A Happy Thanksgiving: Exciting Baby Announcement
Thanksgiving will always be extra special for me, as that is the day we decided to announce our pregnancy of our now four-month-old son. We found out we were pregnant on our first wedding anniversary, at the beginning of November, so I knew Thanksgiving would be the perfect time to announce our joy with the family.
I did my research on ideas of how to announce in a creative way (hello Pinterest!). There are so many options. Do I get a onesie made? Do a photoshoot? Dress up my cat in a big sister shirt?
There are so many factors to consider. My husband and I had been trying for almost a year at that point so I was afraid that if I showed up with a gift for my parents they would definitely know what was coming. We don't give gifts on Thanksgiving, so it would be too obvious.
I also knew I would have to do it at the beginning of the day because as soon as they saw that I wasn't partaking in my usual holiday bottle of pinot noir, they would figure it out.
Why is Maggie drinking apple cider, hmmmmmm...
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So I decided to offer to bring the buns for dinner. I told her I found this new recipe and would be making homemade buns (some of you see where this is going). I love to cook, so I was sure she would think nothing of it. I lined a 9x13 glass dish with foil to hide the contents. I then taped my pregnancy test into the middle and placed the lid on it.
When we arrived, I told everyone to gather around to check out the buns I made, I was so proud of them. My mom, who had been running around cooking and cleaning all day, looked less than thrilled to have to stop in the middle of what she was doing to look at bread (can you blame her?). When I removed the lid it took her a few beats to realize what she read looking at.
I said, "Oh, the bun is in the oven!". Of course, the tears were flowing at that point. My two nieces, 10 and three, were so excited to finally be getting their first cousin.
I feel so fortunate that we were able to conceive and announce around the holidays. It's already such a special time of year, and receiving and sharing that news made it so much more emotional. Every Thanksgiving in the future will bring me that much more joy, especially as I share each meal with my son.
Trying for almost a year was daunting, to say the least. I started to worry that it wouldn't happen, and to wonder what was wrong with me. My doctor said something that helped when I went to her in a panic at month 5 of trying. She said:
“Look at trying to conceive (TTC) is like throwing darts at a dartboard. You have 12 chances in a whole 1-year span to hit the bullseye. You may even hit the bullseye but the dart doesn't stick. Be gentle with yourself, and give TTC the entire year to hit that bullseye before seeking testing/IVF/other options." We hit our bullseye 2 months later! So if you are currently TTC, in the adoption process, working with a surrogate or becoming a parent in a different way, be gentle with yourself and have patience. You will hit your bullseye when the time is right for you, and you’ll make it meaningful, whenever it is.
