The Big Announcement

So I've already described how I "surprised" Jesse with our big "I'm pregnant" announcement - I blurted it out.  This pretty much set the standard for how I told almost everyone else...  I really am terrible at keeping secrets.

On the way back to school that day, I actually called my cousin Carol to tell her.  I made her guess though.  Looking back, I think I was too nervous to actually say those two words, "I'm pregnant."  Just a few months before this, Carol had found out she was pregnant and had trusted me with that information before she told anyone else.  I knew I had to tell someone before going back to school, so I chose her.  We celebrated for a few minutes, she calculated when my due date would be, and that was it.... after all, I had another class to teach!

After telling Jesse, I started looking forward to telling my family.  However, in my ignorance of pregnancy, I thought I had to go to the doctor before I could tell anyone (you don't).  That was a problem because I didn't think I could go to the doctor without my sister finding out... so I was stuck.  I decided to tell my mom and sister together, before telling the rest of the family.  I got my chance just a day later... Jesse and I bought a couch for our new house and it was delivered.  My mom and sister came over to see it, and I realized, this was my chance.  I had them both together with no on else around but Jesse.  So, right before my mom left, I said, "A couch isn't the only thing we got...." and, somehow, my mom guessed it (after typing that quote, I have no idea how she did).  She said, "You're pregnant!" and the hugs commenced.  Then I had to swear them to secrecy for three days until I could figure out how to tell the rest of the family.  Afterwards, I found out that I didn't have to tell Mikki Jo early and I was a little disappointed I hadn't surprised them with everyone else.  But I did finally get that surprise....  evidently I can keep a secret if I'm able to blurt it out to a few people first!

The following Sunday, my family gathered for one of Mom's traditional Sunday meals.  It was right before the Labor Day golf tournament, in which my brother, dad, and brother-in-law were all competing.  I told the guys that I'd gotten them a gift for the golf tournament and gave each of them a bag.  Inside each bag was a golf towel - on the towel was written "We're having a baby." 

Amanda, my sister-in-law, caught on first.  She screamed.  Aunt Ackie cried.  Amira thought her mom and dad were also having a baby.  The kitchen basically exploded in chaos and excitement.  It was priceless.  It was what I had imagined sharing the news to be like... 

After that - and surprising Jesse's parents of course - we decided to wait to tell everyone else until the first trimester was over.  I actually had a college reunion weekend in the meantime and couldn't share the good news (or explain why I wasn't enjoying a glass of wine - I drank a Sprite with a lime in it to throw people off).  Of course, living in our small town, keeping a secret proved impossible.  When I went to my first doctor's appointment, I saw current students, former students, and old friends.  I walked out with a bag full of pregnancy materials and covered in a stork.  I knew word would spread - and would spread fast.  I ended up texting the news to most people because I had to rush from the doctor's appointment to parent teacher conferences.  The rest of our friends gradually found out over Facebook or in Jesse's columns... some are just now finding out when they see my protruding belly.

No matter how people have found out, everyone has overwhelmed us with encouragement and excitement.  Even the people I thought may react a little differently... but that's for the next post...