December 22

Eight days after my husband and I tried to conceive, I started spotting. I thought it was my period. I was disappointed, of course, but I knew that getting pregnant could be a long road. Two days later, the spotting slowed down and eventually stopped. I decided to take a test. The line was ever-so-slight; I wasn’t sure if I was seeing things! I took another test, and the line was much darker—I was pregnant!

January 15

When I was seven weeks pregnant, we went for an ultrasound to see our baby’s heartbeat. I remember being so nervous—I just wanted everything to be okay. The ultrasound technician found the heartbeat right away; it was a small but strong flicker on the screen. Up until then, we’d kept the pregnancy a secret, but seeing our little one’s heartbeat made us want to tell our family. That night was my mom’s birthday, so the news was a great present for her!

March 24

I’d gotten some worrisome results about my baby’s risk of Down syndrome from my AFP blood work, so I chose to have an amniocentesis done. As a result, the anatomy scan happened earlier than we’d planned. I was terrified of the amniocentesis, but it made it better that I got to see my baby on the screen for 20 minutes before the procedure! Luckily, when we got our results back, everything was okay.

May 21–24

My husband and I went on a babymoon in Amelia Island, Florida, and stayed in a quaint B&B. It was incredible to get away, just the two of us. We spent our days reading on the beach and went out for delicious dinners at night. The best part of the babymoon was the massages—they were so relaxing!

July 10

I feel lucky to have had three baby showers. My baby shower with my family was extra-special because my mom planned it all by herself. I know that it meant so much to her; I’m an only child, and my mom was just as excited to celebrate this baby as I was!

September 8

My due date was August 31—that day came and went. On September 7, a full week later, the doctor did some tests to make sure the baby was still doing well. He gave me strict “orders” to eat a spicy meal and have sex that night, and I was hopeful that those things might help move the baby along. I woke up at 2:30 a.m. with what I thought was a stomachache—but then I realized that the ache was moving in consistent waves. I was having contractions!

We got to the hospital around 4:30 a.m., and by that point, my contractions were pretty intense. I was given an epidural around 7 a.m., and about three hours later, I was ready to start pushing. My very last push was a big one, and Gabrielle literally flew out of me! She was 8 pounds, 1 ounce, and 20 inches long—and so beautiful.

>> Want to share the story of your pregnancy? Email kmulpeter@theknot.com.