Advice for a newbie

I have been trying to conceive with my partner for about 5 months now, however it wasn't until the last two months that we really started getting into it so to speak. I bought an ovulation kit, went to the doctor to make sure everything was good to go with me (never conceived before and also have irregular periods), and started doing a TON of research on conception. The tww is nerve racking and I'm so impatient to get pregnant. This will be our first together but he has kids from a previous marriage. Does anyone have any advice on what they did to get pregnant faster? On average how long did it take you to conceive? Did you use anything to get pregnant (preseed, etc)? Am I the only crazy one that thinks she has pregnancy symptoms and then af shows? Advice, wisdom, and encouragement is welcome! Thanks to all!