spreading the word...

The title of this post sounds religious...anyway...here are some of the ways I told people about our pregnancy...

Myself. Knowing that you can take early pregnancy tests 5 days before your expected period, I was ready. Enough temping, enough charting, enough peeing on ovulation strips, get me a baby already! Plus, if I wasn't going to be pregnant, at least I would get to take some tests! So I took a test on the 4th (I was expecting my period on the 8th). The tests were the same brand as the ovulation strips I had bought online. For the ovulation strips to be positive the two stripes had to be the same color/shade...so I didn't know for sure if the pregnancy test had to be that way. The pregnancy test showed the control lie and then I saw another faint line...was this enough? I know it measures the HCG or something, but was it dark enough? or does it show up lightly as a control like the ovualtion strips? I read, read, and re-read the directions and it appeared that I was pregnant. However, I waited (yes, I waited) two more days to do it again. Same result. So then I used one of my "good" pregnancy tests from the store and it again said I was pregnant. So I felt prett confident. However, it was like 7 in the morning, Joey was already at work, and I was alone. So I jumped up and down and danced a little and was trying to figure out if it was real...

Joey. Joey was the first person I told. You might think this is obvious, but I think he was always a little worried that my mom would be the first one to know :-) The day I knew I had happy hour at night so I didn't see Joey until like 8:30. I had always wanted to think of a fun way to tell him, but I had never really planned one and I had to tell!! So...he was downstairs putsing around and I kept trying to get him to come up. I was at the top of the stairs waiting for him when he finally came up. I said I needed to call the doctor to make an appointment and he said, "why?" I then showed him the pee stick (as anyone would) and said, "to make sure I am pregnant." We hugged and then I think we jsut sat around in disbelief...

Casey. Casey is a friend through a friend. She has a baby on Nov. 7th and I went to see them in the hospital. She asked how baby making was coming, and what are you supposed to say when you're holding a cute little girl? I was like, "actually, I am pregnant but I am not telling anyone b/c I just found out like 2 days ago". It was nice to have someone not in my immediate circle to talk to about it for the weeks that I was keeping it from people! I didn't tell Joey that I told Casey :-)

Guy at hotel. So for our anniversary we went to the St. Paul Hotel and park of our package was wine and cheese delivered to our room. So when the room service man came up to open and pour the wine Joey said, "just one glass" and I blurted out "I'm pregnant." Joey laughed but I said I needed to tell someone.

Grace. Some of you know my Great Grandma Grace from our wedding. She got sick before it and wasn't supposed to make it. Well, two and a half years later she was still around, but at the end. Mom and I made it down there for one last visit and I was able to have a moment alone with her and tell her. It was pretty special. It was nice that she was awake/with it/lucid when I told her too. She knew what it meant, so that was cool.

Andrea. I hardly ever get to see Andrea in person anymore and I knew the holidays weren't gonig to make it any easier, so when we went to a shower together the weekend before I left for DW, I told her. I didn't tell her until we got back to my house, but it was super fun to finally tell someone who would have a fun reaction! She was genuinely happy for me and that was great. She also said I can use her maternity clothes, which is also great!

My Fam. Covered this one in a previous post. This was the best.

The kids. Every year I go to get Santa pictures with Alex and Mychal. I always said when I had my own kid I would take a picture with them and my kid, so I thought this would be a perfect time to tell them. However, a lot of irresponsible parents waited until 2pm on Christmas Eve to take there kids to see Santa- the line was like an hour long. Crap. So while we were thinking of what to do I said I needed to go back to Macy's for something. I took them up to the 2nd floor to the kids section and asked what they were going to buy me. Alex got it pretty qucikly, Mychal took a second. It was pretty cool. They were happy and excited (which is good for a 17 and 20 yr old!).

