I Had Never Known That Kind Of Joy

Five years ago, I was 8 weeks pregnant with Jack.

I remember that time so vividly - it was such special time in my life and marriage. So, I thought I'd play along with a couple of my friends and share a little of my experience in becoming a Mom for the first time.

1. Was your pregnancy planned? We didn't plan, but we hoped. We went on a cruise and brought home a little present.

2. Were you married at the time? Yes.

3. What were your reactions? I took a running leap down the hallway and into Jason's arms. Then proceeded to jump up and down for a few minutes. We made homemade ice cream to celebrate.

4. Was abortion an option for you? No. And, this question made me cry.

5. How old were you? 28.

6. How did you find out you were pregnant? Good ol' double line.

7. Who did you tell first? We invited Jason's parents over for dinner and told them we got them a little something on the cruise - but that they'd have to wait 9 months to get it. Then we didn't tell anyone else, besides my sister, for a month.

8. Did you want to find out the sex? Not for a moment. I wanted our first to be a surprise. (We have now had two surprises at birth and found out at our 20-week ultrasound with Max. We LOVED it both ways!)

9. What was your due date? September 6, 2004 - Labor Day :). He came 4 days early.

10. Did you have morning sickness? A little. But, I just remember being SO tired at the beginning.

11. What did you crave? McDonald's Chicken McNuggets, fruit salad, orange juice and Breyer's Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream. Jason took a half gallon away from me at one point when I'd eaten half of it in one sitting. And, I sent him out to get McD's McNuggets quite often.

12. What irritated you? Hmmm. Don't remember ever being irritated. I loved every second of being pregnant with that boy.

13. What was the sex of your first child? A boy.

14. Did you wish you had the opposite sex of what you were getting? I would say I think this question is absurd, but I have friends who did in fact feel that way, and so I've come to understand that one might be disappointed for a bit. I, however, didn't have a preference. But, Jason desperately wanted a boy.

15. How many pounds did you gain throughout the pregnancy? 18 lbs.

16. Did you have a baby shower? I had two of them. I felt so spoiled and I got the most meaningful and wonderful presents.

17. Were they a surprise? No. I knew about both of them. By choice.

18. Did you have any complications during your pregnancy? I got a horrible migraine at 32 weeks, which landed me in the hospital. Apparently, you can't take oral migraine medication while you're pregnant, so I was hooked up to an IV until it went away. Five days later.

19. Where did you give birth? In a hospital back East. Under bright white lights.

20. How many hours were you in labor? My water broke at 3am the morning of my scheduled c-section. At about 7am, the contractions became really painful, and I was told to just labor until 8:00am when my c-section was scheduled. Oh, the pain. I'm thankful for my c-sections now.

21. Who drove you to the hospital? Jason. We drove in complete silence, which is so unusual for us. But, we were just so pensive and full of awe and hope and just wanted to be quiet, I suppose. I remember feeling so loved at that moment - so content with life and so blessed to be Jason's wife.

22. Who watched you give birth? My doctor, the medical peeps, and Jason. It was an amazing experience. The anticipation is just so very cool.

23. Was it natural or c-section? C-section. I knew from my very first appointment that I'd have a c-section. They tell me my pelvis is just too small for a baby to fit through.

24. Did you take medication to ease the pain? Can you imagine a c-section with NO pain medication. WOW.

25. How much did your child weigh? 8lbs exactly. The doctor thought he was about 6lbs before he was born. I still can't believe I had an 8lb baby.

28. When was your child actually born? 8:26am.

30. What did you name him/her? Jackson Henry.

And, he changed me forever.

31. How old is your first born today? He is a beautiful, spunky, strong-willed, helpful, inquisitive, hilarious, all-boy 4 years old.