10-12-05
First day of last period.

11-07-05 (Monday)
Wake up in the middle of the night with a spot on my underwear. Put on a pad, tell Sean I got my period, and go back to sleep.
The next morning - no blood. Later in the day - no blood. It's not my period. Do some research on Google (bleeding + early pregnancy) and voila - implantation bleeding. Upon further inspection, it was not blood at all, but pinkish-brownish clear. I was so tired in the middle of the night I hadn't noticed that it wasn't red.
I tell Sean about this when he gets home and we agree not to get our hopes up until Wednesday, which is the last day I expect my period for that cycle.

11-09-05 (Wednesday)
No period still - and that implantation bleeding was at the exact right time. I know that's what it was. I go to Shoppers Drug Mart and buy a two-pack of First Response pregnancy tests, asking the clerk to wish me luck (she did).
Unwrap the test in the car on the drive home. Take the test the second I get home with my winter coat still on. It says "One pink line means the test works, a second pink line means you're pregnant. I pee on it, put the lid on it (first line appears) and set it on the counter (second line starts to appear). I set the timer (I had planned to walk away for those three minutes) and instead I sit there and watch the pink line get brighter.
Call Mom. Talk for a long time.
Wait and wait and wait for Sean to come home.
When he walks in the door, we hug and kiss hello, and I say, "I couldn't wait - I'm pregnant."
Later, I try to hand him the test, and he says "Is there still pee on this?"
We decided who to tell, and when. We decide to wait to tell all the Culvers at Christmas, since we will be there in person. We call Joe and local family. We decide to tell Jon & Amy when I go down to Seattle that weekend.

11-10-05 (Thursday)
Went to visit Dave and Debra and they take me on a shopping trip to Capers (where Dave works) and they buy me vitamins and a few cheeses that I'm actually allowed to eat.

11-11-05 (Friday)
Took a second test upon waking, and it lit up faster than the last test did. We try to call Sean's Mom (Margeret) before I have to leave for Seattle, but her phone is busy. At the train station I buy a pregnancy book and Fit Pregnancy magazine.
Still no symptoms of being pregnant.

11-12-05 (Saturday)
Hung out with my blogger homies, Jeff, Manuel, Mike and Viv, who met me at Azteca. I think I was able to contain myself for about four minutes. When I get back from the bathroom, the Azteca staff are on their way over to me, clapping and singing the mexican restaurant Happy Birthday song while putting a giant sombrero on my head. For some reason I was much more embarrassed than usual.
Saturday night I went to Stacy's Chili party, where some woman was telling me about her friends who were trying to get pregnant, and they were all stressed, and really once you relax then it happens, and all the while I'm going "Uh huh. Um hm." I contained it and only told a couple people. I was proud of myself.
Sunday I hung out with the Landlords (Dan & Maureen), and also Todd Waffner and some other friends from JA. Then took a two hour nap.
Sylvia & I headed to Target to look at maternity clothes, and it just happens to be the worst season for Liz Lange maternity clothes. Either that, or the Northgate store sucks.
Here's the video of me being embarrassed
Give it a few minutes to load....
(Thanks, Mike!)

11-15-05
Things like digestion and pooping are becoming difficult. As is having any energy between noon and three.

11-16-05
Worst new doctor's appointment EVER. She ended up telling me she refuses to accept any patient who wants to do a home birth because she finds them RIDICULOUS. Her words. She closes my file and I walk out.
Family Practice my ass. She's had more plastic surgery than Melanie Griffith.

