Even once we knew we were expecting, we kept the news to ourselves for awhile. Eight weeks, to be exact. We wanted to have the "confirmation of pregnancy" check-up first and see our little one's heartbeat before sharing the good news.
Much like the day I got the positive test, the day of that first doctors visit was rainy and chilly. It was an early morning appointment, and Husband and I were quiet on the drive. There were no outward signs that I was expecting, of course, and we were still both a little nervous about being too excited. By the time we entered the room for what would be our son's very first photo session, I felt like I was either going to cry hysterically or laugh hysterically--or maybe both.
And then there it was. On the screen, surrounded by what looked like TV static, was a little flickering circle. A heartbeat. A strong one, too. There was that little four rung ladder for a spine, and an indistinct circle--his head. "BABY", the technician typed out on the screen next to his head, and printed out our very first photo.
To be quite honest, after that I tuned out. All I needed to see was that heartbeat, and I was set. I'm sure the tech told us other things that day, like how he sized up, but I have no recollection of that. We met with the doctor after that, who I'm sure had plenty of informative things to say to us. It all went in one ear and out the other. My baby had a heartbeat and, for all intents and purposes, was healthy.
We started sharing our happy news the next day. I called Godmother Doctor and casually mentioned we needed to go shopping for baby clothes the next time she was in town. Her shriek was probably heard several blocks away. Then we had dinner with Godfather Engineer and Godmother Teacher. We apologized for being so late with our Christmas cards, and handed them one containing the ultrasound photo. When they opened it, we all cried.
The next night we drove to have dinner with Husband's parents. The picture in the card had been so successful the evening before we decided to do it again. This was slightly more tricky as I was not feeling particularly well that day, and we sat talking with my in-laws for several hours before we told them the news. My mother-in-law is an OBGYN nurse, and I was sure she was going to see right through me. I sat on pins and needles, trying not to excuse myself to go to the bathroom more than a normal person would. When we finally handed over our holiday card, my mother-in-law's squeal of delight was completely worth it. My father-in-law insisted I order a very big dessert, and has at every meal we've shared since then. Not that I'm complaining in the least, mind you.
On the third night we went to dinner with my mother and uncle. When we handed them their card, my mother stared at it for a moment. "Do you know what it is?" I asked her. She kept staring at it. "It's your grandchild." Her reaction was much the same of mine when I heard the heartbeat for the first time--it took about a day for the news to truly sink in. Since then, I think her excitement has grown exponentially. My uncle's reaction was classic--I'm pretty sure he jumped right out of his chair, cheering.
Word spread, and soon all the uncles and aunts and friends knew that our family would be expanding at the end of the summer. Telling everyone was the highlight of our holiday season--we were met with such enthusiasm and support that I was almost disappointed when we ran out of people to tell.
Soon after, we created this blog to keep all those enthusiastic people well informed--and well, you know the rest of the story.
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