Camp Clifton: One year ago.......

Jake and I found out I was pregnant one year ago on December 16th. I had all these funny symptoms that I attributed to "running". Jake and I were pretty sure at that point that getting pregnant was going to involve some fertility help, or so we expected. The night before, my run felt super sluggish - but hey, I hadn't run in a few weeks after taking off time post NY marathon. Didn't phase me. My nipples felt chaffed after my runs all week - but hey, it was unusually cold, my super duper boulder holder was a little rough, and I thought it was chaffing me. My boobs were sore too, but I had just started doing the bench press again at the gym and I figured it was sore pects. I even thought to myself - I better start doing this more consistently or I'll never know if my pects are sore from lifting or if I'm pregnant! Go figure. I had been taking pregnancy tests every few weeks and the one I took a week earlier had been negative.

So Friday came and I just had a random feeling that day so I took a pregnancy test with me to work. I took it at lunch, right before our clinic's holiday party lunch/ornament exchange. I'm not sure why I thought to take it at work, in the middle of the day. Strange, I know. Sitting in the bathroom I truly couldn't believe it. I had looked at so many negative pregnancy tests, that the thought of seeing two lines versus one seemed like it would never happen. Impossible. But low and behold - two lines. I was in a state of shock and I can hardly remember that holiday party. I was meeting some friends at a vineyard to wine taste that afternoon and I did everything I could to avoid drinking wine. Finally I just held onto a glass because they wouldn't stop offering to pour me some. I picked Jake up from work that afternoon and told him in the car. He could hardly believe it was possible. We went to they gym, shocked, but happy.

That night we went home and I'm pretty sure we went to bed at 8pm we were so overwhelmed. Happy, shocked, scared, terrified, and exhausted. I always thought I would be instantly happy and jumping for joy, but I felt more fear and shock than I ever expected to! It started soaking in and I felt the happiness emerge from the shock. We were excited. I remember thinking - I can't imagine what it feels like to find out you are pregnant if you are really young or not in a committed relationship. I felt freaked out and I WANTED a baby and WAS in a committed happy marriage.

Here we are - one year later. Jake and I couldn't be happier. Peter is the best thing that ever happened to us. We love him beyond words. I couldn't put him down this weekend after last week's events. I just want to hold onto him and protect him from the world. Peter - you are our rock.

He started laughing a lot more this weekend. He will giggle at me when I ride in the backseat next to him. It is the best sound in the world. It's so real and from the belly. I wish I could capture it on camera, but as you can tell from some of these pics, every time I bring out the camera he stops and stares.