My Christmas Story

Waring: due to the graphic nature of some material in this post, it may be unsuitable for some readers ;o)

My Christmas story begins yesterday on Christmas Eve. My elevated temp had dropped below 98 since it had risen 8 or 9 days before. I was discouraged but optimistic that it would sneak back up above 98 on Christmas day to keep the hope alive. I was expecting my period on or around Monday Dec 29th if my temps stayed elevated. That would be 14 days of elevated temps and I figured a "normal" cycle was 28 days and if you ovulate in the middle on day 14 and have elevated temps after you ovulate, then the 29th it should be.

Adding to my story, Clay and I traveled to Decatur yesterday for Christmas Eve. On the way and sort of out of the blue (as it wasn't the current topic of conversation) he says, "Maybe you could pee on a stick tomorrow."
"Why?" I asked.
"Cause it's Christmas!"
"Hmm.. hadn't planned on it since I will next week for New Years and my temps haven't been elevated the full time yet. (I then told him the expected 12/29 deadline.) However, thinking about it longer today would only be 4 days early and I think a lot of those pregnancy test boxes say "Find out 5 days before your missed period."

So on the way back from Decatur, Clay and I went to the beautiful Christmas Eve service at church. Prior to church I had to pee like a race horse so we made a pit stop. In the bathroom, I found myself wiping a few times. I could have sworn the toilet paper was a bit pink. I chalked it up to my mind playing tricks on me given the cheap one ply stuff that passes as "toilet paper" in some cases. It was probably just my flesh colored finger showing through.

Then in church, during our silent time for prayer I found myself thinking about the possibility of getting my period. Would I be happy? Or would I be sad as its one more month, not preg? Happy because the hope is alive and my body CAN naturally have a cycle of its own? I teetered back and forth in my conversation with God during that time but quickly had to wrap up my thoughts and move on.

So I went to bed last night in my new PJs debating whether to take a test today or not. (Sidebar: Does any else see the contradiction to a previous post where Clay didn't want me to pee on a stick? He thought I was wasting them....and they say women can't make up their minds.)

Then this morning, my phone "bing-bonged" (sound it makes for a text) at 545am. I had not been planning on getting up that early but the phone woke me (and Clay). So I decide I have to pee and it was now or never for that stupid stick. As a bonus, I grabbed the thermometer so I could multi-task and take my temperature too. (Although if I abided by the temperature taking rules I broke about 3 of them.)

Graphic material ahead......So, I go to the bathroom, grab my SpongeBob Square Pants cup, and take a seat. I stick the beeping thermometer in my mouth and the cup in my hand. I proceeded to pee on my hand like normal. FUN STUFF! After placing the cup on the counter, I decided to follow some of the temperature guidelines and remained still while it finished taking my reading. After what seemed like forever it beeped.......

97.29?!?@#@$!$ WHAT? ARE YOU F-IN KIDDING ME? It's back down like normal... ugh! Then I took my wonderful two ply Quilted Northern goodness to wipe and..... RED. Not pink, not the flesh toned skin showing through but real honest red and blood of a a PERIOD.

Yep, I got my period for CHRISTMAS ;o) Just what I wanted!!! Does anyone have a tampon?

But this is not where my story ends. I heard Clay in the hall after this discovery. I ran in the hall proclaiming I didn't have to pee on a stick. Now at 550am in the morning, your husband will just stare at you if you yell that at him. Then I proceeded to explain that I think I got my period. He kind of laughed (one of those happy you gotta be kidding me laughs) and so did I. I gave him a hug and he said "I guess that means NO"..... I answered, "Well, Yes it means NO I am NOT pregnant but it does mean the meds are working and that I can have a cycle on my own and the hope of actually conceiving is alive and well." (or something like that.) Then he gave me another hug and said, "It's a Christmas Miracle." (HA! Cheesy and corny but a wee bit true)

So now Clay is in the kitchen making blueberry pancakes for breakfast and I am wrapping up a wonderful post about the excitement and 2nd best Christmas present I could have asked for. (The best would have been the other direction with the stick) I will have to see how "heavy" it is. I have never had much of a cycle in the past and the fake cycles on Provera where even more of a joke and super light, so let's see what I can muster on my own. THIS is MY first official cycle since I was a teenager. No help, no drugs, no induction. (Okay a little help from drugs but in an indirect way.)

So now the counting begins again. Today changed from day 54 to a NEW DAY 1.
A prayer has been answered and that wish I wrote on the Christmas counter so long ago, is here and right on time. Right for Christmas! Merry Christmas!!!!