And so it begins

So here we go.... Are you ready? I wasn't. I thought I was... but I was wrong. Having a baby throws a curve ball into everything you think you know. Jay and I were even trying to get pregnant. But in my defense it happened really fast. Two months?! I thought it would take at least three or four....

Anyways, I took the test on a sunny Sunday in July and 2 minutes later- BAM! Our lives were changed forever. Just like that. Were we even ready? Well that didn't matter anymore because there was a bun in my oven and it was coming out in 9 months!

After many tears of joy and a DQ Blizzard, it actually sank in. I will never forget that feeling. It was a combination of joy and feeling like I was going to throw up. And the sudden urge to pee. I was baffled that the feeling of constantly needing to pee literally begins the second you see "Positive" on that little stick. So weird.

So time goes on, the news starts to spread. People are excited. My pregnancy was glorious. Never got sick, didn't really have pain. Most importantly, my feet didn't grow, which was good because I am told I have a shoe problem.

Then on March 7th, 2014 (2 1/2 weeks early), Harper decided she was ready to rock and roll on into this beautiful world! It was the best day of my life. Here she was, this tiny little person that we were responsible for. And holy guacamole was that a frightening thought. The strangest part of it all was that everyone was right- somehow it felt like she had always been a part of our lives, even though she was only a few days old. We brought her home and things just  bumped along until we got into a routine. We had it pretty lucky, though, because H was a really good baby.

I had 8 weeks off of work for maternity leave, which felt like 8 minutes. People say that time seems to speed up after you have kids and it's absolutely true. Before I knew it, we were pulling into the Mall of America for our last day of mama-daughter walking/people watching. We went there just about every day while I was on leave. It was kind of therapeutic and a great way for me to exercise and attempt to get back into shape. And it was always good for a laugh. I mean people just come out of the woodwork at that place...

I totally cried when we left the mall that day. It felt like my beautiful on-my-own-timetable way of life was being ripped away from me. And now I had to go back to work like some kind of chump. I thought to myself "How can people do this? Leave their little baby to go back and work for the man?! I QUIT! I QUIT! I'm staying home no matter what anyone says!" Then Jay kindly reminded me that, since we like to eat food every day, I didn't really have a choice.

My first day back to work was ok. I went to work, Jay stayed home with Harper until the afternoon and we met up at her 2 month doctor appointment. I am here to tell you that nothing, I mean NOTHING, can prepare you for the first time your little peanut gets vaccines. HOLY SHIT. Are you kidding me? I was trying so hard to hold it together, but my eyes didn't get the memo- they were gushing tears. That little cry was like nothing I had heard before. But, 30 seconds later, it was over and she was just fine. We went home and, to her, it was like nothing happened. Everyone was right (once again) when they said it would hurt me a lot more than it hurt her.

Since that day, I have been working full time and we have gone to her 4 month appointment (with more shots, but this time I didn't cry) and she even got her ears pierced. Side note- I made Jay hold her for that one and I went out into the hallway. Sorry honey :) She has been sleeping in her own room since she was 10 weeks old and has been sleeping through the night since she was 12 weeks old! Again, we got super lucky....

So, in a nutshell, that's our life as it stands today. Maybe someday I will enlighten you more since there are a lot of good stories to be told from those 9 months.

Now I need to go tend to my adorable little peanut, who seems to think that I need to drop what I am doing and give her attention right this second.....!