The would-be pregnancy diary in a nutshell: Part I

I will never forget the evening my digital pregnancy test read “pregnant.” That test only confirmed what I already knew. How I knew I was pregnant is not something I can describe. It was only a feeling, a sense that something had shifted in my body, my being. I had taken other pregnancy tests in the months before only to be disappointed. On the evening of December 8, 2008, disappointment was absent from the house of Mabry.

I am sure Casey will never forget that evening either. I ran from the bathroom into the living room where Casey was lying on the couch. I was screeching and squealing hysterically. I chanted, “We’re having a baby, we’re having a baby!” over and over as I jumped into the air. Casey says the lasting image he has from that night of me jumping up and down reminds him of those old Toyota commercials where the frame freezes when the new owners are mid-jump in the air.

Casey was cautiously optimistic. I remember him asking me if I was sure I was pregnant. I know he wanted me to be pregnant as much as I wanted to be pregnant, but at the same time, neither of us wanted to have false hope. I tried to explain the unexplainable, tried to reassure him that I “felt” pregnant. In the end I just took another pregnancy test, with the same positive result, of course.

We snuggled on the couch that night, dreaming about our future as parents. The whole evening was surreal. I remember being so excited that a year from then our baby would be celebrating his or her first Christmas. I was ready to tell the world, but Casey convinced me to wait a little longer considering I was only four weeks along. I agreed to wait only if he would let me surprise our families with the news at Christmas.


Nanny Ward's reaction to our baby news


Nanny and Papaw Ward were so excited


Nana Mabry's reaction


Aunt KK's reaction

The wait for my first doctor’s appointment was excruciating. Seven weeks after learning I was pregnant, Casey and I saw our baby on the ultrasound monitor, and the abstract concept of my pregnancy became reality. The wiggling, waving little peanut on the monitor was our baby. We watched in awe, in love. We left that appointment glowing, floating. We were bursting with joy and love.


Look at that cute peanut!


Waving one little arm at Mama and Dada

From the very beginning I felt like I was having a boy. Casey, on the other hand, was so sure our baby was a girl that I foolishly bought the cutest pink outfits in a moment of excitement and anticipation. It turns out my gut was right again. On March 18, 2009, our little boy reluctantly revealed himself. The ultrasound tech had to poke and prod my belly to get the baby to uncross his legs. When we recognized what we saw, we were both stunned. We had really come to believe we were having a girl. In fact it took me a week to get over the shock. A boy? Really? How would I know what to do? I had changed plenty of diapers but never a boy diaper. I was disconcerted to say the least.


What a sweet face!


Still waving at Mama and Dada!