6 pink lines...

Two pink lines... Check out the MomsBlogging.com meme on this.

I've seen 2 pink lines 3 times in my life.

In April of 1998, Patrick and I decided we wanted to start our family. I had gotten the baby bug BAD when my coworker had an adorable little girl in March. Sure that it would take us months and months to conceive, I began charting my cycle symptoms and what not. I had reallllly irregular cycles back then. Like, 30-50 days between periods. So ovulation dates were really vague. So we did all the time! :) sorry... :)

Anyway! On a Monday, I felt like crap. SO bad, in fact, that I stayed home from work. I wasn't technically late yet, especially since my periods were so screwy, but on Tuesday, on the way home from work, I bought a test.

Our upstairs bathroom was being "remodeled" by Patrick (oy. A whole nother story of its own...). So, I took the test in the basement bathroom, with the black and gold sink and black toilet. PRETTY!! No joke, but as I was putting it on the sink next to the toilet, it instantly turned to 2 lines!! I nearly passed out, screamed, and ran up stairs to call Patrick at work (he worked a late shift then). Pants around my knees, pulling my undies up, I gasped on the phone for him and had to WAIT to tell him a whole 42 seconds!! I screamed, he was in shock, it was really awesome...

Yeah. I told him with my pants pulled down. I had NO ABILITY to keep a secret!

I vowed that the next time, I would find a fun way to tell him...

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July 2001.

After deciding to wait to try and get pregnant until after our vacation to Wisconsin Dells, we went whole hog on vacation. I ate shellfish, and drank lots of booze (well, 1 night's worth while my parents watched Justin). We did a bungee swing, go-karts, roller coasters, water slides. Basically, every single thing that you wouldn't want to do while pregnant? Yeah. I did it.

Ahem. You can probably guess where this is going, right? Well, we got back on a Saturday or Sunday, and it suddenly occurred to me that I hadn't used any of the girlie supplies that I had brought on vacation! Hmmmm.... I felt fine, but was technically late.... I went to the grocery store, bought a test (and various other food items. just casually threw it in there, you know...) and took it in the middle of the day. (This time, in my upstairs bathroom, as it was finally finished!) Again, the test turned immediately to 2 lines!!! I was tempted to again call Patrick on the phone, but held my breath. Instead, I ran out with Justin to WalMart, bought a baby outfit, and waited at home for him.

When Patrick came home (earlier shift then!) I threw the gift bag at him and practically shouted "OPEN IT!!!" Inside was the sleeper and the test (in a baggie, of course!). Again, we were so thrilled and jumping up and down...

Maybe those risks we took before I knew I was pregnant are the reasons that Evan is such a monkey?
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February, 2005

After a scary episode in November of 2004, during which I had surgery to remove 2 huge dermoid cysts from both ovaries, I was petrified that we'd never have the third child I'd always dreamed of. But I recovered and got the go-ahead from the doctor. Well, the first 2 babies were conceived immediately (and, with Evan, just BEFORE we tried!) so I assumed we'd have fast success again. After starting to try in late December, I was getting frustrated. I know, I know... 2 months is NOTHING for most women, but I was petrified that they'd screwed up my insides. As it is, I still have numbness on my skin below my foot long incision across my belly! My younger sister had been trying for about 8 months to get pregnant and was becoming very frustrated as well. In February, we were both feeling good about the cycles.

Patrick was out of town, and I was feeling a bit sick and "off." I decided to just take a test and see. Again, before my pants were even up (ooooh, nice visualization!) the lines were there! This time, I felt shock! True shock, as I was trying to talk myself out of the possibility, to try and spare my feelings. Now, what to do? Pat was in Indiana or God knows where, and I needed to tell SOMEBODY. I called my sister, because I knew she'd be testing. She told me that it was negative and I could tell she was sad, so I told her I was sorry, but I was shocked! I was sure that this was the month for us both! I fear that I may not have been consoling enough, but I didn't want to talk too much, for fear that I'd let on that I was pregnant. So, I went to my parents' house, where she was hanging out, and just spent the afternoon with them.

After my sister left, I made sure that their car was gone, when I turned to my parents, and told them the news! They were thrilled! I swore them to secrecy as I didn't want anyone else to know till I told Pat. But I HAD to tell them, or I'd have burst!!

That Sunday, Patrick got home, and it was Valentine's day (or the day after? Can't remember) We had said that we weren't doing presents, just cards, so he was a little miffed when I shoved a red lacy bag at him and said to open it NOW. Again, I had put a baby outfit and the test inside, and he was ecstatic and SO surprised! We were thrilled, and thus began the life of Corinne.

I called my sister later on, and told her on the phone, and told her that she didn't have to talk to
me, and I'd understand. She was very brief on the phone, and I know she was sad, but we were all ecstatic when she found that she was pregnant and due 3 months after me!

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So, there are my stories. Unedited, for I haven't the time, what with these 3 monkeys hanging on me (literally. Corinne is in my lap and keeps hitting the space bar and control button, which is NOT good for my computer).