10 weeks & my journey so far.

I've been wanting to start a pregnancy blog for a while, not only to share my journey with others, but to remember all the milestones so I can share those memories with the baby, later on.
So before I tell you about my 10 week  milestone, I am going to map out what's happened so far.

Week 1-Pregnancy is measure by your last menstrual period [LMP], and so week one for me began on September 19th.  One thing I'd like to note about this week-My older sister had her daughter on June 26th last year, and her LMP was also September 19th, which means our babies could share a birthday.  Also, another note about this date-it was about a month before mine and Thomas' wedding.  I was running around picking up plates, forks, lights, candles, tables, chairs, and making centerpieces.  Thomas and I had been going through a rough time at this point, and the stress of the wedding planning and preparing for family to come into town wasn't helping, not to mention being sick from my deathly cramps I get every month, I was pretty sure I wanted to check myself into the crazy house.  We got through it though!
Week 2- This week began on 9/26 and finished up on 10/3.  October 3rd was the date of conception.  I remember Thomas took me out to dinner to get our mind off of things.  We were making up after a long week and counting down the days until our wedding.  I remember laying in bed wide awake while Thomas snored next to me.  I had felt that the last month or so, I had distanced myself from God, so that night I decided to spend some time talking to my old buddy upstairs.  I had apologised for the time that had passed since I last talked to him, and ask for his comfort and relief from the stress I had put myself under.  I asked him for a sign showing me that Thomas and I were meant to be a family, and right then my heart fluttered.  I had a calming over me, and I snuggled up to Thomas and went to sleep.  The next morning I told Thomas I was sure he had just gotten me pregnant.  He laughed and I said I'd prove him wrong in a couple weeks!  I went along the next few days with a little more gallop to my step.  I had dreamt of being a mom for so long, and I just had this feeling that it was all coming true!
Week 3- My mom's birthday was on the 10th.  My nipples were sore and I was bloated and tired.  I decided to take a picture of my belly in her bathroom and kept my little secret to myself-because obviously I'm crazy for thinking I'm pregnant a week after it could have happened.  haha.  We sat around eating cake and planning the last minute things for the wedding.   My mom was teasing me at my sleepiness and joked that I was pregnant.  Funny how mom's know these things before they really know these things!
Week 4-A lot of family was in town, I was tired, moody, stressed, and worst of all-depressed.  I lost that internal feeling of being pregnant.  That excitement inside just turned to disbelief.  I wasn't seeing any major symptoms, and I tried preparing myself for the worst...I wasn't lucky enough to get pregnant, and it's time to focus on the wedding and being newlyweds.  But this also meant that my period was due on our wedding day-which was also a bummer.  But I was so happy to get married that I put all my feelings in the back of my head and truly convinced myself that it just wasn't our time to be parents.
Week 5- Our wedding was on the  22nd.  I expected my period somewhere around the 20th, but due to stress of getting the wedding set up, I wasn't surprised that it was a bit late.  I had prayed that it would come sooner and get done with by our wedding night, but everyday that passed I accepted that Thomas and I weren't going to have as special of a night as planned, so I started to come up with some other ideas for our night.  When the girls helped me get ready for the wedding, we joked around that my period would surely show up right as I said I do, in my gorgeous very white dress...so i prepared myself with the biggest maxi pad I could find and two pairs of underwear.  After dinner, I went to the bathroom and was shocked to see that my period hadn't come.  I thanked the lord and proceeded with the wedding.  Finally most people had left the ceremony and all we worked for was finally over.  I sat around with my brother and his girlfriend who recently became parents themself.  He asked me how long we were going to wait to have kids, and then it hit me...I said well, I guess we'll find out soon.  Thomas and I had gotten to the hotel and I began to have some cramping.  Saddened, I asked him to go to the store and pick me up some tampons.  By the time he had come back, nothing had happened, just really tired and moody, but so thankful that we got to share an amazing wedding night together.  Something else I should mention about this week, the next day was my 19th birthday!  We spent the day with family, mostly Mark[Thomas' brother] and basked in the newlywed, newly 19 feeling.  That evening Thomas, Mark and I goofed off at the store and when Thomas asked if I needed a refill on tampons, I realized I still hadn't gotten my period, so instead we decided to buy some pregnancy tests.  We got home, and I still doubted that I'd be lucky enough to actually be pregnant, so me going into the bathroom to pee on a stick was 99% just for fun.  I peed on it and walked out before the results, and Thomas and Mark had surprised me with candles on one of our wedding pies!  I blew out the candles and made a little wish, not realizing a lifetime of wishes had come true in the bathroom.  I went back in there and two dark lines had appeared. Thomas said "that was a cheap test, maybe it's a mistake!"  So I took two more tests, and immediately two red dark lines appeared on both...Tom's reaction?  "So are we gonna watch a movie?"  Haha, I'm pretty sure he was in shock and the idea of being a husband hadn't even sunk in, much less being a daddy.  Mark immediately got teary-eyed but was in shock as well.  I wanted to have my girl moment, so I called my best friend & cousin, Ashley Lee, and went in the bedroom to call her.  We started crying together, and once Thomas heard the tears it became a lot more real, he ran into the bedroom and started crying and kissing me and my belly.  By far the best weekend of my life.
So, the morning after I found out, I went to Rite-Aid, and bought a slightly more expensive test.  I went with Mark to the store while Thomas finished up cleaning some wedding stuff.  I made Mark stand by the door while I took the test into the bathroom-I couldn't wait to get home.  So once that came up positive, we rushed back to Thomas, and said "it's time to spread the news"  We ran to my mom and step-dad, Monty's house and gave them a present to say thank you for all the help with the wedding, they pulled out the pregnancy tests and we're shocked, but not so shocked at the same time.  They knew we wanted babies soon, but the fact that everything happened all in one weekend was pretty shocking.  Monty got teary eyed and mom stared at me for a few moments before she hugged me and said she was so happy!  We took Thomas to work, and I called my step mom Heather next, and she screamed and cried and squealed with joy!  Next Mark drove me to my sister's house.  I handed her a box of tampons and said "I'm not going to be needing these for a while"  she said "I sent those with you on your honeymoon, they aren't mine, you keep them!"  I said "Andrea I didn't need them, and wont for a while."  She said she didn't get it and giggled with confusion finally I said "I'm pregnant you dork!!"  she was so happy and excited.  I went in the house and told Timmy and Beckah, and they too were shocked and happy!  When Thomas got home that night from work, we called his parents and when his mom answered the phone he said "Hey Grandma!"  she said "This is your mom Diana, did you try calling grandma?"  He ignored it and asked her how she was and what not, eventually he asked her to put the phone on speaker phone next to Dad, and he said "Hey mom, when I called you grandma, it wasn't a mistake, Amber and I are going to have a baby!"  She said "Are you serious?  you're not joking?"  Once they realized we were serious the phone went silent.  Thomas said "are you there?"  Dad said "Your mom can't talk right now"  Then we hear a little voice with tears behind it "You guys are just so great!  I love you!"  I think they were both prettttty excited!  None the less we got some great reactions and everyone seems pretty happy about the baby's coming!
Week 6-It was back to work after all the wedding, birthday, and baby excitement.  Due to facebook all my coworkers already knew.  A couple of things I'd like to note about this week.  Thomas and I picked out names [girl-Cambria Allynn Poeschel boy-Tucker Stanley Poeschel].  I began to get some serious pregnancy symptoms-sore boobs, fatigue, endless hunger, headaches, and I could feel a hard spot on my lower abdomen where the baby is.
Week 7-Hell.  I was sooo sick.  I was working everyday, and I got a sinus infection and some sort of flu, I was throwing up every half hour, and wanted to die.  By Saturday, I had to leave work to go home because I hadn't kept liquids down for a few days.

Week 8-Flu was almost gone, but due to a cough I developed from the sinus infection, I threw out a rib, and it's been hard to breathe since.  Frankly at this point, I hate being pregnant.  I was miserable.  I wanted the baby to be out of my belly and in my arms right then, There was no way I could do 32 more weeks of this.

Week 9-Thanksgiving week.  I did get to enjoy thanksgiving, of course the next few days after that I was deathly sick.  I throw up everyday, and need a nap around 3 everyday haha.  My belly at this point has started to pop out and my hips have grown enough to make all my pants require that I unzip them all.  My flu is gone, but my mood swings are in full swing...I hate everybody and everything.  I've never been so mean in my whole life, and then the next second cry at how much I miss my mom, and then start busting up laughing because I spilled my soup on me.  I feel ridiculous and not much like myself.  Car rides are the worst, but I'm starting to find what foods at what time work best for me.  I had to buy a new bra-my boobs are huge and swollen and sore, and new underwear-the elastic was too tight.

Week 10-here we are...all caught up.  This week has been the best so far.  I had my first appt with my midwife.  We got to hear the baby's heartbeat, and learn so much about my body, the baby, and what's going to happen over the next 30 weeks.  I'm a quarter of the way there and have so much to do!  We've picked out the theme of baby stuff [winnie the pooh!], we've started looking into birthing classes, and changing my diet.  My belly has continued to bump out a little, and I'm starting to feel my figure full out.  But by far the best part of the week was hearing the baby's heartbeat on the doppler.  I was so relieved.  I was having a really hard time not knowing what was going on in my belly, and it was such a relief to know i've done something right!  My HCG levels were good, and my uterus was growing at a good rate, and I've gained 3 pounds.  I'm now 95 pounds!

So that's been the basics of the last 10 weeks.  I am going to start a new blog tonight on things I've learned, things I'm planning, things I'm looking forward to, and some helpful advice for anyone seeking it.