I've been sitting on some big news for a few days because I needed a little time for it to sink in and feel real. Obviously most of you know the end of this story, but bear with me. I want to get it all down so that I can remember in the future.
On Saturday we were getting ready to go to Connor's Birthday party (the son of a co-worker) and I decided to do a pregnancy test before we left. They tell you to test in the AM, but I have bad luck with that. I get a much better cuppa cuppa around 4 pm.
Let me interject here, that you must ALWAYS pee in a cup. Even if you have those fancy direct-stream tests, pee in a cup and dip them. You never know when further testing may be necessary and you don't want to have to wait to save up another good batch. Case in point coming up...
So, I dip an internet cheapie test and promptly forget about it until we were almost ready to walk out the door. The test sat for 30 minutes or so, maybe even longer -- 10 minutes longer than you are EVER supposed to read one. It had sort of a second-line-ish if you tilted it *just so.* Having seen a gazillion of these tests, I knew that they got a ghost line around 20 minutes that faded a few minutes later. That should have been gone by now. This did NOT look negative. I've seen 100 or so negative ones... We were a little excited, but tried not to be. We dipped an Answer and hopped in the car. By the time we were pulling out, there was *something* there. A line! A line! A line! Wow, it was light. Really light, but it was really there!
We tested later that night (including a digital that said the P word almost immediately) and then Sunday and Monday, too. The lines are still pretty damn light, but they aren't squinters anymore. I had a beta drawn today and will go back on Thursday for the second. The nurse refused to do a progesterone for me, but it looks like the IVP is offering to mail me pills and p-bombs from all over the globe. I LOVE you all, you know that don't you?
Ok, so here is the good juju of all of this:
- We are fans of Mary, as well as her pagan counterpart, Brigid. For instance, when we are TTC, we take flowers to Mary/Brigid at our local Immaculate Conception Catholic church. We think IC Mary would have to be down with lesbians getting knocked up b/c she's been there, you know?
- Quinn's middle name is Brigid, after Brigid/Mary.
-The due date would be Feb. 2, which has lots of meaning to different people, depending on who you ask:
- Historically it was the day that Brigid's snakes came up out of the ground because of the spring thaw (ever notice how Mary always has a snake around her ankle? NOTHING to do with the garden of eden. EVERYTHING to do with the Christian's adoption of pagan symbology to make the locals happy.)
- It is Groundhog's Day here in the states. I guess we watered the snake thing down by using a rodent.
- It is also referred to as Imbolc (translated means "in the belly"). I have also seem "Oimelc" which is about where the Ewes start lactating.
- Catholics call it Candlemas or the "Feast of the Purification of the Virgin" They used to call it St. Brigid's Day, but I think she got de-sainted once they were on to her.
Basically, it all comes down to pregnancy and birth and new beginnings and I couldn't be happier to have this as a due date. Now we just gotta make it there this time.
- Mood:
hopeful
(from http://www.pantheon.org/articles/b/brig
Known by many names, Brighid's three aspects are (1) Fire of Inspiration as patroness of poetry, (2) Fire of the Hearth, as patroness of healing and fertility, and (3) Fire of the Forge, as patroness of smithcraft and martial arts. She is mother to the craftsmen.
She was Christianized as the "foster-mother" of Jesus Christ, and called St. Brigit, the daughter of the Druid Dougal the Brown.
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(from http://www.mystical-www.co.uk/time/febd
Imbolc Feb 1st (yesterday) Celtic feast day of 'Brigid', the Abbess of Kildare. The church was said to be on the same site as a sacred oak grove used for pagan worship, and that for one thousand years after her death, a fire was kept alight in the grounds tended by women only although men and women followed a religious life here. Brigid is associated with Mary, a nurturer and provider, and further associated with Celtic worship and midwives.
Candlemas Feb 2 (today) Celtic feast day of 'Brigit', (also February 1) Irish 'Mother Goddess' (also traditionally known as the 'Queen of Heaven' in Ireland, 'Bride' in Scotland and 'Brigantia' in England). It is believed that Brigit has three faces which are associated with the three-leafed shamrock, a leaf that is the emblem of Ireland. Later became 'St. Bridgid's Day', a Christian day dedicated to remembrance of the Irish saint. In ancient times Brigit was associated with poetry, fire, metalwork and the sun, possessing a sacred totem that was believed to have the power of healing in the form of a snake (therefore connected with the role of the priestess in the pagan culture). Further associations are made with St. Patrick (17 March), the patron saint of Ireland (who was known for ridding Ireland of snakes). It is believed by many that the symbolism attached to this action indicates the Christian desire to stamp out pagan practices.
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I am forever fascinated by how the catholic church made christianity more palatable to the pagans by incorporating pieces of pagan beliefs into the christian ones. This makes me think of how many Mary figures show Mary either standing ON or standing WITH a snake. I wonder if the ones WITH are old-school Brigid and if the ones trodding on the snake are (as the blurb above suggests) suggesting that Brigid has turned her back on her pagan past.
Other things I have read suggest that Brigid and "the Lady of the Lake" are one and the same because of her association with smithery.
What does all this have to do with Groundhog's Day?
Feb. 2 was the day that Brigid's *snake* would emerge from the ground to test the weather and tell how the rest of the winter would be. Somehow in America this became a groundhog....
- Mood:
fascinated
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