We planned to start trying after our Hawaii honeymoon in February, but little did we know, we already had a little bun in the oven. I went shark cage diving, paddle boarding and hiked six miles all before knowing I was already pregnant. “Did I deserve this?” I would think to myself. We tried for only 4 months . I knew some friends that had such a long and difficult journey conceiving. I would hear stories about the endless IVF treatments, diet changes, and miscarriages they had to endure. So, why was I so lucky? I kept waiting for the ball to drop, but the first trimester came and went pretty easily. I felt so blessed.
Second trimester felt even better. My baby bump was starting to show, and I no longer looked like I was packing on the few extra pounds for no good reason. I absolutely loved being pregnant. I had very little symptoms if any. Other than some mild dizziness and swelling, I was glowing. Having a little bump gave me the perfect excuse to indulge in cravings that included a lot of almond boba milk teas and buttered toast. I didn’t necessarily go overboard, but I thought it was important to feel free and allow myself to enjoy my favorite foods without feeling too guilty.
We surprised our family and announced we were expecting at my birthday pool party celebration. As they were all singing to me, my husband suddenly stopped everyone and revealed the real reason why they were all here. The look of shock on everyone’s face was priceless! I was 16 weeks pregnant and we thought it would be fun to also announce our baby’s gender surrounded by family and friends. We wanted to be surprised with them. I gave the ultrasound results to my work friend so she could order some confetti canons for the big reveal. It was kind of crazy thinking that she was the only person who knew the gender. Not even I knew. Yet, it was such a treat to wait in anticipation with the rest of my family.
Third trimester was definitely the hardest on me both physically and mentally. We had to endure genetics testing after a blood test scare, which took 10 days to get results . It felt like the longest 10 days of our lives, but luckily, our baby was okay. From then on, I started to experience some major swelling and elevated blood pressure. My nose grew like Pinocchio and my feet looked like marshmallows. My doctor finally told me it was time, and at 37 weeks I was ready to meet my sweet baby boy.