The easy questions

I really am going to answer all of your questions from my big announcement post, I swear!  M has promised to write a guest post on why/how he changed his mind, but getting him to actually sit down and write has been a challenge.  I think because he doesn’t actually believe anyone would be interested in reading his thoughts on the matter.  Clearly, he has no understanding of the blogosphere.

In the meantime, I thought I’d respond to the easy-to-answer questions you guys left for me.

1. Last time it took you a while to get pregnant, was it easier this time? (Any help?)

Actually, last time it took me no time at all to get pregnant.  It just took me several tries to stay that way. Back in 2006, I went off birth control in April.  Was pregnant in July, miscarried immediately. Was pregnant in early September, miscarried in October. Was pregnant in December, and that was Daniel & Rebecca.

This time (knock on wood), it was basically the same, minus the miscarriages.  We started trying in April, I found out I was pregnant on July 5th.

Sometimes I feel guilty about how easily I get pregnant, because I have SO many friends who have tried and struggled and have had such a long, hard road. But I know this isn’t a “choice” any of us make, just luck. I suppose I have my crazy Irish Catholic genes to thank. We don’t mess around with reproduction, apparently.  (My maternal grandmother had 7 kids, my paternal grandmother had 9. My dad traveled so much when he and my mom got married, she swears she got pregnant just by sharing his can of Tab.)

2. How did you find out? Did you have symptoms and take a test?

Interestingly, I wasn’t feeling any symptoms, and didn’t quite believe the test would be positive.  Shortly after we started “trying,” I decided to do the temperature-charting thing.  In part out of curiosity, since I never got around to doing it the last time I got pregnant.  Plus, I hoped that little bit of extra info would help me know what was going on and feel slightly more in control, or at least more aware. Thankfully, it did, instead of going the other way and making me a total crazy person. Well, it got to early July and my temps didn’t drop and my period didn’t come, so I tested. That was that.  Walked into our bedroom, told M it was positive, giggled a little, and, well, got on with my day.

1. Do you plan on finding out the gender, and will you tell us?

Hell yeah.  If there’s one thing M and I have never disagreed about, it’s finding out gender during ultrasounds when possible.  We wanted to know with our older kids, and we want to know this time.  For one, we see no reason to decline information when it is readily (and non-invasively) available.  For another, I think it will really help to prepare the kids. I don’t want either of them to get attached to the idea of the baby being one gender, only to find out on the birth day that it’s the other.   The ultrasound is scheduled for October 15, and I wouldn’t be able to keep my mouth shut about it if I tried. You’ll know shortly after I do.

2. Did you save all of the “stuff” so you’re ready for the new baby?

Nope. We kept almost nothing. Another kid was such a question mark for such a long time, and I had no desire to cram things in my attic “just in case.”  I gave away or sold pretty much everything.  And I don’t regret it.  I don’t mind buying a new carseat. I know I can get most of the limited-use newborn gear gently used from people in my Moms of Twins club. I’m sure we’ll get clothes as gifts, and I can buy things at the twin club sale.  And, frankly, most of my kids’ clothing comes from Target or Old Navy, so it’s not as though it’s all that pricey to begin with.

Will be back in another post with the questions that require more thoughtful answers…  If you have any other questions, feel free to ask ‘em!