Surprise!

Brittany called on her way home from work one night and the first thing she said was, “Promise you won’t get mad?”

Of course my mind started racing wondering what she could have done that would cause her to ask. Before I could say anything she started sobbing.

Now I was really concerned! “Brittany, are you ok?”

“I’m pregnant!”

“Well, you’ve always wanted kids! And you wanted them before your second anniversary. So why are you crying?”

“Because the timing’s so bad!”

And then I started doing the math. She will be 7 months pregnant when John and I take she and Dan to Punta Cana for all of our birthdays in the spring.

And Dan had just taken on a loan to buy into another Jersey Mike’s store and they were just starting a new very strict budget.

I told her we’d make the trip a “last time it’s just the four of us” celebration. And she’d just have to re-do her budget to include a baby!

She cheered up, but said, “This wasn’t how I always planned on telling you!” I laughed knowing she had collected all the clever Facebook and Pinterest announcements people have done and told her she could use them on the rest of the family.

Except John, who she decided to call next.

When he walked into the kitchen that evening I turned to look at the expression on his face. I sort of expected him to be shaking his head over the timing. (Not about the trip, but about the money.)

But he had a huge grin on his face and said as he came up to hug me “Isn’t it exciting?”

I said, “You’re happy?” And his eyes teared up as he said, “Yes! It’s amazing!”

So we are in the throws of expecting! And it’s different from when I went through it 27 years ago. For one thing she went to the doctor when she was about three and a half weeks along and had an ultra sound a week later where she saw the heart beat.

My doctor didn’t want me to come in until I thought I was at two months and had only one ultra sound when I was six months.

And I didn’t get a print out picture of her! Brittany emailed me this first one and I printed it for my new baby book and labeled it:

“November 12^th. Baby Oops”.