So then comes Christmas where I would be 11 weeks...a little before the 1st tri is over, but a perfect time to tell people. I did NOT want to announce it at Christmas Eve with 30+ people there. On Christmas Eve I did tell two of my aunts (they had issues with conceiving and we had some nice talks, so I wanted to tell them individually and in person). I also let me mom tell Debi (Elizabeth's mom). On Christmas Day I told my Grandpa Erickson...he was really happy and even called a few days later to congratulate us again. You never know what you're going to get from him, so this was nice.

Meghan. Ok, so I didn't hold out until I knew if it was going to be a boy or girl. That was my original plan, that or 13 weeks, just to hold out longer. BUT, my mom said I should be the better person so I called her on Christmas and told her. She was happy and it was fun to get to talk to her. I know that I was a little bitchy when she told me she was pregnant b/c I felt blindsided, but in reality that's my issue and not hers. However, she is Meghan and knows my issues and still likes me, so we're all good.

Daverns. We were going to tell them when we took them out for dinner on the 27th, but thought Christmas Day would be nice too. So we waited (and waited) until everyone left and then Joey handed out cards. This did not go as well as Joey had planned, and there may have been some yelling, but I think it's better we did it then rather than wait until the dinner b/c Joey would have just been more stressed out.

Fastners. Although Debi already knew, I had wanted to tell the rest of the Fastner clan. Elizabeth and Bryan weren't at Christmas Eve b/c he is an important doctor, so we had to wait until Christmas Day. We got over there late and jumped into a match game that they were playing. One of the questions was "What was the last thing your partner did to knock your socks off?" I wrote my answer and Joey was the one who had to guess it. So when we got to that question I said/hinted, "Joey, we can win the game with this one!" He said, "Is it something I gave you?" and I said, "yes." Then he asked if I wanted to say it and I was like that is not how the game goes (a la Elizabeth yelling out "chili!!!"), so then he knew it was ok for him to say it and he said, "a baby." So that was a fun little way to tell!

Laura, Mark, Katrina, and John. We had some friends over for New Year's, and were excited to tell. For our wedding, Laura made us this AWESOME quilt, which is kind of her thing. Well, her thing for her friends babies is knitting a sweater. So after they had been there for a while I went over to her and said I am ready for my sweater. She kind of looked at me confused and was like, "what?" I said, you know, like for out wedding we got the quilt, now I want my baby sweater! So yay, now she knew! She also called her mom and midnight and her mom asked what she could start making me :-) I love talented people!

Amber, Matt, Brenna, and Darnell. We had dinner plans with Matt and Amber and then Amber invited her sis and newly-future-bro-in-law along. I knew we had planned on telling Matt and Amber about the baby, and now I felt bad that we had to steal some thunder from Brenna and Darnell (or maybe I watch too much Friends...). Anyway, when the waitress came and we were ordering drinks I said I'd start with a water and Amber, as if on cue, chimes in with, "and then a fancy Margarita?" and I said, "No, Joey is drinking for two." It was perfect. Pretty funny actually, as the waitress was there for it.

Lindsey. Getting together with Lindsey is like getting the cable guy to be on time. But I finally set up a play date for my mom to meet her kid. She had been over for about an hour and then had to change Joey (her kid, not my husband). She asked if I wanted to do it and I said I didn't need to do that for like 7 more months. The fact that I made Lindsey do math to figure this all out may not mean much to you, but is hilarious to me. So then she came over and hugged me and my mom and dad and we all were happy.

My Grandma and Grandpa. I didn't want to tell my mom's parents at Christmas, then they were sick over New Years, then I wasn't feeling well for a few days and my mom was going to bring my grandma out so I said she could tell her. It went well and I will see her Saturday and Elizabeths shower.

Anna. I have been trying to set up happy hour with Anna before her Maui trip and it just wasn't going to work. Then I had this WEIRD dream with calling her and getting voicemail, but the message was to me and, well, it was crazy...so I called her at work the next day and just told her.

So I think I have covered most people, and now that it's 13 weeks I feel pretty safe. I won't be changing my facebook status or anything. Sorry about the amrathon post, I am impressed if you got all the way through it...and also wonder why you had so much time...