For me, this was an unexpected but deeply desired journey. I hesitated to take a test for weeks simply because I did not want the disappointment. One day, I got sick at work (which pre-pregnancy was highly unusual) and decided I would buy a test. After circling the parking lot a few times, cautiously entering the store, and springing for the digital test (mainly because I had a coupon), I gave myself a non-stop pep talk from the drugstore to the house. I decided I would take the test and no one but the dog would hear about my silly speculation.
Much to my surprise, the test instantly revealed that I was pregnant. It was one of the most exciting, joyous moments of my life.
My next thought…how do I tell my husband? I am the sentimental, over-analyzing one of our relationship. I basically reasoned that this would be the most important thing I have ever told him. Plus, you only tell your husband you are pregnant with the child who is making him a Daddy once. It had to be memorable. It had to be perfect. It had to be worthy of its life-altering implications.
Naturally, I took to Pinterest. For those of you who think that is weird, go to Pinterest. Start typing “how to tell”. What comes up first? “How to tell your husband you are pregnant.” This is a real thing.
Pinterest failed me. Writing “I’m pregnant” with lipstick on my stomach or putting a loaf of bread in the oven (how am I supposed to get him to look in the oven randomly?) didn’t fit us. I decided to buy him some kind of baby item that referenced his new role as Daddy. It was there, at Babies R’ Us, where I was finally (I mean, it had been over a couple hours at this point) able to tell someone I was pregnant. The cashier started squealing and fanning her eyes when I told her my plan. I figured that made her the ideal, sappy candidate and enlisted her help to find the perfect gift. We looked everywhere and decided on this:
Click here to buy this bib on Amazon.
After what felt like the longest night ever, I finally got home. I walked in, tried my best to chitchat, and then nonchalantly said, “I got you a gift.”
For those of you who know my husband, he is not outwardly emotionally expressive. From his non-reaction, you would think I came home bearing gifts every day. Not the case. He opened it, held up the bib, and looked blankly at me, basically an unwritten “So?” on his face. Then, my very nervous self, was taken over by a high-pitched chipmunk voice, “We are having a baby!”
Surprisingly, my husband’s voice also got higher than usual, “What?!? Really?!? No, really???” I kept nodding. He swept me up in the biggest hug, still repeating, not actually asking, “really”. It worked. I was able to keep that secret (the dog and the cashier totally don’t count) about 8 hours. It nearly killed me.
Things I learned from my experience:
- There is little product that mentions dad without reference to a gender. Example: Daddy’s Princess, Daddy’s Little Man, etc.
- Pinterest is not a waste of time. But, in this case, it was.
- As usual, my over-analyzing mind got the best of me. It didn’t matter how I told the news. I could have blurted it out at lunch earlier that day, and it would have been just as special.