"This is the best news of my life"

OK, so at some point, this blog will be more than weekly check-ins and my recounting of telling people. But for now, I'll continue the current trend because in the past few days, we finally told my immediate family! Why so early, you ask? Well, our timeline for telling got moved up due to circumstances outside my control. Let me take you back:

**Warning: This might get long. However, it'll also be my record of what happened, so I don't really care **

On Wednesday, I got a call from my mom. She had just spoken to my cousin, who called to announce she is pregnant and due in October. I was pretty shocked because no one expected them to be trying until they were more settled. This shock turned into a feeling of dread when I realized the potential freak-out my being due a month before her would cause. Now, I have no problem being pregnant at the same time as my cousin. I'm not one of those people who thinks my thunder is being stolen, etc. I just don't care. However, my cousin has been in competition with me since we were little. This competition is typified by our wedding planning. It ended up that we would be getting married the same month. C and I announced our date would be June 14th (we later changed it due to his grad school schedule). My cousin immediately said they were getting married the 7th, even though that date ended up not working well for them. She just had to get married before me. So now, she thinks she's the first grandchild to be pregnant... but little does she know... and she's going to flip when she finds out.

So anyway, when my mom called with this tidbit of news, I resisted the urge to tell her right then and there. I even resisted the urge to tell her that night because she was having lunch with my aunt and uncle on Thursday, and I knew she wouldn't be able to keep it quiet when they were talking about my cousin. So, after consulting with C, we decided to tell my parents on Thursday night because if I waited another week after my cousin already told everyone so early, my mom would be even more upset.

When I called, only my mom was home, but my dad would be getting back shortly. She began by telling me all about her lunch and what my cousins are up to. It ends up my pregnant cousin JUST found out... she doesn't even have an exact due date yet and she's telling the entire extended family. So I told my mom as follows:

Me: I still can't believe she told everyone this early!
Mom: I know.
Me: I mean, I wouldn't tell extended family until I was in the 2nd trimester. Heck, I waited until I was almost 11 weeks to tell my own parents!
Mom: ::laugh:: Right!
Me: Did you hear what I said?
Mom: Quit teasing me.
Me: I'm not kidding. I'm pregnant! I'm due in September!
Mom: Stop it. You tease me too much!

This went on for about 3 minutes. I promised to show her u/s images as proof. She demanded to speak to C and then accused him of kidding her, too. FINALLY, she realized I truly was pregnant. She screamed and went on and on about how thrilled she is and how happy she is for us!!! I had been so nervous that she wouldn't be excited or would be worried about me being in school, and I had even planned on pretending it was a surprise. However, she immediately asked how long we'd been trying, and she was so happy that I decided to be honest and tell her. She was "thrilled to death."

After answering a whirlwind of questions (including constant demands to know how and why I kept it from her so long), she said my dad was pulling into the garage. She composed herself and told him to pick up the phone because I had a question to ask about his upcoming visit. He picked up, I asked my question, and then I used the same line I used on Mom. He got it slightly faster and was equally excited. By the end of the conversation (45 minutes later), he had decided to go to the Fish Hawk the next day to get the smallest fly rod they sell.

My maternal grandmother was also there because she had some doctor's appointments. At Mom's insistence, I agreed to tell her. I asked her if she could believe that by October, she'd have two great-grandbabies. She didn't get it. Instead, she thought my cousin might be having twins! Once I told her I was pregnant, she was as excited as the rest of them. They all insisted I call my older brothers immediately to let them know. And before hanging up, my mom said this was the best news of her life.

I tried the youngest of my brothers first, but he didn't pick up. Then I tried my middle brother, and he called me back almost immediately. I told him I had a question for him and then asked if he was ready to be an uncle. He was quiet for a minute trying to figure out what I was saying and then told me what great news that was and how happy he was for us. He asked all sorts of questions and seemed to just be thrilled.

On Friday morning, the youngest of my brothers called me back. We talked about his new girlfriend, what he'd been up to that week, and his birthday the previous weekend. I reminded him that when he was 26, he said he was too young to be an uncle and asked him how he felt about being an uncle at 28. He got it immediately and erupted into congratulations and expressions of shock and happiness. We joked around for a while, and he requested I keep him updated, which of course I will. He also expressed shock at my ability to keep it from Mom this long (he asked if I'd just found out on Thursday!).

On Friday afternoon, my dad got my oldest brother to call me because I had a medical question for him. I described some of my symptoms and asked his opinion. He suggested I get my thyroid checked. I told him it could also be because I'm 11-weeks pregnant. In the most lack-luster response of the bunch, he expressed shock, asked if Mom and Dad had a heart attack when I told them, said congratulations, and got off the phone. Apparently, once things sunk in more, he was more excited because he called Mom and was talking all about it. He had been on his way to the airport to fly up to see his girlfriend and apparently couldn't wait to get there and tell her in person as planned because he called her from the gate. She said she can't wait to be an aunt (which is hilarious because they aren't even engaged). So apparently he's more excited than he let on. He's also telling Mom I need to go ahead and tell the whole world and is upset that he can't tell anyone.

Mostly, he's upset that I won't tell my cousin. Every person I told had the same comment: She's going to be pissed. And I'm sure she will be. And I think it's hilarious. Because it's not like I knew she was going to get pregnant (apparently, they weren't trying, but they weren't preventing). And we'd been trying for 5 months. It's not my fault that she told everyone as soon as she knew and I waited 7 weeks to tell my immediate family. I refuse to change my plan not to tell until 2nd tri on her behalf. Plus, let her enjoy a couple of weeks thinking she's the only one who's pregnant. She might as well have some fun before she gets all upset.

I am just so relieved that my mom is so excited because I was really concerned she wouldn't be. She is pissed that I waited so long to tell her, but everyone else understands why I waited. And I plan on catching her up on all the details from the past 7 weeks.

My MIL sent C an email talking about how excited she is about the baby, so that's reassuring since they are always so reserved and she never responded to my sending her the u/s pics. I'm definitely glad I have my parents' reaction to balance out the reaction of my ILs, though both were positive.

So now both of our immediate families know! I really hope everything is still going well with Stretch because it would break my heart to have to untell everyone after all of this happiness. I may post tomorrow about the sudden return of morning sickness, which is a reassurance though by no means a guarantee. In just over a week, I go back for my next appointment!!!