Wednesday's Walk - My Crazy Story of How I Found Out I Was Pregnant

Wednesday's Walk was designed by Lynnette Kraft. She tells her story of how she, along with her family, have found peace and happiness after loss and heartache. Lynnette has accepted God to take over her life and has allowed him to use her as His vessel.

As I was searching my endless photo archives in my computer files looking for a memory to tell, I came across the photos of my first positive pregnancy tests. I thought I would share the details of how I found out that were going to be parents for the first time. You can also read the actual first post I ever created, show casing these photos for the first time. However, I don't believe I had enough guts to tell the true story at that point in time.

Paul and I had decided that we were ready to start our family. We had purchased our first home and he had landed a good job that relocated us from Sussex to Appleton. We wanted to start trying for our baby in January of that year (2008), but thought it best to wait another month because my husband's health insurance had a 30 days waiting period after initial employment (Jan. 1st). So - that pushed us into February.

I had shared with my husband that I would be a tad disappointed if it didn't work the first time. Not so much for the sake of being impatient, but rather that we would have to wait an entire month before our next chance would come. That idea would be hard to get used to.

It was about 1 week after our first attempt, we had our friend over for a weekend visit. He had come to spend some time with us since his wife Allison and daughter were out of state visiting family. I was getting anxious to take a pregnancy test (I am not one for surprises OR waiting), and First Response Preg. Tests make it possible to find out 5 days before your missed period. So, on my way home from work on Saturday I stopped to purchase one. I opened the box in the parking lot and read the directions. I was getting nervous and excited at the same time. I had just went to the bathroom before leaving work, so I knew my next chance to take the test wouldn't be for a little while. I think my giddy emotions were getting the best of me, so I tossed the test in my purse and headed home.

Fast forwarding to dinner - Paul, our friend Joe and myself are all talking when Joe says that his wife is expecting another baby. We were ecstatic to hear their news and that Paul's goddaughter would be a big sister. I think at that point in the evening... my brain shut off to the conversation. I nodded and smiled, but all I could think about was that pregnancy test in my purse. Now, you can call me neurotic (and I probably am) - but who says I couldn't just walk into the ladies room and have a little pee on the stick, huh? I wasn't enjoying driving myself crazy about it, so that's exactly what I did. I pulled out the test in the bathroom stall and went for it! I sat and waited... and waited.

And what do you know, I saw the faintest - I mean faintest little pink line. Almost to the point where I thought I was imagining it. Again, this is 5 days before my expected period. (I didn't know at this point that the more the pregnancy hormone is present in your body, the darker that line would be) I wasn't super convinced, but couldn't help getting super excited. So - I put the cap on the test and walked back out to my plate of pasta and lemonade. I sat through the rest of dinner and a martini bar visit (drinking lemonades) without mentioning anything to my husband. I think I had a branded smile that I kept trying to hide.

I told my husband that night when we went to bed and he asked to see the test. He wasn't convinced at all! It was that light... So, I decided to wait until morning and I would drive back to Walmart and buy another one.

Did I sleep at all the night? Barely! I wanted to take another! Not that the results would look any different...

I wanted to save my "morning pee" - yeah! YOU know what I am talking about - for the test, so when I woke at 6am, I grabbed my keys and ventured out into the frozen terrain. Little did I know, it was the worse ice over that I have EVER seen! I had zero traction on my tires and couldn't go more than 10 mph. Their were cars on the side of the road (even at 6am!). But I was determined to get to the store to prove that YES, I was indeed pregnant!

Half way to the store - the bladder urge was started to get build up intensely! Crawling along the street like a turtle, I bounced my leg and sang to the radio - "Ignore the pain, April" By the time I made it to the store, I could hardly walk. I had to sprint to the pharmacy department to quick search and grab! Curse me for not buying the double pack the first time! I would not make that mistake again! I grabbed a double pack AND a ClearBlue digital reader. By now, my bladder is about to burst, my face is red, my eyes are watering and my muscles are working harder than ever before. (This was pre baby - so I actually HAD muscle control!) Also - I did my research a few weeks prior and found that most grocery stores keep their pregnancy tests behind the counter or at least in the pharmacy nuk, which are only available to sell during pharmacy hours. God Bless Walmart for having no such stipulations! So, I bit my lip and choked back the tears while smiling politely to the store clerk - realizing if I don't get myself into the bathroom pronto - I am going to go everywhere!! So - yes, ladies and gentlemen, I took the second pregnancy test in a store restroom. I couldn't waste the effort that I worked so darn for! Plus, at the rate I got there, it would have taken me days to get home !!

So - I peed on the stick again, and there was that tiny faint line again. Surprisingly, it was actually a bit deeper. More relieved to have my bladder emptied and to know I didn't have to walk to the car with my knees pinched together... I left the store! But not before noticing the sign on the wall that said "Walmart - Open 24 hours!" - Got to me kidding me! I could have stopped after dinner last night and saved myself the agony of possible bladder rupture!

I showed my husband the test and he response was, "Oh, April - that's pushing it!" I don't know if he was expecting bells and whistles or a pretty woman's voice to say "Congratulations!" but, he still needed more proof. I knew I was pregnant! I went back to sleep! When I woke up, I took the digital test to alleviate any more doubt... we were going to be mommy and daddy!