Baby Clark is on the way!

At the end of this year, there should be a couple extra feet in our house... we found out on January 26 that we're expecting baby #1! We have been trying since July and I was getting really bummed each month seeing negative tests. I had pretty much talked myself out of being pregnant this month too, but alas... 2 lines showed up!

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I was at home alone when I took the test in the late morning. I had just gotten back from the grocery store where the clerk at the store said "congratulations" to me as I paid and left... I told him I hadn't even taken the test yet, but was he somehow telling me something already?

I got home and I defrosted a single piece of salmon for lunch. I have never cooked salmon so I wanted to try something new. I basted it with maple syrup and tossed it under the broiler. Set the timer for 5 minutes and went to take my test. I used a dollar tree cheapie. I took the test with me back to the kitchen and continued to check the salmon and then check the test...check the salmon, check the test... etc. The 5 minute timer went off and the salmon wasn't done (neither was the test obviously!) So I reset the timer for 5 more minutes and when there were just 2-3 minutes left on the timer I peeked at the test again and HOLY CRAP a second line had appeared!

I did a little dance around the kitchen and then realized I couldn't really celebrate or anything too much yet or my salmon would burn! I kept checking the test to make sure the line didn't disappear. Then I grabbed my camera and took a picture of it.

The salmon was finished by this time and I fixed it up to eat. I looked at the clock... 12:02pm... darn it! It's doctor office lunch time! I waited until 1pm to call the doctor's office to see if I should stop my bromocriptine (medication!) now. At 12:30ish Megan called... I kinda wanted to tell her, but she was calling to tell me she was leaving her house and would be here in ~2 hours. I would be able to tell her in person!

1pm rolls around and I phone the OBGYN... they tell me a nurse has to call me back and I give them my dates and such and they set me up for my first appointment on February 6th at 1:45. That's awesome because I'm on vacation that week anyways! Richie will not go with me to this one, but after that, he'll go to them with me Awe... what a sweetie!

Now I had to figure out how to tell Richie! I decided that since everyday when he comes home from work he uses the bathroom, that I'd simply clean the whole bathroom and leave the 2 tests (yep, at around 1:30 I took another one...a first response) on the bathroom counter right next to the sink for him to find. I was going to be waiting on the loveseat with the camera to catch his reaction when he came out of the bathroom... why is it whenever you think you have a good plan in place it all falls to pieces!?!?!

He walked in the door at a little after 2:00pm and put his lunch pail down, filled the wood pellet stove, came upstairs and sat in the recliner. We had a nice little conversation about the day and I told him that I did some laundry and whatnot. Normally the laundry is all sprawled on the floor in piles after I fold it, but today I had put it away and he said something about "well then I guess you found the tests that I hid from you last month"... I played it off very cool like "um, no I didn't... and I wasn't looking for them".

I told him I wasn't going to test until Saturday morning anyways. (ha ha ha!) I think he believed me! Then I was getting antzy and asked him if he had to use the bathroom...like he does everyday he gets home from work. He said no, he was fine... I was like "are you ~sure~ you don't have to use the bathroom"? And then I heard the downstairs door... Megan was here! She started to come up the stairs and I asked her if she had to use the bathroom (so I could run in and stash the tests in a drawer so she wouldn't find them before Richie!) but she was fine too (what woman is "fine" after a 2 hour car trip and doesn't have to use the bathroom!?!)

So we give each other hello hugs and such and plop down in the living room to just chit chat. This goes on for ... oh... about 10-15 minutes. I'm giddy as all get out! Then I said to Richie again "are you ~sure~ you don't have to use the bathroom?" ... he's like "NO". So... then I start in on "honey, would you please please go in the bathroom?" My sister thinks I'm on crack or something and doesn't know what is going on.

He then says "why do I have to go in there? Did you plug the toilet again?" I paused... thought about it... and answered "yes, why yes I did! Please go in there and plunge the toilet." (thinking it'd get him in there and he'd see the test!) So, he goes to the bathroom door (after much more prodding!) and is like "it probably stinks...I'm not going in" I was like "honey - just go do it!!!" So he goes in and comes out and is like "it's not plugged - what's your deal?" (getting a little annoyed at me) ...How come everything in our family revolves around bathroom humor!?! ha ha ha!!!

... and at this point I'm on the loveseat hoarding my camera so I can get his picture coming out holding the test (ah, all schemes are made up in a perfect world). Megan and Richie are both more concerned about what I'm hiding on the couch and they're both staring at me. I asked if he looked at the counter. "no". "go back in and look at the counter" ... so he does... and he comes out with this look on his face...
He still didn't get it. I asked him what he saw and he asked me what I was doing with the camera. I said I wanted to get a picture of him holding the test saying "what's this?" or "finally!" ...instead... he says "I'm not touching that! You peed on it!"

So, anyways... I asked if he knew what I was trying to tell him and I ended up going in the bathroom and he did get it..but didn't show a lot of emotion...that's Richie for you though. He is very even emotioned. We kissed and he told me he is excited, but doesn't want to get too excited... so at this point he's cautiously excited.

Megan was sitting there watching this whole event and I was glad she was there. I think she feels special that she got to share in this with us. I had her take some pictures... this is the best one...