How It All Began...

Early September
The believed conception date is the first week of September. Don't think too much of it, folks - you don't really want your mind wandering there ; )
Of course, this was a mystery to me until weeks later.
mid-September
When I found out I was pregnant, but before I went to the doctor - everything I read online asked for my last period date in estimating my due date. Since I had been like clockwork since going off the pill in the spring, I wasn't really keeping track since it would just always happen when it was supposed to. Also, Tim and I weren't necessarily *trying to conceive, so I wasn't being suspicious.
I knew I had a period in mid-August marked in my calendar, so I figured from that date my last period must have been around September 13th. While I couldn't actually remember the date, I did remember the "period."
It was very short, only 3-4 days long. There were no cramps and very light. But again, I didn't really think much of it at the time - just that I got a break!
But according to my due date that was figured out at my first doctor's appt, this "period" was most likely implantation bleeding, which about 20% of women experience several days after conception.

Early October
October 4 - we had a Game Night at Tim's mom's. For no reason, unless on another level - I didn't want to drink that night. I drank water for the entire night! Again, little did I know! Another "sign" was that when we got home, I had extremely bad heartburn that just wouldn't go away.
The next day, all I could eat was toast. Nothing else sounded good. At the time, I blamed it on my heartburn from the night before - but of course now I see that it was my first run-in with morning sickness!
October 6 - that Monday, I woke up and went into the kitchen to get my cup of coffee like I did every morning. But I took one whiff of that coffee and uh-uh, no way. I even tried to take a sip or two and nearly threw up. I haven't had a sip of coffee since that morning!
But that wasn't the end of it. When I got to work, I was lethargic and just felt icky all day. My yogurt for lunch made me gag and I had the chills - it didn't get better all day. The weirdest thing is that I never actually threw up. And in my life, if I feel nauseous, I throw up instantly. But not this day. On the way home I called my mom to whine, and the next day I emailed Katie about not feeling well and they both commented that maybe I was pregnant :) My response "No. No way am I pregnant."
But then that got me thinking...

October 11
I was still in disbelief that I could be pregnant, but it was getting harder not to think of it. But I held true that I did have a period in September and figured that my next period would be October 11. That entire week leading up to the 11th, I felt nothing. I didn't feel any PMS symptoms. Then October 11 came and went, with nothing. So then I really started to believe. But just in case I was wrong, I didn't want to drop the bomb on Tim if nothing came of it - and it was still hard for me to admit to myself! But of course curiousity sunk in and everyday on lunch I found myself googling pregnancy :)

October 18
I decided to wait until Tim went to Northern Illinois University's homecoming in DeKalb for the day with his friends. I volunteered at the Humane Society in the morning and on my way home, picked up a pregnancy test. There were 3 tests in the box, and I took one as soon as I got home. Before I even finished reading the instructions, a very clear "+" sign appeared. It absolutely took my breathaway. While I wasn't quite in disbelief, I certainly felt like I was living in a dream. I took the remaining two tests throughout the afternoon, and to get it to sink in I actually "told" the cats I was pregnant. Just to hear myself say it.
Tim came home around 9pm, but his friends came in with him. So I had sit patiently until they went home for the night, and basically pounced on Tim. I told him I needed to talk to him about something important. And just blurted out, "I'm pregnant."
His response? "No you're not..." in disbelief.
Then I went to get the 3 VERY positive pregnancy tests and showed him. He got up and gave me a big hug that seemed to last forever, telling me how happy he was and how great of a thing this is!