Ashworth, Party of 3!

We are so excited to announce that we are expecting our first baby! Baby Ashworth is due April 2, 2012!

Surprise?

So how did this all happen? First of all, it was no surprise to us. I have been charting my cycles since December with the plan to start trying in July. We were thrilled to learn that we conceived on our first try! I will have 4 months at home with our little angel before I have to go back to work in the fall, which is exactly what I was hoping for.

This was, however, a surprise to our families. We thought it would be fun to have "our little secret". It was really hard not to let it slip sometimes, and we were nervous that the constant talk of babies, baby names, etc. would be a sign that we were planning one soon. Our parents could not have been more surprised. Everyone is ready to have a little baby around to love and spoil!

THE test...

We had planned to take the first test on a Sunday morning (it is recommended that you test first thing in the morning), but we just couldn't wait. We attended the wedding of one of Rusty's friends, where I was "holding it" the whole time so that we could run home and take a test. The packaging said it would take 1-3 minutes, so I went to put on my pajamas. Rusty said "Is it ready yet?" - he was just as ready to know as I was. I didn't think that it would be, but I couldn't help casually glance at it as I went to put my dirty clothes in the hamper. "OH MY GOSH!!! IT SAYS PREGNANT!!!" I screamed as I turned around and jumped on Rusty. I just stood there in the bathroom screaming/clapping/jumping for the next few minutes. I really just couldn't believe it. I looked and looked and LOOKED at that test all night. I think I was in disbelief that all my planning had worked and we had been blessed to conceive on the first try. It seems like we have heard of many people - even young, healthy people - having difficulty getting pregnant. I would be lying if I said it wasn't a constant worry in the back of our minds. We truly feel like God heard our prayers. Even though I know this was "our plan", the timing was ultimately His, and His plans are always perfect.

Still in shock!

Daddy and Momma!

Spreading the news...

Even though I was only four weeks along, we just couldn't wait to share the news. We knew it was early, but we thought our parents/family could keep it to themselves, at least until my first doctor's appointment. We took another test Sunday morning, just to make sure. (Hey, it came in a 2 pack...why not?) My mind had been racing all night, so I made Rusty go look at it. His smile said it all. We rushed to church and praised the Lord for our new blessing. After the service, we went straight to the lake to give my mom her "birthday present". We were going to be out of town on her birthday, so we told her we would celebrate early. She unwrapped her present and just stared at it for a while. She has recently started a program with a nutritionist and personal trainer, so she thought it was some kind of weight loss gadget. She asked me if it was a diabetic test and I said no. She just stared at it for a little while longer and finally looked up at me. "Is this a pregnancy test?" she asked. "Are you pregnant?" I just nodded and grinned as she sat in shock. We all teared up and shared lots of hugs. We stayed to hang out and chat about names, plans, etc. Then off to Homewood! We told Rusty's parents, brother, and sister-in-law that we wanted to grab some dinner and go see Lauren and Brett's new home site - which was the truth. We were just going to throw a little surprise in there. When everyone was getting in the car to go to dinner, Rusty asked his parents to come look at something in the back seat of his truck. He had recently purchased a new truck and he acted like he had a question about something. He finally said, "So, which side do you think the carseat should go on?" This was followed by ramblings about tags, instructions, etc. then it finally clicked. His mom looked at me, and I was holding up the two tests. She screamed and ran around to the other side of the car to give me a hug. We all stood in the driveway and shared hugs and laughs.

The wait...

I called my doctor and was informed that they don't see patients for the first visit until they are 6 weeks along. I was going to have to wait two weeks to hear from the doctor that I was pregnant, something that I thought would ease my mind. So while we didn't feel comfortable sharing our wonderful news with the world, we did celebrate a little in private!


I will be documenting our journey through this blog. I hope that one day it will provide wonderful memories for us to look back on and allow our little Peanut to know all about how excited we were about him/her!