And I didn't even have to pee on a stick...

I know I know. As predicted in my first blog post, I do suck at updating this blog. I can give you excuses about how busy I have been (I really have!) and how school is getting in my way (it really is!)....but if you are taking the time to read this mediocre blog (and I thank you for that!) then you deserve better. It's not you, it's me...I'm not giving you the attention you deserve. I promise, I won't do this again. Please forgive me. I love you.

Now, onto the updates! You probably already know this, but in case you didn't, I am pregnant! Yes, we were planning on having a baby in the near future since I am not working while we're living here in Saudi...but we weren't planning on it happening quite so soon. I stopped taking birth control about 2 months before I moved, with the advice that it would take about 4-6 months for my body to get 'back to normal' in order to conceive. Well, as I will reiterate later, every body is different and mine apparently was ready to slingshot eggs after only 2 months. Al has been in Saudi for over 2 months, while I have been in Saudi for 6 weeks now, and coincidentally I am currently 6 weeks pregnant (you do the math). So how did we find out? Well...that's a funny story.

On September 16, I had to go to the hospital for a medical exam in order to get my Saudi residency. While I had done one in Syria right before I moved (healthy and non-preggers), they make you do another one once you get here. So Al and I go to the hospital that fateful Thursday for just another routine checkup and blood test. During my Q&A session with the doctor, he asked when my last menstrual cycle was. Now at that point, I had been 2 days late but didn't really think anything of it considering I was a whole 10 days late the month before...so I just thought that my body was still a little post-bc screwy. So the doc said that I had to go take a blood test to check for pregnancy first so they know whether or not they can give me an x-ray (part of the medical exam and a no bueno if you're preggers). <Fact: a blood test is the most conclusive type of pregnancy test and can show pregnancy weeks before one of those pee on a stick tests>. He also gave me 2 cups, one for a urine sample and the other for the stool sample (also part of the medical exam). So I go to take care of the cups first. I hit waterfalls for the first, but the second...not so easy. I'm sorry but I just cant do that on command! The nurses told me to try again later or just bring it back the next day.

We went upstairs and they drew my blood and said that the results would be out in about 15 minutes (crazy fast!). I'm still not thinking anything of it although I was starting to realize that in 15 minutes I was going to find out if I was pregnant...yikes! There's no way...right?? In the meantime, I decided to give cup #2 another try. I chugged some cold water, and some 10 minutes later was successful. So Al and I went to the nurse's desk to make the delivery, where I proudly announced that I did it. The nurse looked at me and goes 'oh, congratulations!' I thought he was just being a smartass and congratulating me on my feat, so I laughed and was like 'yeah thaaanks'. He looked at me funny so I changed the subject and asked him if my test results were in yet. He said 'yes, that's why I said congratulations, the test was positive...you're pregnant!' 

Freeze frame. I'm pretty sure Al's jaw was on the desk and the inside of my brain looked something like this (---------------). In an attempt at comprehension, I tried to formulate words and the resulting conversation went something like this:
Me: so, wait. it's positive?
Nurse: yes ma'am its positive
Me: so that means I'm pregnant?
Nurse (obviously irritated at having to repeat himself): yes ma'am, you're pregnant. 
Me: ohmygoshwowthankyouohmygoshwowohmygosh

Al and I looked at each other and I think my look mirrored his: excited, shocked, elated, surprised, happy, proud, confused. Sooo what do we do now? The nurses told us to go downstairs to the doctor and they would send the results to him so they know not to give me an xray. They said to make an appointment with an OB/GYN to find out how far along I was. So we went downstairs and got another congratulations from the doc. Then apparently that was the end of the medical exam. Al and I went out to the lobby to wait for our taxi, and with this moment alone we expressed how excited we were and how surprised and all those other emotions I listed above. It was really an incredible moment, we had NO idea, didn't think it was even possible at this point, and there we were...so blessed with this miracle. Hamdillah (thank God in arabic). We called his parents with the news (they were ecstatic!) and debated calling my parents even though it was only 2am their time. We decided to call them later so not to wake them up and scare them in the middle of the night. 

Fast forward 4 days to my first doctor's appointment. My friend May went with me since Al couldn't leave work. I estimated that at that point I was about 3 weeks along (I mean I had only been with Al for 3 weeks then anyway). We couldn't see anything conclusive on the ultrasound though. We saw something that looked like the amniotic sac but the doctor said it was too early to see much of anything. So she ordered some labwork done to make sure everything was ok (hormone levels, blood, etc.) and told me to come back in about 2 or 3 weeks when I would be further along in the pregnancy and we'd be able to see something on the ultrasound. Thankfully, the labwork came back ok, everything was ok, and again confirmed that I am pregnant :) 

Now, 6 weeks along, I'm finding it hard to believe that I'm pregnant because I've had very little side effects. No morning sickness, no crazy cravings. I had small stomachaches before, but they're gone now. I've gotten dizzy a couple of times but nothing major. The one thing I've really experienced is fatigue. I'm tired for no reason...I get up to do something in the kitchen and I get tired. I go to the mall for an hour and I feel like I've been working out hard core for 2. They tell me that every woman is different and goes through pregnancy differently. Some of them have those crazy side effects, and some of them don't. I guess I consider myself lucky that I'm not getting sick, and hopefully I won't! I've got a small bump and I guess I'm starting to show so soon because I was so skinny hehe. None of my jeans fit anymore...you're not supposed to wear anything tight around the belly area anyway. I have to watch what I eat (healthy stuff, not too much salt) and make sure I don't tire myself out. I'm going to the doctor next week, and hopefully then we'll see something on the ultrasound! 

Al and I are so blessed and so thankful for this gift...it is scary to think that I'll be a mother soon (I've already bought a motherhood book) but I can't wait and hopefully we'll meet our healthy baby boy (Omar) or girl (Reem) next May. Oh yeah, I'll be giving birth in Nashville and will be there starting in February until about a month after the delivery. So pray for us!! This is such a wonderful time in our lives and we are so happy to share it with everyone. Every update I receive I will pass along to yall through this blog from now on...so keep checking back!!