It was shaping up to be a rather unremarkable day. The initial promise of October 4, 2012—a Friday marking the start of Columbus Day weekend—quickly faded. My spouse, Alex, had a half-day off work, and we had plans for lunch and some errands. I was also due for a quarterly CT scan the following Tuesday, and the imaging center had called two days prior to ask their standard set of questions:
- “How much do you weigh?”
- “Are you allergic to latex or contrast solution?”
- “Do you have any issues with IVs?”
- “When was your last menstrual period?”
As for the last question, I hesitated. It had been a couple of months since my last period, but I was confident that pregnancy was out of the question. After three years of trying, countless consultations with fertility specialists, Clomid treatments, multiple rounds of IUI, and several in vitro attempts, nothing had worked. On top of that, I had been diagnosed with a rare cancer in early 2010, which led to invasive surgeries and extensive radiation and chemotherapy. Given my erratic cycles, I had recently been informed that I was experiencing perimenopause. At 41, this was somewhat expected.
So, when the imaging center employee informed me that I needed a blood test at my OB’s office to rule out pregnancy, I felt a surge of annoyance. I had hoped for a pleasant afternoon instead of being preoccupied with a pregnancy test. Since my CT scan was scheduled for early Tuesday morning after the holiday, I needed to ensure that my blood work was expedited and sent to the imaging center by day’s end.
After the test, Alex and I proceeded with our day, but I kept checking my phone, anxiously awaiting updates from a nurse named Laura, who was managing my blood work. What a hassle, I thought, feeling my time was being wasted.
Later that afternoon, I found myself in the yarn aisle of Hobby Lobby, of all places. At that time, I was unaware of the store’s controversial stance on women’s health, a detail I have since become acquainted with. I was searching for yarn to crochet a scarf for my mother’s Christmas gift while Alex was off somewhere else in the store hunting for model car supplies. When my phone rang, I felt a wave of relief; Laura had assured me she would call once the results were in.
“Hi, Laura,” I said, trying to balance my phone on my ear and manage an armful of yarn.
“Hello, Jamie,” Laura replied cheerfully. Her tone indicated that we were finally nearing the end of this ordeal.
“Thank you for your help today,” I said, genuinely appreciative.
“Are you sitting down?” she asked.
At those words, I sensed something monumental was about to be revealed. My heart raced, and I felt lightheaded.
“No, Laura,” I managed to respond. “I’m standing in the Hobby Lobby with a bundle of yarn.”
“Well… we have your results, and you’re more than five weeks pregnant!”
Those words were utterly unexpected. I felt a mix of disbelief and confusion.
“There must be some mistake. Are you sure?” I stammered.
“We’re sure!” she laughed.
I recall bombarding Laura with questions about how this could have happened, and to her credit, she remained patient throughout my disbelief. Finally, she said, “Congratulations! Go tell Alex!”
“Alright…” I said, still grasping the yarn tightly as I began to search for my husband. If you’ve never been to Hobby Lobby, navigating the store can be challenging, especially in a state of shock. Thankfully, Laura stayed on the line until I located Alex, who was still contemplating decal paper.
“ALEx!” I exclaimed, drawing his attention. He would later tell me that the urgency in my voice made him worry he had done something wrong. Quite the contrary.
I placed my hand on his chest, both to connect with him and to steady myself, as I shared the life-altering news. His expression shifted from confusion to tears of joy as he embraced me tightly.
The rest of the day was a whirlwind of activity. (I did purchase the yarn, marking the only time Hobby Lobby will receive my business.) Laura managed to schedule an ultrasound at a hospital nearby, and soon we were looking at our unborn child, tiny but undeniably present. It turned out I was actually closer to six weeks along, which allowed us to hear the baby’s heartbeat for the very first time.
If someone had told me that morning how my day would unfold, I would have laughed in disbelief. Yet, there I was, hearing the rhythmic pulse of life within me, a stark contrast to the cancer diagnosis I had faced just two years prior. It was mind-boggling.
“We’re having a baby,” Alex and I kept repeating to each other as we navigated through the rest of the day, enveloped in a haze of shock, confusion, and joy. “WE’RE having a BABY.”
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In summary, the journey from disbelief to joy can be astonishingly rapid. One moment, you may feel resigned to your circumstances; the next, your life can change in the most unexpected ways—sometimes even in the yarn aisle of a craft store.