This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of e.p.t.. All opinions are 100% mine.
Everything in life happens for a reason…this pregnancy was a huge surprise, but also a blessing. We’re so excited to add a fourth kiddo to our crazy crew!
Welp, I’ve made it past the halfway point for my third pregnancy—go me! It has become crystal clear that being pregnant in your 30s is a whole new world. I had the twins at 25 and Gabby 27, so it’s not like it was that long ago…but I feel like it’s a completely different experience just six years later.
Obviously this pregnancy was quite a shock. In January, I felt like something was off and I decided to grab a box (okay, two!) of e.p.t from Walmart. Anyone else feel like you need double or triple the assurance with something like this? One test is never enough, right? I totally hid it under my spinach and snuck the boxes onto the checkout belt, convinced I would run into someone I know.
Did you know that e.p.t.® was the first home pregnancy test in 1977?! Now we take conveniences like this for granted, but back in the day you had to take the tests at the doctor. I seriously thought they had home pregnancy tests before the late ‘70s though! The e.p.t.® Pregnancy Test follows it’s name ‘Early Pregnancy Test’ since you can test from the day of your expected period with over 99% accuracy.
After taking the first test, I went on with my day. I actually almost forgot about it for an hour! Being busy with 3 kids, a blog and a full schedule helps that. I came back to the test and it said +. I thought okay, that’s wrong. Next! Round 2: +. At this point, I’m kind of cursing Ricky for our superhuman fertility. Then it hit me—we are going to have another BABY in this family. Joy and fear washed over me and I instantly started sweating and stressing out.
Last fall, I hit a huge milestone: all three kids were in school full day. I skipped home from dropping them off, with plans of getting so much done. Now I’m back at square one! To be honest, I’ve had baby fever for years now, but I never figured we’d have another. Four kids is enough for a singing group. A tiny basketball team. People might think we’re crazy, but really what is one more? Of course, once you’ve been shocked with twins, it’s always in the back of your mind until the first ultrasound. Parents of multiples have a high chance of another set!
Once we got over the stress of the big announcement, we had to decide how to tell our girls and family. I was waiting for everyone to tell us how crazy we are or show disappointment, but everyone has been SO supportive—to our faces at least, ha!
The greatest part of this whole experience has been including the girls. The twins were just two when I had Gabby, so things were quite different. I’ve made sure to include them as much as I can with this whole pregnancy. We’ve found a great app aimed towards kids which shows them about my pregnancy each month, plus my own pregnancy app tells them what size the baby is each week. They’re beyond excited and love picking out clothes!
Our first ultrasound was three weeks ago and we found out it’s a…BOY! On my side of the family, this will be the first boy in 18 years. A whole lotta females everywhere! Shopping has been so strange since I’ve never purchased a shirt with a truck on it before! Plus, there’s research to do about having a boy. So much to learn!
Ricky and I were able to jet off to Chicago for St. Patrick’s Day weekend and it was nice to get away and actually reflect on everything that is going on. Our lives are about to change completely come July 30th-ish and it’s a lot to process! We were able to eat some great food, see great friends and relax for a couple of nights. Note: my drink is a MOCKTAIL, above.
Any tips for having a BOY? Do you have any crazy pregnancy test stories?
When I eventually have kids one day I don’t think I’d know what to do with a boy, lol. That’s exciting that he’s the first in 18 years in your family though, wow! 🙂 Great that your girls are excited about a brother, too.
It will definitely be a learning process! I’m sure I’ll be fine, but a total adjustment!