Pregnancy

When your dad and I decided it was time to have you, we had been married for just under a year. It was not a good time for baby having, we had just barely moved into a new place and I was working a new job, but it was 1999 and the whole country was positive that Y2K was going to be a disaster and we would need to have a baby now if we were to have one. Who knew what would happen after Y2K and we didn't want to have to hold off our baby plans until afterward.

So we got pregnant with you in January. I was so excited and nervous! I really wanted a boy and for the longest time everyone was convinced you would be one. Your grandma Neumann and aunt Christine weren't so sure, but everyone else agreed you were a boy.

We were going to name you Caleb because it was a name I had wanted to name my son for a very long time. Your daddy and I decided that we better pick a name in case you were a girl. For a couple of years he had used the name Audrial when he would play a female character in games and I really liked the name. So one day I said I think if it's a girl I would like it to be named Audrial and he thought that would be great so your name was decided.

At first, the pregnancy was AWFUL. I swore up and down I never wanted to be pregnant again. I was sick all the time it was terrible. Then one day it was like a switch was flipped. I woke up and didn't puke and that was that, it was over.

I rented one of those doppler things that let you hear the baby's heartbeat and listened to you almost every day. I played your heartbeat for all of my family members and anyone who would listen. I started stocking up on baby clothes and supplies and reading every book I could to get all of the information on babies as possible.

Your nursery was classic pooh. I had the whole side of our bedroom decorated for you with classic pooh cradle accessories and crib sets. eBay became my friend and enemy! Then we waited. While we waited I crocheted a white blanket to match your coming home outfit. You had the same outfit your daddy had come home from the hospital in.

For the most part, the whole pregnancy I felt fabulous. After the beginning sick as a dog part, the rest of it was wonderful. Your daddy and I hiked all the time during my pregnancy while we waited for the day we would take you with us.