Details...

So did you think I'd announce news like that last week and leave ya hanging without any details?  :)

Well I'm here to let you know that yes, I will be sharing some of the details of our pregnancy and baby (and all the crafts and party planning that go along with it)...but also want to assure you that I intend for this blog to remain what it is - a DIY craft blog with some wedding / home / baby inspirations, party planning, gift giving ideas and recipes too - and what it is not - my personal life diary with detailed accounts of what I do every day / parenting blog. Let's leave those things for the hard cover book you hide under your mattress / the experts (and especially not first time parents)!!  Sure, I may share a few stories or tips / tricks I learn along the way but if it gets too much...just let me know!  :)  And if I'm under-sharing, it's because I want to respect the privacy of my husband, myself and our life together.

Anyways, for those of you wondering, I am in my 17th week (I am 4 months!) and due October 29, 2012...which happens to be my mother-in-law's birthday!!  So far, the pregnancy has been wonderful - I am feeling great (no morning sickness) and the baby is healthy and growing - I really couldn't ask for much more. (Except maybe to gain a lb or two less...haha) 

I'm sure many of you were not surprised by the announcement - perhaps you picked up on some clues in my recent blog posts or noticed I look a little different (sorry, I have removed the word fat from my vocabulary) in pictures on Facebook.  But aside from our immediate families, we really didn't tell anyone until about 2 weeks ago after our 15 week ultrasound.  Getting through the first trimester was scary, and we really wanted to savor the moment just between the two of us for as long as possible.

How did we find out?

I found out at work, the day before this post (which is the real reason I didn't blog!).  I was very "late" but still testing negative on home pregnancy tests (which was so disheartening) so I went to the doctors for a blood test.  The doctor called a day earlier than expected with my results and I was ecstatic!!!  I wanted to tell Nate in person, so waited ALL day until I got home (well not really home, we were staying at Urban's Bed & Breakfast that night) from work (at 10pm!! I wasn't lying when I said I was busy at work!).  And it was truly an unforgettable night!

How did we tell our parents?

We told our parents at dinner on this night, and they were completely surprised, especially because they thought going out to dinner together was their idea and not because we had some big announcement!  While waiting for our table, the discussion of what they'd want to be called as grandparents came up - this was three weeks before my brother and sister-in-law were due with Emma - and I nearly died.  I was a nervous / anxious mess until we sat down at our table (I even yelled at Nate to "just order the sushi already!")...and then finally Nate just came out and said it!  I pulled it together and we gave them both a letter and a wrapped copy of Father of the Bride, Part II.

(Don't worry, I didn't eat any sushi that night!  I had the chicken teriyaki with grilled veggies.)

How did we tell our siblings?

We were both looking for meaningful and special ways to share the news with our siblings, which proved to be a bit challenging due to the fact that none of them live in the same area.  I decided to send each of my siblings a letter with a copy of FOTB, Part II, just as we did with our parents.  They received them the day after we told our parents. 

Nate couldn't wait for a silly package to arrive at his brother's apartment in Virginia...so he called to tell him on the phone instead! (#boys!)

How did we tell everyone else?

If there is anything I learned with news like this, is that it travels fast!  Sometimes faster than you can even get to the next person.  Or, sometimes it comes out sooner than you had planned (i.e. my sister Ashley bullied it out of me when I dropped her off at the train station two weeks after I found out and before we even told our parents!!) So, while we tried to tell our extended family members and close friends in person / on the phone before it hit the gossip mill...it didn't always happen.  But, such is life!  Regardless, the experience of sharing such exciting news with all the important people in our lives has been so very memorable!