Monday, October 30, 2017

My Eventful Pregnancy!

My story is a little lengthy and full of excitement. I know mine is different than yours, but each person’s story does have similarities. I do not share my story to gain pity or praise. I share my story for myself and to help anyone out there.
The Sort of Us
I met my boyfriend August 1, 2015. We met through Tinder (I know!) and really hit it off. We talked for about a month before we met in person. We talked regularly and decided we wanted to meet. We set up a date. I was living in Chicago and he was living in the suburbs. We met at Shoeless Joes in Rosemont, which was a halfway point between our homes. We sat at the bar and got to know each other. He was funny and relaxed. I was a nervous wreck! At the end of the evening we went our separate ways and I thought I wouldn’t hear from him again. To my amazement, I received a text from him the next morning. Thus began our journey. We went on dates, talked on the phone, sent each other text messages and enjoyed our time together. I met his daughter and we got along well.
It Begins
In January 2016, I wasn’t feeling well. I felt kind of dizzy and queasy. A friend of mine joked that I was pregnant. That made me realize I hadn’t had to use tampons in a while. I nervously walked to the closest Walgreens and got a pregnancy test. I took a test the next morning and got ready for work as the test was sitting. I walked over to the sink and stared in shock. SURPRISE!!!! I was pregnant! It was the most terrifying moment of my life! I sat on the edge of the bathtub and sobbed. I wasn’t ready to be a mom. We had just started dating. I wasn’t married. I couldn’t handle this!!!
My boyfriend wasn’t going to be awake for another 3 hours, so I had to keep this to myself until then. I pulled myself together and finished getting ready for work. I stopped to get a cup of coffee on my way and I could barely speak to order. She asked what was wrong and I spilled my guts. (Thank you for the free coffee!)
The Reveal
I’ll fast forward a few months. Doctor visits went well. Families were told and they were excited about a new baby. I finally told my boss. I worked in a physically demanding job at the time, so I had to tell her that I would need to limit heavy lifting. Her reaction? “Oh no...”. Not exactly the reaction I was expecting. My employees were happy and the rest of my coworkers were supportive and made sure I didn’t do anything to jeopardize the baby.
In April, I had revealed my pregnancy, my boss sat me down in her office and went through a list of projects I hadn’t completed and had ample time to do so. She said, “you should take the weekend to decide whether or not this position is right for you.” I took that to mean “either you step down willingly or you’re fired.” I was floored! I’m pregnant, living in Chicago and about to lose my job?That Monday I told my boss that I would find another job. By the end of that day, I was told my last day would be in 5 days. Luckily, I had about a month of vacation time that I could take until I could find a job. I did find a new job 6 weeks later. I kept my insurance.
Plot Twist
Jump to August 2016. (Again doctor visits, felt baby kick, found out gender, etc) I had moved in with my boyfriend and we were doing great! We were happy and I was getting excited about having a baby. He was already developing a personality. We had settled on a name and I had been thrown 2 baby showers. We were starting to get the baby necessities. I started getting ideas for the nursery. It really started feeling more prepared to be a mom.That’s when we were told that we couldn’t live in the house anymore. I was 8 months pregnant and was becoming homeless! My boyfriend’s sister said that we could stay at her house until we found a place.
We moved out (I directed boxes and picked up food). We started looking for a new place. We viewed several properties and found one we liked. My due date was September 28 and we viewed our house on September 30.
Cooper Arrives
At 10 pm on September 30, my water broke! The baby was on the way. I told Paul and he grabbed our go bag, told his sister and Mom and we went to the hospital. I was surprisingly calm for being in labor. We drove to the hospital and the contractions started. They really weren’t bad. I was able to breathe through it in the 30 minute drive. By 9:20 am, Cooper was born.

My pregnancy story is not at shiny and bubbly as I thought it would be. My delivery wasn’t how I expected. For somebody who likes to be in control and stick to a plan, I was thrown for a loop! I had moved 2 times while pregnant! This pregnancy had been a big adventure and I was ready for some sense of normality. Cue the stressful delivery....




Introduction

Welcome to my blog! My goal for this is to share what I have learned since becoming pregnant. I will share my parenting journey and provide tips and tricks I have learned along the way. I will post about things nobody really talks about and give you the real scoop on the struggles and joys of parenthood.
If you have any questions of ideas for me to blog, please let me know. I am an open book and will bare it all in hopes that others gain something.


DISCLAIMER: I am not an expert on parenting. I am not a doctor. I am NOT a therapist, counselor or phsyciatrist. My posts may contain affiliate links. Regardless, I only recommend products and services that I have used and trust. I am an average woman who wants to share what I have learned.

I hope you enjoy this and find it useful!

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