Week 1: just a twinkle in Jon's eye

March 31-April 6, 2008:

So as conception-conscious folks know, pregnancy is generally measured by the last-menstrual-period method. Since the first day of my last period was Monday, March 31, 2008, this is the beginning of my first week of pregnancy. Even if you're not a medical genius, chances are you've figured out that I'm actually not pregnant yet at this point. I haven't even ovulated. According to the medical community, pregnancy is made up of approximately 40 weeks, dividing out to 10 four-week months (I know a month is technically a little longer, but I'm just relaying what the medical books say), although full-term is anywhere from 37 to 42 weeks.

So, this week, pregnancy seems pretty easy! Of course, I'm dealing with my other female "gift" right now, so it's not all smiles. However, I did have my 27th birthday Friday, April 4, so this week was cause for some celebration. Also, we went to San Antonio for the NCAA Final Four, which was awesome, but I'll write more about that in week 2.

I had to wait a month after the miscarriage to make sure my body healed, and I needed to get mentally prepared again for whatever would come. I was filled with many worries (happily, I can get pregnant, but what if I could never carry a baby to term? What if I have to face this loss again?), but Jon and I talked and wanted to move forward with trying to start a family. We didn't have success right away, but fortunately, this is something at which we could enjoy being persistent. And we wanted that baby joy again; the first pregnancy let us know we were excited, and we were ready. I always assumed I'd already be a mother by now ... after all, we decided more than a year ago we wanted to pursue adding to our family. Yes, I know I'm still young, but when one decides a baby is desirable, time flies. I want to do this while my body is young enough to handle its health challenges, while my mind is still feeling flexibly adventurous and while my emotions have the energy to help carry me through obstacles. Plus, I still want Jon and I to have a good chunk of time to enjoy rediscovering our life-as-two mentality when our nest empties. So, let's get this party started!

Here are some belly pics for week 1: