This week, I’m running a very special series where I’m going to repost some old posts many of you may have never read before. It’s all super special, just for you, and not at all because I’m running around like a crazy person right now, preparing for Blogher, or because there’s no way in hell I’ll have time to post from NYC. Nope. That has nothing to do with it.
Today, I’m going to take you all back, way back, to the VERY first post I ever wrote, before I was even pregnant with Kendall.
Back then, I’d been telling EVERYONE that I was still “at least 5 years” away from wanting kids. And it’s not that I was lying, I truly wasn’t ready… until I was. And then, BAM, I was ready, HAD TO MAKE BABY RIGHT THEN.
I’d heard the term “baby rabies” tossed around message boards to describe women who go absolutely flipping crazy trying to have a baby. I mean, they would, like, chart and finger their own cervixes and everything. Dude. Right?
And then I became one of them. So I embraced it. I googled BabyRabies.com and found the domain had yet to be snatched up. I bought it from GoDaddy and posted my first blog post the next day, never EVER thinking I would EVER let anyone read it, especially not people who actually knew me.
When You Know It’s More Than Baby Fever
As I type this, the only person who knows that the thought has even crossed my mind to begin the whole process of having a baby is my husband. In fact, I think anyone else who knows me well would be SHOCKED to hear of what I’m about to embark on.
Yes, up until a few months ago, I was a baby-phobe. Of course, I loved other people’s babies, relished in spoiling our nieces and nephews, oohed and aahed during trips through Baby GAP, and got the occasional bout of baby fever, but that was always quickly remedied with a brief evening of babysitting. The poopy diapers, projectile milk pukes, and graham cracker encrusted slimy little hands constantly grabbing for any piece of jewelry I had on was enough birth control to get me through a few months, at least.
All that changed in April when a rocking good time at a wine festival lead to a little “oops” moment. I woke up the next morning in my wine hangover haze and it hit me….”Shit! I bet I’m pregnant!”
The stages I went through were very similar to the stages of grief. First there was denial, I refused to believe it could happen. Then there was anger that we weren’t as careful as we should be. Then the bargaining began. “Please God, just let me get my period. I promise we won’t be stupid next time!” I will say there was no real period of depression. I just headed straight into acceptance, and a step you will not find in the grieving process (for most, at least) – EXCITEMENT!
One week before my period was due for her appearance I found myself browsing Gymboree and buying baby clothes. I called one of my best friends in a panic after my purchase. “What the HELL am I doing? I don’t even know if I am pregnant!” I shrieked into the phone. She was beyond supportive and very excited at the prospect of my possible pregnancy. “Maybe you’re just excited,” she said. “Maybe you ARE ready.”
I have to say that this whole time that I was worrying about whether or not I was with child, I had yet to say anything to my husband. I didn’t want to get his hopes up. I knew he was as ready as any man could ever be. It wasn’t until after I peed on three sticks that said I was indeed not pregnant that I told him about the close call. I heard the disappointment in his voice, and it all of a sudden hit me how sad I was that I didn’t see two blue lines on those tests.
So, here I am, three months later, and my occasional case of baby fever has turned into full blown BABY RABIES!! I’m afraid the only way to cure it is to have a baby of our own.
I decided to start this blog as a way to document my sure to be ridiculous, hilarious, at times disgusting, and at times painful journey through my first time around at trying to conceive, pregnancy, birth, and whatever I have time to write about after that.
I anticipate that I may share “too much information” at times on here, but that’s the whole reason I started this. I need a place to let it all out. I don’t intend to censor myself too much. So if you are squeamish about the whole pregnancy thing, or don’t like my views…read no further. However, if you want a window into my world, complete with first time ignorance and brutal honesty about what is about to happen to my body, stay tuned!
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13 comments
LoL I read this post a few months ago while stalking your blog at work. It’s still just as damn funny now. And it feels like you wrote from my brain. I havent hit full blown rabies yet but maybe next year…
LOVE this post!!!
I love this post because the emotions you describe when you thought you might be pregnant are the same stages I went through when we found out we were (surprise!) pregnant with LL! 🙂
I believe I found your blog when you were about 5 months pregnant with your first as I had just found out I was expecting our first, and have been an avid reader since. Keep up the great writing, it’s always great to read your blog!
I am a long time reader, but I think this is my first comment. I actually read this post pretty close to the time you posted it. You got married right before I did and I so enjoyed your posts on The Knot, so when you posted that you were over here now, I followed!
I have been reading your blog nearly daily since you started it and still frequented the Nest/Bump. 🙂 This is probably weird and stalkerish, but every time I get my period now I say “The Bitch is Back” in my head in reference to your blog post by that title. It stuck with me for some reason! Okay, Creepy mcCreeper is creeping back into her lurker hole…
Awesome!
Yep, I’ve been reading from the very first post. And I’ll keep reading until we’re old and gray and there’s something way cooler than the Internet.
Oh, honey!! I wish I would’ve found your blog so much sooner!! I LOVE this!!! I love that your writing has barely changed. Still amazing and funny and REAL to this day!! 😀
I agree – wish I had found you sooner (though before I accidentally found myself going from a single gal to a mother than to a married mother, I doubt I would have been searching keywords like baby rabies!). Loved this post!
I have also been reading since your very first post! I also “knew” you from the nest/bump. I remember this post. I got married when you did, had a boy the same time you had K and then a daughter. 🙂
I read this post back in January when a friend linked to a post you had written about breastfeeding and I discovered your blog. I had a 1 month old and was in the middle of nursing hell–I distinctly remember nodding when I read this:
“I dreaded it, cried about it, and fought back the urge to chuck my delicate and helpless infant son across the room every time he clamped down on my sore, cracked, bleeding, chunks of flesh missing nipples while shouting out strings of obscenities (I blame it on the same reflex that would cause you to punch a shark in the eye mid-attack).”
It gave me hope! I really enjoy your writing style and blog!
I’m also dying to know if we used the same midwife–one of the posts you wrote about Leyna’s birth made me wonder. I’m from the Dallas area–I used Cecily Floyd and delivered at Baylor Dallas.
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