Hard to believe...

About to POP!

It's hard to believe that 39 1/2 weeks have gone by so quickly. It feels like just yesterday (December 16th to be exact) I found out that I was pregnant. I went home that weekend for Cam's birthday. On Sunday I left my parent's house early in the morning. As I was driving along I quickly realized that "TOM" (time of the month) hadn't visited me lately. Could I be.....nah not possible I thought to myself. I had only been off of my bc a couple of months. When I got home I decided to find out for sure. I just happened to have a box of 2 pregnancy tests, I took them both, and both were POSITIVE. Of course, I cried, then grabbed my keys and purse and headed to Kroger to get more tests. Much to my surprise that's when I found out that they keep the pregnancy tests under tight lock-n-key. So as I flashed my wedding ring to the pharmacist (just to let him know that I wasn't just some teeny bopper) I asked politely for the key, unlocked the case, and grabbed the tests. I checked out and back home I went. What an ordeal that was. It took 6 pregnancy tests for me to fully comprehend the fact that I was "with child". I went from scared to death to elated in a matter of seconds. Nick was out of town hunting so I waited and sat on this news for 6 hours. I was about to bust at the seams to tell him. While I was waiting for him to get home I remembered Lauranne telling me about the Chinese Lunar Calendar which is a baby gender predictor. I totally believe in all of that stuff. I decided to give it a try. My fingers couldn't google it fast enough. I finally found the website and in a matter of seconds I knew I was having a girl!!! Crazy...I know, but it was still neat to think that it could be a girl. Finally Nick came home and I shouted, "I'm pregnant and it's a girl!!!" Of course I had to explain the girl part, but nonetheless he was excited. We decided to keep it to ourselves for a little while. His parents came up to take us to dinner one night so we told them first. They were so excited. We told my parents while we were at my Aunt Sue's house for Christmas. Nick and I had it all planned out how we would go about telling them the good news. But if anyone knows me they know that I can not keep a secret (happy secrets of course). I was really nervous the entire day, and it was starting to show. So I just kind of blurted it out while everyone was standing around in the kitchen. The look on my mom's face was absolutety priceless. I thought she was going to pass out. I just stood there with my secret now out in the open with a huge grin on my face not knowing what to say next. I was going to be a mom!!!!

Looking back on the last 9 months being pregnant and going through labor were probably the easiest things I have ever done. And I would do it again....just not any time soon.

Ella Reinhart Pollan was born on Monday, August 18th
at 11:44 p.m. ( 5 days before my 27th birthday).
What a great birthday present!!
She weighed 6 lbs. 10 oz. and was 19 1/2 in. long.
And she is perfect!!