Week 9: Is this for real? Like—really?

Here we are—embarking upon week nine of pregnancy No. 2. Other than the fact my pants are starting to feel a wee bit snug (especially jeans—the jeans always go first, don’t they?), I have to say I’m still having a difficult time believing we have a baby on the way in April! I know that all expectant parents feel this way in the beginning: You aren’t showing yet, you can’t feel the baby kicking, and most likely, very few people even know about your news. It doesn’t quite feel real.
For my husband and I, it’s even more difficult to believe because of our history with trying to conceive. We’ve been married for nine years, and our daughter is just over 1 year old. That means we had eight whole years of childlessness before we were blessed with our little girl. And it wasn’t because we were doing all kinds of crazy things like backpacking through Europe (though we did take a trip to Italy a few years ago) or creating a start-up company. It’s because getting pregnant just wasn’t working for us.
We intentionally waited two years after we got married to start trying to conceive. Then, we tried for two years before looking into reasons why it wasn’t working. Thus began our long and arduous path into fertility testing, no diagnosis but treatment anyway, taking a break from trying, entering the adoption pool, finally being diagnosed with endometriosis and having it removed, going on HCG, and (five years later) the incredible news that we were expecting. We had waited a looooong time, and we were finally going to become parents! We told people right away. Like I-know-it’s-early-because-I’m-only-five-weeks-but-guess-what-I’m-PREGNANT right away. The baby we had been waiting for was actually, finally, miraculously on its way.
This time around, we had no idea it would happen so quickly. In fact, we were still in the discussion stages of when we were going to start trying for No. 2. Would I have to go on HCG again? Would it take a few months? We have a trip to Disney World with our daughter planned for late January, so should we wait until after the trip or start trying before that?
Well, as it turns out … No, HCG not needed, it won’t take a few months, and Disney World will mean a fairly large mama trying to squeeze herself onto Voyage of the Little Mermaid. Apparently, my body decided that it now “gets” what to do to become pregnant—because on Monday of my first week back to school, I took a pregnancy test and saw a little plus sign.
First pregnancy? When the doctor called and told me the news, I cried. Second pregnancy? When I saw a plus sign, I laughed. How could this be possible? (And yes, I actually do know where babies come from.) Five years for the first baby, and when we weren’t even trying we have a second one on the way? What? Is this for real?
And yes, my friends. The exhaustion, the nausea, and the urge to pee every 15 minutes have assured me it is for real. There’s no bump yet (except for that little leftover one from Olivia—but I try to suck that in). My cousins and friends don’t know, and Olivia has no idea what’s coming, but it is for real. Ready or not, I’m on my way to being a mommy of two!