Telling Our Family and Friends

The latest installment of discovering our miracle includes telling our family and friends the great news.  We live 6 hours away from my family (8 from Ted's) so I'd always assumed we'd  have to tell them over the phone. Some of them read this blog and there was NO WAY I was going to keep it from my blogger friends for as long as it took me to tell my family in person.  But, with this particular month, the timing was beyond perfect. The post I wrote last week about going home to attend my cousin's ordination was real (although I admit it did buy me some much needed time). We found out on Monday went home on Wednesday. How perfect is that?

I had my first PIO shot that morning and was starting to limp by the time we got home. My two sisters were home but my parents were still at work. I tried so hard not to let them notice how slow I was moving. I also had to catch myself from saying things to my sister (who is now a nurse) about our appointment that morning. I almost blurted out, "my blood pressure was really good this morning!" (it's usually ridiculously low) and "you can help Ted give me my next shot!" I was just so excited to share the medical side of things with her that the words were coming out before I realized what they would imply.

Thankfully, my mom and dad arrived shortly after. Since both of my sisters had just graduated (one from high school and one from college) we thought it would seem pretty normal for us to give them graduation gifts. I tried to hold it in as long as I could once the entire family was together. I lasted about.....7 seconds.  "Oh, we have graduation gifts for you," I said as if it was a passing thought. I went back to our room and got them. "Open them up at the same time because they're the same thing," I said. My mom stood behind Haley and watched her open hers while my dad sat next to Jackie. Perfect! My dad tends to be pretty impatient sometimes (and by sometimes I mean every second of his life) and I was worried he would get up and walk away before they were finished opening them. But he didn't. He sat and watched. Maybe God made his legs super tired just for me.

This is what my sisters saw when they opened their gifts:

The ultrasound picture is from our follicle study that we had just completed. One (or more) of those little guys became our baby the day after the picture was taken!

When they read the words there just a slight pause for it to sink in. I don't remember who spoke first-it was just a blur of "really??" and "oh my gosh!" Both of my sisters cried. My mom and dad both had tears in their eyes. We all hugged and cheered and referred to each other as Aunt, and Grandma, and Grandpa. It. was. awesome.

I promise I'm the oldest, even though they both look older than me! And I promise we're related, even though they both have blue eyes and blond hair.

Grandpa and Grandma with their new grandparent gifts.

Unfortunately, we had to tell Ted's family over the phone. We had just visited his parents the weekend before and I took a pregnancy test every day hoping that we could tell them in person-but it didn't show up until we got back to Mississippi. We called them all on our way up to Missouri and told them the good news, Ted told his parents by saying, "how does it feel to be a grandma/grandpa?" and asked his sisters how it felt to be an aunt. I wish we could have been there to see their reactions, but I could tell they were all surprised and excited.

Telling our families was even better than I had ever imagined it to be. And I had imagined it many, many times! This will be the first grand baby on both sides of our family, an honor we are truly blessed to have and one I feared would never be realized. Let the spoiling begin!

Telling our friends was just as exciting. We knew that each one of them had been praying for us and hoping for this as much as we were. After the ordination we stood in line to receive our first blessing from the newly ordained Fr. Schumer. Right before we received our blessing, I leaned in and asked him if he would bless our baby. His eyes immediately filled up with tears and he was almost speechless. It was beautiful. "Thank God," he said. We knelt before him and he prayed over us with the most beautiful prayer. I remember him thanking God for answering our prayers, asking Him to keep our baby safe and healthy, and asking Him to give us courage to continue to be an example of a Catholic couple in today's world. Our baby received a blessing from a priest just moments after he was ordained! God is so good!

The THREE of us receiving our first blessing!

I didn't want to tell our other friends until we got outside for fear that some of them might make a scene (ah hem-Lauren!) But as soon as I got a chance I quieted everybody and acted like I was going to propose a place to go eat. Instead I yelled, "we're pregnant!" Just as I thought, Lauren screamed. Everyone else was stunned. Hugs and congratulations followed!

 

Most of the gang just before going outside and announcing our good news.

The rest of the weekend was equally wonderful. We told anyone who would listen about the miracle we were expecting. We took the opportunity to have the baby blessed by some of the priests attending Fr. Schumer's first Mass. It was truly better than I ever thought possible. Praise God!