I know I always love seeing pregnancy announcements and hearing about how they told their families. So, we thought it would be fun to share our stories with everyone!
ALICIA'S STORY
I was just chatting with a friend one day, complaining a little about a few aches and pains I’d be having lately. It was nothing serious, but just slightly bothersome. My friend mentioned that was exactly how she felt when she found out she was pregnant. I almost spit out my Ski - I was DEFINITELY not pregnant. There’s no way! After my friend urged me over and over to go buy a test, I started to question it myself. So, after work I went to Wal-Mart to pick one up (Or 5, just to be sure) test. Because it was Valentine’s Day, I also picked up a stuffed teddy bear. I didn’t want anyone I knew to see me buying a test, because after all, it was going to be negative! Right?!
After the test came back positive, I was shocked! I wasn’t even really having any “real symptoms”!
Thank Goodness for Facetime! Josh, my hubby, is in the United Stated Marie Corp, so he wasn’t here when I got the news. In fact, he had no idea I was even taking a test! I didn’t share it because it was going to be negative, anyway! So, I shared the big news with him over FaceTime and we had a little mini celebration over the phone. Thankfully, I was supposed to go see him that weekend anyway for Valentine's Day! So, I packed up my stuff and drove 12 hours to the east coast to spend the weekend with Josh. We went shopping, saw a movie, went to dinner and chatted about possible baby girl names. We had already discussed boy names in the past so we knew what that would be if it were to be a boy - It was something very special and meaningful to Josh! But we'll save that story for another day.
… I still have the teddy bear :)
AMY'S STORY
Needless to say, our pregnancy was a surprise to everyone. Myself included.
It was time for the yearly visit. If you’re a girl who has had these visits you know the first thing they do is ask you to use the bathroom. They use magic strips in to check to make sure you’re not pregnant and test for other things I can’t pronounce or spell. In the past I’ve noticed that the results are the first thing out of the nurses mouth when she comes into the room. I’m guessing to relieve any nerves that may be building up as you anxiously await the results. She walked in and didn’t say a word. As she took my blood pressure and started making small talk my mind was racing. “No. No way. That would be crazy!” And then I heard Hillary’s voice in my head making fun of me the week before because I could smell printer ink as she was making copies.
…And the time she handed me a pack of brand new diapers to hold as she got into the car and I told her they stunk. She looked at me like I was crazy and said “Are you pregnant?”
…And how the night I walked in my house from a long day at work and smelled the bath bombs safely stored in the bathroom. Closet. On the other side of the house.
…And that Brad had asked me the night before if I was feeling ok. He had noticed I was tired and didn't feel good this past week.
But that would be crazy. Lo wasn't even 9 months old yet!
Inevitably, the nurse finished and I waited in the room for the doctor. She came in, smiled and started making small talk. By this time my head was about to explode. “Blood pressure is good. Right where it should be.” Then she turned, looked me straight in the face and said “Sooooo your test came back positive! You’re pregnant!” The Kool-Aid man could have crashed through the wall and I wouldn't have noticed. I couldn't believe it. But at the same time everything started to make sense. After a few seconds I finally looked over at Lo and said “You’re gonna be a big sister!” So technically, Lo was the first to know. Then we had to go back home and tell Dad. I had no idea what his response would be but it sure wasn’t the one I got.
I pull into the driveway and got Lo out. Brad was working in the garage as we walked up. I wasn't sure what to say or how to tell him as I was still in shock. So I just stood there and with a big grin on my face. He said “What? You’re pregnant?” I shook my head and laughed and he got up and danced around and said “No way! You're (insert bad word here)-ing with me! SERIOUSLY? NO WAY!? It’s gonna be a boy I know it!” And he’s been ecstatic ever since. And still thinks its a boy.
I would love to say we had an elaborate way to tell our families but anyone who knows Brad and I knows neither of us can keep a secret. We’d been planning on going on a four-wheeling trip along with most of Brad’s family for months, and I was only 8 weeks along when it came time to leave. I was looking forward to it and didn't want to back out so we decided to play it cool and try and hide it. Yeah that didn't last. We didn't even last a whole day. I couldn’t take it anymore. I also don't like making announcements so I told Brad he had to do it. We were standing in a circle, gassed up and ready leave. Straight to the point Brad said “Well, we have an announcement. We're pregnant!” I don't think anyone was expecting that. Everyone was excited and there were hugs all around. It wasn’t until later I talked to Brad’s cousin who said to me “I’ve been waiting for weeks to congratulate you.” See? Horrible secret keepers.
