Not Knowing

Bright and sunny.

So, three inseminations, done.

The second two were ridiculously much easier than the first... bad puns all round by the third time. I have a feeling that the last one was a little too late, and perhaps our syringe technique was not perfect the first two times but it's a beginning, at least. Who would have ever thought that I would find myself suggesting that perhaps if I went down to get some milk, Joey might use the time to put some sperm in a jar for us. What a bizarre thing this is.

All the sperm business was over by Wednesday and Joey and Helen didn't have to go home until Sunday, which meant we all kind of got a holiday together. Hollie was at work, but home reasonably early so we all got to eat and talk lots. Regardless of whether we get pregnant this time around, it was such an important, lovely time together. I felt so happy with the four of us all drinking tea together. Sometimes it feels like this is the best possible way of getting pregnant (awkwardness aside) - so many good cups of tea this way. And it does feel like we are absolutely enveloped by love through the whole process this way too. I know that the normal thing is not to tell anyone until you've got safely past the miscarriage mark, but that was just never going to work for us. It's too much of a big deal for each of us to make it worth keeping it a secret. It's been so great having our friends offering excitement, good luck, things to think about and advice. The other night someone asked me whether we would consider, if there was such a thing on the market, using a penis shaped dildo with a built in syringe to inseminate. How could I keep the fact of trying to get pregnant a secret with that kind of question on offer!?

Now we are waiting. Or, more precisely, we are in a state of Not Knowing. The difference being that you usually know what you are waiting for - to go overseas, until the holidays come, for the next episode to come online, for the train - but this seems to be all about the state of simply not knowing what will happen. I am still on school holidays, which probably gives me a bit more time than usual to wonder, but even so, it is ridiculous the way that despite absolutely knowing that there is no way that I could feel pregnant, or have any kind of physical changes yet, I keep surreptitiously feeling up my tits to see if they've got more sensitive and trying to work out if I'm hungry or actually feeling nauseous. It's not altogether comfortable, the wondering, because if all that change is going to happen, I'd really just rather know now. I feel a little bit like I'm hovering between being ordinary or something absolutely life changing happening. I'd rather know! But soon enough. And mostly, I just can't actually imagine that I would be pregnant this first time. It felt like too much of a practice round. We were so awkward and emotional, it seems like getting through that should have been enough to achieve for this month.

Questions we get asked

Late autumn. Clouds and sudden sunshine.

Who's going to be the Dad? (Joey)
God, so are you going to have sex!? (I already do. With Hollie)
Who's getting pregnant? (Me)
Are you pregnant already? (No)
How long have you known each other? (We've been friends with Joey 10 years or so)
Oh, so you have to have IVF? (No, not unless there's a problem)
So when's it all going to happen? (July. Argh!)
How did you even bring that up with him!? (Letter. It was hard!)
Doesn't Helen mind? (Short answer, no. But for the beautiful explanation of why and how and what she thinks about it all - well, I guess Helen says it best. I'm just grateful)
What's he going to be - an uncle? (Nope. Sperm's from him... That makes him the father)
Oh... A turkey baster? (10mL syringe)
Are your parents excited? (Oh my goodness, yes)
But what will happen then.. does he have to, you know... (Yep. But I don't have to have anything to do with that bit of it all)
So, will they be able to take you to court for the baby? (Not if it's born in Victoria)
Who goes on the birth certificate? (Me and Hol)
Have they already got kids? (No)
A jar... Are you for real? (Yep)
Sorry, is this too personal? (Um... Well, I guess there's not much 'personal' when you're trying to make a baby with a group of four people)
Are they going to have kids? (Yes, I think so. Maybe not right away. They will be beautiful parents)
Aren't you worried about the whole legal side of it? (Not too much)
So... If they want kids, how come Helen is ok with it all? (She's a truly great person. Also, she just says - "it'll be your kid, we're just helping")
Don't you have to kind of get it in there some kind of special way? (No, the syringe is fine)
Who is going to stay home and look after the baby? (Me, mostly)
Does your school know yet? (No. Well, kind of)
But how long do you have before the sperm, you know, die in the jar? (Surprisingly long)
Do his parents know? (Yes)
Do you reckon Hollie will want to have a baby one day too? (Maybe. Maybe not)
I mean, how is that handover of the jar even going to happen? (Text message to let us know we're good to go probably! "The eagle has landed... You can come back from the pub now!")
Is it that you want a male role model? (Sort of. More that I'd like my kid to know their dad... The guy who made them, it's pretty special, even if he's not parenting in a day to day way)
Would you like to have just had sex? (As above, I already do have sex. With Hollie)
Do you need to get some kind of tests? (Not really)
How did you get all this information about the turkey baster method anyway? ("The complete guide to lesbian conception, pregnancy and birth". It's a great book)
Where will you have the baby? (Home, I hope)
So, Helen... is she, like, some kind of saint? (She's pretty magnificent, yes)
There are books about this stuff? (Sure are! There's a gayby boom, you know)
Will you have to try a few times do you think? (Fingers crossed, no!)