11-20-05
Dad calls to tell me some very sad news (Molly killed herself last week - I didn't know her very well, but she's the daughter of a very dear friend of my Dad's, who I've mentioned on this site multiple times - I got to meet her again last January and I was totally stoked about hanging out with her, but we lost touch soon after that).
After we chat for a while, then I talk to Kay, then I talk to Todd, who's home for Thanksgiving break. At some point I ask Todd, "Okay, so what's the schedule for Christmas? You graduate the 17th, then when do you get to Florida?" And Todd says "Mom & I will be there the 27th; your Dad doesn't get there till the 4th."
"The FOURTH?!?"
"The fourth"
"Of... JANUARY??"
Gaaaahhhhhhhhhh. So much for my telling Dad at Christmas in Florida. I had it all planned out, too. He has a brass keychain that I got him in 1984 that's engraved with "Russ" on one side and "Dad" on the other, and it's STILL his only keychain. I was gonna replace it with the same exact one, only it would say "Russ" and "GRANDPA", and have him open it with the whole family gathered around.
"Put my Dad back on the phone"
Dad explained that he couldn't work out the schedule with the shelter/kennel, and he tried, and we will in fact miss each other in Florida, and I'm going "NO! DAD! NO! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" and at one point I yelled "You're RUINING EVERYTHING!" and he said "Well I don't know about THAT" and I said "NO! DAD! THAT'S WHEN I WAS GOING TO TELL YOU THAT I'M PREGNANT!"
"You ARE? Right NOW?"
Then I tried saying "I was gonna get you that keychain and have you open it in Florida and..."
But he said "I can't hear you because Kay's screaming."
It was awesome. I think the funnest thing about being pregnant is being able to tell people you're pregnant (it certainly ain't the pooping).
When Kay got back on the phone she said "You were on the phone with us for 40 minutes and didn't TELL US?!?"
I asked that Dad tell the rest of the Culvers at the Thanksgiving dinner at Burt & Alene's. All my aunts & uncles and cousins would be there (except for Nancy's family in California), as well as my Grandma & Grandpa. I also made the same deal with Mom, since she was having her whole side of the family at her house for Thanksgiving this year. So both families, about 45 minutes apart, would be finding out on the same night.

11-21-05
Got laid off from my job. I knew, when I found out that I was pregnant, I would have to get another job, that was not part-time and paid under the table. I need to pay into the benefits for the parental leave! But they beat me to it, and Monday afternoon I found myself jobless.
This stressed out Sean very much.
I called Mom, and called Dad, and assured them that everything would be fine, and ANY job that was legit where I could pay my employment insurance would be fine, and it's Christmas, so maybe I'll just hit some retail shops and take it easy.
45 minutes later Mom calls me. She and Dad are flying me home to Indiana for Thanksgiving. Wednesday morning I leave.

11-27-05

Todd, Arin, Craig, Me, Bradley (pointing)
 The trip home was awesome.
It was a whirlwind four days with two of those days being on planes all day. Mom told everyone as we sat down for Thanksgiving dinner, then we rushed out for the child-of-divorce-parent-pass-off so Dad could take me to Burt & Alene's. It was so fun walking in when no one even knew I was going to be in town!
After everyone was done eating and assembled, Dad said "I have someone to embarrass, today is Val's birthday" (everyone looks at Val) "and Stace's pregnant" (now people are looking at Val, confused).
Soon after that, Aunt Karyn told me she knew. She just, knew.
And my Grandma Culver cried. It was such a happy night.
It was so great to be home with so many people! The next day Todd & I walked up to my friend Susan's to visit her and her new baby, and further discuss the birthing plan. Susan is a nurse who will be flying out here to deliver my baby. We are going to try for a home birth if we get the green light. And my first midwife appointment is tomorrow.
Mom & Jeff will also be here for the birth, and Dad & Kay will probably soon follow. Hopefully there will be a Culver wedding in September (pending an engagement) which would be an excellent time for US to go home :o)
(P.S. Wes said "Who's the father?")

"I'M YOUR UNCLE TODD!!!"

11-28-05
Margeret (Sean's Mom) had Debra put together this basket for me - it's loaded with goodies, many of which I've already eaten! And today I got a baby card from "Grandpa Randy (Sean's Dad), Grandma Nettie (Annette) and Auntie Stevie Lee". It was awesome.
Had my first appointment with the midwife today - hopefully we can get me in for an ultrasound before I leave for Florida so we can see the heartbeat and have a "picture". I also have a list of prenatal classes to choose from (they are expensive! That's so annoying!). Next stop is at the lab for blood work.
On the way to the midwife appointment I had a quarter pounder with cheese and some fries from McDonald's, and it was pretty much the greatest thing I've ever eaten. And I don't think I've eaten at McD's in almost 3 years.
And GOOD NEWS! Chris & Laura are ENGAGED! Which I hinted to just yesterday without knowing that they were already engaged that morning! This means that there should be a wedding for us to attend this fall. Which would be GREAT timing.
P.S. I weigh 145 pounds!!!!