As for my family, there is no such thing as a secret between my siblings and I. Not one. No matter what it is, it always plays out the same way. One person has a secret, and tells one other sibling, making them promise not to tell the others. There really is no expectation for the secret to be kept, even though that promise is extracted by the teller. So, the secret trickles down until eventually the teller tells one of the others, to which they reply, “Yeah I already knew,” <insert sibling’s name> told me. It’s like a waterfall. Nobody ever tells Mom, though- that’s unforgivable.
In this instance I told my sister Brandye who told my brother, Joey who told my sister Erin. Somehow Mom found out (not really sure how) and she told my Dad.
Again- buncha horrible secret keepers.
HILLARY'S STORY….
Ironically, my story starts where Amy's ended, with telling me.
Honestly, when I found out Amy was pregnant was the same time my husband and I were talking over whether or not to have a 3rd child. That night I went home and cried. It was an interesting feeling though because the day before I didn’t know if we wanted a third child or not. And after Amy’s news, it was very clear that my heart was set on it. But, I also knew I couldn’t have one right now (hence the tears) - there is no way we could all be pregnant at the same time, right?! I mean, no responsible person would do that! Plus we JUST bought a house we were remodeling AND were In the process of opening the Beauty Bar Salon & expanding the studio. So, no, I couldn't get pregnant now, THAT WOULD BE MADNESS! No, no.. we’ll just wait 6-8 months and Amy will be back from maternity leave at that point and it’ll all be gravy, right? Right.
Fast forward one week and there was lots of talk of babies at work. I was focusing on work and not being sad about having to wait my turn. Work was CRAZY busy anyway! Thankfully! Well, one day I went home feeling just icky, but I knew how stressed I was and I hadn't eaten much that day so I chalked it up to that. The next day was much of the same. I again came home and realized I felt so crappy all day I had not eaten one thing. Suddenly I felt really, REALLY sick. And that's when the lightbulb went off. Yep, this feeling felt familiar. I looked at my phone at the calendar and realized I had completely missed my period and didn't even realize it. I couldn't wait, I had to know RIGHT NOW...With my oldest at a friends house, my husband at a meeting and my youngest face first in a bowl of spaghetti. So, I picked up my marinara covered kiddo and went to Fred's to buy 3 tests. I came home and took two as quickly as humanly possible. And there is was, 2 pink lines. Twice.
I smiled, I cried a little.. really I was just in disbelief. Right then my oldest came through the door and so I hurriedly put it all away and started regular bedtime routine. My husband came home after the kids were asleep and proceeded to tell me all kinds of things about his day, his meeting, ideas for the yard and probably more but I tuned him out because I had huge butterflies in the pit of my stomach. I was nervous of how he would react! This wasn't the plan!!!
When he was just about ready for bed, I told him I had a surprise and to close his eyes and put out his hands. He thought it was really weird but he loves me so he went with it ;) I handed him the test wrapped in a towel. When he opened it, his eyes grew to the size of golf balls and looked up at me and said ,"IS THIS YOURS?!?!" I lost it - completely bawling because one, considering the circumstances at work it was a logical question! And two, because I was so overwhelmed! He smiled and gave me a big hug and said "Well hey, your life motto has always been go big or go home. We're going big!"
A few hours later when I couldn't sleep, I texted Amy a picture of the test along with, "Sh*t is about to get crazy". She responded right away, of course! (Secretly I think she kind of knew, too, because she had made jokes that week about me being pregnant, but I knew for sure she was just crazy).
A few weeks later we told our kiddos... we'll technically the Easter bunny brought the baby a basket with bottles and onsies and the girls' baskets had books about becoming big sisters and big sister t-shirts. Austen got it, Sadie had no idea, haha!
And of course, the surefire way to tell anyone you are pregnant, just turn down a margarita at El Arado. That's how my parents figured it out anyway ;)
As for the rest of our family, on Easter Austen barged in the door and be-lined for her great grandma. She proceeded to whisper to her that she was going to have another baby sister. Even if we were going to keep it a secret, the cat was out of the bag in front of 40+ people!! (No, we don't know if it's a boy or a girl, but Austen is still convinced it's a girl.)
So that's it! That's how we all told everyone our big surprises, times three!!!
And if you made it reading this far, you are the best and we love you!