Here we are.

Welp, we did it.  Luke and I have somehow successfully procreated.  That's right- I'm knocked up.  With child.  Got a bun in the oven. Cautiously expecting.... 

Pregnant.

 It's actually quite weird to write that down.  Pregnant.  I.am.pregnant.  It hasn't quite sunk in yet, as I just found out this morning.  I've been taking Wondfo pregnancy tests for the last 4 days, starting at about 9 days after ovulation, and every time, there was just the one very distinct pink control line next to the blinding white space where the "you're 'effed" line would show up.  I had read about women getting early results with these tests, but as the days went on, I started to lose hope that this was our cycle.  Sure, the aches and pains I've been experiencing for the last two weeks have been much more different than my usual cycle annoyances (instead of achy knees, I was experiencing back pains, and my usual telltale pre-period cramps were nothing like they were the month before), but since this was only my second cycle off the pill, I figured that my body was still just figuring out how to regulate itself without the aid of hormones.

I told myself not to bother with testing until after I had missed my period.  No reason to get myself all worked up and excited, only to be let down morning after morning.  I can be a very patient and rational person, but with this, I lost all logical thinking.  I had purchased a 50 pack of the cheapo pregnancy sticks, so I figured that I might as well start making my way through them.  This morning, after waking up at 5:30am to temp (I've been charting just in case we had any struggles conceiving a child so I would have some sort of data to give to the doctor), I decided "What the hell," and proceeded to pee in a cup, soak the stick for 3 seconds, and then wait the 5 minutes to see if there was any changes.  I had been pretty certain the my period was going to arrive any day with the cramps I've been experiencing, so I was not hopeful.  I knew that I was setting myself up for disappointment. Again.  I've been secretly testing, so that Luke wouldn't think I was crazy for doing it, so when I saw the change in this morning's test, I waited for a groggy Luke to get out of bed and I told him that I had something that I needed him to look at.  Of course, his eyes were all blurry, and he couldn't actually see the test I had sitting on the edge of the sink, but after a few minutes he was able to confirm that there WAS a very very faint line on this morning's test!  Luke still doesn't really know what to think, because in his mind, there was no way for us to actually know until tomorrow, and apologized for not being more excited, and confessed that he wasn't sure if he was ALLOWED to be excited yet.  I'm running out to pick up a digital test to take tomorrow morning, so hopefully I will still be pregnant tomorrow, and hopefully that will allow BOTH of us to really accept that we've started a human.

According to online sources, I am 4 weeks, 2 days along, with an estimated due date of March 4th or 5th (depending on which website you look at).

A quick explanation of the blog name:  For those of you who know us quite well, you already know that we have a menagerie of furchildren for whom we love and care for (especially the dogs, Lucy and Kale).  This pregnancy will (hopefully) result in our first furless child, though if it does pop out all furry, we'll love it all the same.

Right now, I'm am using this as a format to document everything that goes on with me during the course of my pregnancy.  I want to be able to go back and see the changes I went through.  For obvious reason, this blog won't go public until I hit 12 weeks, to save us the heartache of having to explain a miscarriage, but if you're reading this, and it's the end of August, welcome to the world of Kate oversharing what's going on with the growing parasite in her uterus.

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How far along?   4 weeks, 2 days (I probably won't have much to answer for these questions yet, but I'm excited to see how my responses change over the next 36 weeks!)

Total weight gain/loss: N/A

Maternity clothes? I own a maternity dress, but not on purpose, so.... no :)

Stretch marks? No

Symptoms: Backaches, slight cramping in my uterus (feels like menstrual cramps), sore breasts, starting to feel gassy and bloaty

Sleep: Fine

Best moment this week: Seeing the very faint line on the pregnancy test this morning!

Have you told family and friends: Just Luke

Miss Anything? I won't be able to drink while at the cabin over the next two weekends- not really sure how I am going to hide it!

Movement: N/A

Food cravings: N/A

Anything making you queasy or sick: N/A

Have you started to show yet: Nope

Baby is a: ??

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy
Looking forward to: Taking a digital test tomorrow morning, and provided that it is positive, making an appointment to have the pregnancy confirmed at the doctor's office!