next day I started cramping and my boobs got mega sore, my typical signs that aunt flo was on her way. I was actually happy about PMSing for once because this would be the first cycle I could chart from beginning to end. 

--Once again proof that I'm a huge nerd.--

The cramps stuck around and my temperature stayed elevated (really important to trying to conceive) for 3 days, then  4 and 5 with no period. Everyday I expected my temp to drop-- the first sign that your period is imminent, AKA you can't be preggo, but it remained high. 
On January 11th, a Saturday, I woke up extremely early to my my 7th day of consecutively high temps.
I knew about the TWW and that I was only half way through it, if I was in it at all. So my chances of finding anything out were slim to none.
But I had a giddy feeling I couldn't shake, so I decided to POAS at 4am.

I took it, laid it down and decided to go back to sleep.

Right. Like I could sleep at this point. 
When I went back to check a little while later I found the most beautiful, yet terrifying thing I had ever laid eyes on. The faintest blue positive sign stared back at me.

I should also note that the positive sign was so faint that I needed a second opinion. So I texted a picture to my sweet, birth savvy friend (who was thankfully up at that ungodly hour)  to which she replied:
"OH MY GOD YOU'RE PREGNANT"-- so yes, someone knew before Justin. Hallye you're a lucky lady ;)
I then ventured out for a digital test to confirm, just in case.

I was pregnant on the very first try (in the most literal sense of the word). My fears, that I was so sure would become reality, were completely wrong.

I am terrible at surprises, probably has to do with my extreme lack of patience, and I was way to excited to keep this under wraps or come up with an elaborate plan to tell Justin. I ended up waking him up too, huge smile and pee stick in hand. We spent the remainder of that day looking at it. Not the most creative, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

My original OB appointment (originally to get a run down of things for eventual pregnancy) in February instead included a sonogram of our little 6 week old jelly bean!

Surprise surprise, I couldn't keep it secret and we told the world at 8 weeks.

So yes, that is my story. Completely scheduled, and planned, yet somehow a total surprise.

And the rest is history! Or at least another post :)