SOME TIME AGO!!

In June of 2006, my friend Barrie Hogan flew in from New Jersey as her last trip the doctor would let her take before the birth of her second child TJ. Nothing special was planned for the weekend, just some girls hanging out. And when I say nothing special - I mean it. Barrie and I have a mutual agreement that even if we are napping, we are still spending time together and enjoying the hell out it. That's what I love the most about her - she let's me be me and accepts all my short comings as the uniqueness that when all combined is just me.

Went to dinner with my cousin Leigh Anne who used to live with Barrie when she lived here in TX.

This weekend changed my life forever.

Looking back, there were clues all over the place - guess I am not that observant.

When Tony and I got married, we had the "are we having kids discussion". Tony is 12 years older than me and we had been together 6 1/2 years before we tied the knot. Life was good. We traveled, we played hard and we have always enjoyed each others company more than anyone else's. (yes, that is the recipe for a great relationship). The result of our discussion, we pulled the goalie to see what would happen and that was that. Didn't give it much more thought. We didn't do anything special (outside of being newlyweds), didn't take temperatures, stand on my head - none of that.

When Barrie was here - and we went out to eat with Leigh Anne, we went to Don Pablo's - a fav for the three of us. Clue number 1 - I ordered steak enchiladas (my fav) and picked all the steak off because it was making me gag. Just thought I was in the mood for cheese enchiladas - never mind that I could have ordered that. Later that evening, Barrie asked me to stop at Walgreens for Tums (a pregnant must have) and came out of the store with an ovulation kit. Tossed it into my lap - "you two are taking too long - get on with it already". We all laughed, thought that was funny and further commented on how it would freak Tony the F out.

Clue Number 2 - Tired. Yes, I was serious about the nap. Barrie was at least 6 or 7 months pregnant - so no doubt she needed a nap and I will always nap when given the opportunity. I am married to a VERY NON-NAPPER who gets obnoxious about it some times. I have said this more than once: "I am going to take a nap. Do not touch me, do not cuddle me, do not ask me if I am done yet. When I emerge from the bedroom, that is your clue that my nap is over".

Clue Number 3 - On Sunday, Barrie and I went shopping for baby stuff. I brushed my boobs against a door in a store (funny visual) and commented on how bad that hurt. Barrie looked at me and said - "You're pregnant" "Shut up, I am not" - as my mind finally is catching on to the clues. Nothing else was said, continued shopping and took Barrie to the airport. I am sure she knew (she is one of the most observant people I know) that the rest of the day, my mind is in complete turmoil as I have finally realized I can't remember when I had a a period. I have never been that girl that marks the calendar. I am furiously trying to remember when I was last inconvenienced by mother nature and realize it was well before our ski trip to Banf Canada in April. HOLY CRAP!!!!!

I drop Barrie off at the airport, and as she gets out of my car - "I want to be the first to know!" Gives me a sly grin and waltzes into the airport with this smug expression.

I drive like a bat out of hell to the grocery store. Tony has spent the weekend at the river so I could have my girl time so it's just me. Unbeknownst to me, the pregnancy tests are not on the shelf. They are behind lock and key. So, I approach the pharmacist and tell her I need a pregnancy test. She asks "which one". "The most idiot proof one" was my reply. She unlocks the cabinet and I say "make it two". I wanted to be certain. She hands them over and says "Good luck" I remember looking at her thinking Holy Crap, this is scary and she is just grinning like an idiot. You must have been able to see how scared, weird, un-nerved I must have been.

I go home and pee on a stick. I didn't even have to wait the three minutes for that plus sign to show up. I FREAKED!!!! My emotions were all over the place. Yes, I knew that it was possible, but it had been a year and a half with no results so I just assumed it wasn't in the cards for Tony and I to be parents. I peed on another stick - also positive. I then convinced myself they were both wrong and drove to Walgreens to get a third test. This time, I got the one that actually read "Pregnant" or "Not pregnant". It too said "pregnant".

I paced, I cried, I laughed, I pulled up my shirt and looked at my belly. I wanted Tony to come home.

He finally arrived and I didn't even let him in the house before I said "I'm pregnant". He turned and looked at me on the garage steps and said "what???!!!!" "I'm pregnant" and thrust the stick that I had peed on that said pregnant at him - which he refused to touch or even look at. He didn't say another word, but walked into the house, I followed him along babbling non stop, couldn't tell you what I said - all the while he said nothing. Finally after about 4 hours of nothing, not a peep, not a word, I finally asked him "are you ok - I need to know you are ok with this?" His response, "Do you know how old I am going to be when it graduates?"

As we both settled in to the news and got more excited, Tony finally came to terms that our lives would never be the same. Now, I think he thinks its the greatest thing in the world that he is going to be 50 with a three year old.

A month later - Leigh Anne and I flew to New York to bounce around the city for a day and then took the train down to NJ to surprise Barrie at a surprise baby shower. My gift - the ovulation test kit with a note - "you bought the wrong test!"

She was the last to know.

A weekend I will never forget - My life changed forever THANK GOD!!!!!!