Week 4: Knocked Up

I’m knocked up. Last night I took not one, but two pregnancy tests. The first test was of the variety that indicates pregnancy with two lines and not pregnant with one. I stared at the stick for a few minutes until a second line appeared. The second line was almost invisible, which made me doubt its validity -- and that is what I get for going cheap on such a significant piece of equipment. Dave remembered the digital, and more expensive, test that reads Pregnant and Not Pregnant. We decided that was what we had to have.

It was 10:30 at night, on a Wednesday. The first was Stop n’ Shop, but they only carried a few brands and the fancy digital one was not among them. However, tried-and-true Pathmark had just what we needed. I plunked down fifteen dollars for the package of two, thinking I probably will not need the second test for quite some time.

Once home, I peed on the stick carefully, hoping I had 5—7 seconds worth of pee in me after taking the first test. I didn’t. Ok, it probably won’t show if I am, I thought. Before I could wash my hands the result pregnant was on the screen. Ohmygosh.

“Babe, come here.” I stood in the hallway, trying to maintain a poker face. He stood up, a smile washing over his face. He looked at the test and all I could see was his illuminated face. “We have no idea what we’re getting into.” I said as we hugged. He kissed me and I wrapped my arms around his neck, positive pregnancy test dangling between two of my fingers.

As I walked into work this morning I wanted to shout out, “Preggo! Right here!” but Dave and I agreed to keep it a secret for a little while, as a precautionary measure. One exception, of course, was Janet and I called her from work as soon as I had a chance this morning.

“So what’s your story?” She had received a play-by-play of my wondering and hopefulness since we had discontinued birth control earlier in the month.

“Two positive tests.”

“Oh, I’m gonna cry. I really think I’m going to cry.”

“Can you believe it?”

“No. Oh my gosh.” I gave her every detail in the same teen-girl-secrets tone I'd used since we became friends at age sixteen. When I said we have no idea what we are getting into, she said, “No, but neither did we. You’ll be fine.”

Then her latest addition began to scream in the background. “See what you have to look forward to?”

“Oh, goody.”

I conveniently lost my voice today, so I left work around noon to recover. I checked out a stack of pregnancy books at the library and spent the afternoon looking through them and watching Where the Heart Is. There is baked corn in the oven and taco meat on the stove. Dave will be home from in a few minutes. Jesus is so good. Life is wonderful.