Sharing our secret

We found out we were pregnant on Sunday, September 16.  We had to keep the secret for 3 more weeks.  Torture!  I think the hardest part was being careful not to slip.  All I had to do was say the word nauseous and people (like my mom) would start to wonder.  Or all I had to do was be caught looking up pregnancy info at work and the secret would be out.

But... we kept it a secret.  The 3 of us.  :)

My birthday provided the perfect opportunity to travel down to Canton to share the exciting news.  We began to set our plan in motion.  Caleb and I finally decided we were going to tell my family with cupcakes.  It was the only thing I could think of that wouldn't be too obvious.  As the plan furthered, it became even more perfect.  All I had to tell them was that my co-workers brought me cupcakes for me birthday and there was no way Caleb and I could eat them all.  So we wanted to share! 

I had to do a bit of texting the week before because I wanted Michael to be there as well.  As we pulled in the driveway, the excitement went through the roof as not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4 but all 5 vehicles were in the driveway which meant everyone was there that I had hoped would be there (mom, dad, Michael, Bryan and Stef).  Perfect!

Caleb and I were extremely anxious, nervous and excited.  3 weeks of holding in this secret and we were nervous because we weren't quite sure how our plan was going to pan out.  Here's to hoping!  And let me tell you... it could not have been more perfect.

Grammy had made me an apple pie for my birthday... yum-o!  BUT, the boys had just started a movie. Drat. Hmm.. how was I going to interrupt the movie and get them in the kitchen without it being too obvious?  
A-ha!  I wanted a candle in my pie and I wanted to be sung to.  Now, mind you, this is not normal for me.  I could care less that people sing happy birthday to me.  But it was the only thing I could think of to get the whole family in one spot. 

As soon as I blew out the candle, I gave Caleb the "look" and he went out to grab the cupcakes.  I kept everyone there by telling them how my co-workers made me these really cool cupcakes for my birthday and I wanted everyone to see them and to help us eat them.  
I was shaking.  My face grew hot.  Classic Ashley style, probably began to sweat. Was this going to work??

It. was. perfect.  They all gathered around.  They all squinted and stared at the cupcakes trying to figure out what it said.  And then... the reactions. Watch carefully, my dad figures it out first and you can totally see it when he figures it out.  Love it!

I have watched this video so many times.  I re-play the video in my mind.  And I smile every time.

We proceeded to a wiener roast later that evening since the majority of my extended family would be there.  Perfect!  I took a Bears onesie and simply held it up and they knew immediately.  I LOVE Aimee's reaction!

We knew we had to hit Wheaton on the way home to tell Ray and Bobbi because we certainly did not want the news to leak out.  That same weekend was the Spoon River Drive.  So we told them we had picked up some gifts for them on the craft drive as a thank you for all the support and gifts they had given us for the house.  Ray's gift was a Bears onesie and Bobbi's gift was a picture frame of a few photos of Caleb and I sharing the news.  Again, same physical reaction, got shaky, felt anxious, aahhh!  But Bobbi's reaction is hilarious!

There ya have it folks.  Sharing this news was something I had dreamed of for a long time.  And sharing the news was every bit as wonderful as I had imagined.