Pregnancy - First Trimester

I had been experiencing a lot of unusual symptoms for the past few weeks, including breast tenderness, abdominal pains and extreme tiredness. It didn't click until today that I should take a pregnancy test. Brian and I cleaned up dinner and then went to Gander Mountain in Grandville to find some supplies for smoking salmon. On our way home, I asked Brian to stop at Walgreens so that I could pick up a test. He handed me $10 and I went in, leaving him in the car. Of course, $10 wasn't enough for a good test, so I picked up a Walgreens brand test for $8.49. This test was a little closer to the doctor tests, though, as it required urinating into a cup and then using a syringe (provided) to put drops into the test.

My best friend Arianne called on the way home and since I hadn't talked to her for a few weeks, we talked for a long time. It wasn't until about 930pm that I finally got around to taking the test. As the liquid started entering the reader, I realized that a faint line appeared where none has ever appeared before. At that moment, the emotions started their rollercoaster ride. I was excited, anxious, nervous and scared all at the same time. I walked away for the required 3 minutes, but when I came back, the test looked just the same - a faint line. I called Brian into the bathroom with a shaky, "Hon-ey!" After making him read the instructions, I said, "Now look at it. I think we need to take another one." "Hon, the directions say that the darkness of the line doesn't matter. There is a line - you are pregnant." After several comments about the power of his soldiers, I started to get upset. After all, I didn't feel like I had a clear answer to what could be a very big step in our lives. I convinced Brian to take me to Wal-Mart for a second test, arguing that the off-brand test, plus the faintness of the line, plus the difference in the testing method didn't make me feel certain about the results. Brian complied and we drove to Alpine (I downed a bottle of water on my way). We picked up a name-brand test that required the common method of putting a stick into the urine stream for 5 seconds and drove home to immediately take the test. This time, we needed to look for a plus sign and again, we were given a very faint sign. Again, the emotions were mixed - scared, happy, nervous and anxious. Brian and I resolved to call the doctor in the morning.