(Old) Breaking News

It's common knowledge that you wait to see if the pregnancy is viable.   Miscarriage is not uncommon in the first 12 weeks and some women never know they were pregnant.  

As excited as we were, holding onto our news for a month was difficult enough.  In fact, the news nearly slipped out before the first ultrasound. 

Our family tends to make impromptu trips the beach.  And by impromptu- there was a year we went to the each season: Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer.  This fall was no exception.  I can't remember the exact week, but we were all down at Edisto Beach.  His grandparents, his parents, and we all shared an ocean-front beach house for a weekend.  

Hint: there are 2 people in the chair

Cold, windy days made for mostly porch reading with big fuzzy blankets.  Some braved the beach to look for seashells or take the metal detector for a spin.   I took my prenatal vitamins covertly and politely turned down offers of coffee. The last night at a family dinner (I can remember what we had: smoked pork and pineapple skewers ...tender, juicy, melt in your mouth food!) I sat between my in-laws. The most wonderful people on the face of the earth!   Per usual we were having a great time, food and conversation going quickly.  Someone made the comment, "Yeah, when Ali stops eating chocolate we'll know she's pregnant!" I may be known for my food obsessions...see above comment about dinner.  The conversation continued along that line coming a point where my father-in-law starts mimicking use of the metal detector, passing the imaginary tool over me jokingly saying, "BEEP...beeep...beepbeepbeepBEEEEEEEP! Pregnant! Pregnant!" His wife took up the joke on my other side, both of them miming a 'pregnancy detector'. 

I will never forget that moment when Sam and I just looked at each other wide eyed.  That split second was all we had to pass it off as the joke it was meant to be.  They would find out soon enough the following month how true it was!   We all got a good laugh from it and had many more laughs in the following year. 

There were a couple other times that the news almost leaked before we announced the pregnancy to family. 

We took announcement pics
 that were never used

We had gone to Chimney Rock to enjoy the fall colors and weather.  On our hike back down, we were talking about the baby and how we were going to tell family.  Basically just super excited!  Turning a corner, we passed a couple who looked familiar.  It was Sam's aunt's parents out for a hike, we had almost missed them!  (to explain: family gatherings usually include many people's in-laws and we typically saw these wonderful people every major holiday and had even been down to their place a few times..In case you haven't noticed we're kinda big on family)  After stopping and visiting for a while we went our separate ways, but Sam and I wondered if they had overheard us talking about you-know-what. Later we discovered they hadn't - it had been close though!

On that same trip, we ran into some friends who were also there on a date to see the fall colors.  Months later we all found out that they had just gotten pregnant too!  We find it funny now, looking back, that we all had the same secret news. 


The official announcement took place after the first ultrasound.  Both sets of parents were invited over for dinner (ha- nothing suspicious, right?).  After chit chat, food, ect. Sam got their attention and made the announcement, pictures and all.  They were just peanut pictures, nothing more than a white bean on a black background but they were loved on.  This was their first grand child and they were over the moon.   Smiles abounded, tears of happiness were shed.  New life is always precious and exciting and that evening there was no better news! 

After telling the parents we started to tell other family members.  Some we called, others we stopped by to tell them in person.  That whole weekend was spent going from house, to dorm sharing the excitement.  

Sam took his brother out to dinner
and gave him
this to break the news!

Ok, I'll be honest here.  There were some people who took the news with ALOT of energy.  It was incredibly encouraging to have them be as excited as we were.  But we also learned that not everyone was going to match our  enthusiasm.    That was difficult to take sometimes, especially when it was someone who we thought would have a bigger reaction.  I don't mention this as discouragement, but to give other couples a heads up in regard to expectations.  Even joyful reactions will vary.

NOTE: Youngest siblings have the absolute best surprised reactions.  Its priceless.  

For example...my little sister literally went into spasms.  Jumping up and down, squealing, to the point of falling on the floor.  Ok, she may be a bit of a drama queen, but still...HILARIOUS!  Sam's brother's reactions were also priceless.  No rolling on the floor, but same level of unfettered excitement!
As scary as the thought pregnancy and childbirth is, surround yourself with friends and family.   Their support and encouragement is EVERYTHING!