Telling Jim We're Preggo

So, how did I break the big news to Jim?

In the months that we were trying to conceive, I thought of a bajillion cute ways to make the announcement. A little message on the bathroom mirror or maybe throwing a pregnancy book in my backpack and casually asking him to grab me a pencil or something. But the reality is, I had NO idea how hard it would be to keep this secret from my husband. Sure...maybe I could have kept my mouth shut for a few hours while I prepared the big surprise but as luck would have it, I got my big fat positive the day Jim began working a 48 hour shift! Ugh...can you say torture?!


As soon as I calmed down from my hysteria, I told myself I had to keep this from him until he came on Sunday morning [it was Friday afternoon when I found out]. I figured a few hours would be enough to get myself under control and then once he called me to say good-night I could play it cool.

Ha! Fat chance.

It just so happened that Jim called me at that moment. Do you want to know WHY he called? This didn't come up in conversation at the time, but he later revealed that he called to tell me NOT to test until he came home on Sunday...given that aunt flo failed to arrive. ESP? I think so.

So, I see the number on caller ID and answer cool as a cucumber. Jim seems bored out of his mind and I'm just DYING to cheer him up. Once I heard his grumpy mood, I just felt like this news would turn his frown upside down. Maybe it wasn't the right time, but at that point I knew there was no possible way I was going to talk to him on the phone for another day and act like I didn't find out the best news ever. It was virtually impossible.

So, our convo went something like this:

Me: what are you doing?

Jim: Ah..not much....just planning on making dinner soon.

Me: What are you making?

Jim: [sorry...at this point I wasn't listening so I really don't remember what he said!]

Me: Are you going to make dessert?


Let me interrupt this conversation and give you some information. Jim and I majorly overhauled our diet in hopes of becoming healthier and getting pregnant. During these last 3 months or so, we completely wiped out processed foods - no bread, pasta, sugar, desserts, chips, soda, beer, etc. It was a HUGE lifestyle change...HUGE! So, this is why I turned the conversation to dessert.

Jim: Nah...

Me: Why not? You should.

Jim: No...I never make dessert here.

Me: Well, I think you should make something really yummy....

Jim: No...it's too expensive

Me: [trying to make this blantantly obvious!] I think you should make something really bad for you...really sugary and stuff!

Jim: N-...................WHY?

Me: Because..........................................................I'M PREGNANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Jim just fell silent. His first response was "are you sure?" All along I knew once I told Jim our news I would have to wait a few minutes for him to get up to my speed. You see, Jim is extremely skeptical of home pregnancy tests. I can't tell you how many times we've spent starring at a stick trying to analyze the validity of a really faint line. So, at this point he probably thought I was hallucinating. I immediately assured him there was no mistaking this result - the lines were the same color.

This is my favorite part of the story. Without hesitating Jim says "The digital test is hidden on my dresser underneath the paperwork!" A few months ago, in an attempt to squash my peeing on a stick addiction, I gave Jim my last digital test. Charging through dollar store tests is no biggie but those digitals are expensive as all heck! I knew I had to relinquish my right to that beauty and tell Jim to hide it from me. So, once Jim reminded me, I quickly ran into the spare bedroom and found it.

Then came the hard part...I couldn't pee! I tried and I tried and I tried...and nothing. I was dealing with an internal battle. On one hand, I really want to trickle out SOMETHING so I could confirm it for Jim [who was still on the phone, mind you]. But I didn't want to risk piddling out nothing and and seeing those horrible words "Not Pregnant". So, Jim told me to calm down, drink some water and that he would call me back in 30 minutes. A few water chugs and 10 minutes later I took the test and this is where I had my first moment of fear. What if it DID say "not pregnant"? What if I got it all wrong? That hour glass blinked for what felt like a stinkin' lifetime - but then the result popped up and I had all the confirmation in the world. I truly was knocked up!

As promised, Jim called me back and asked if he dreamt the last 30 minutes. I assured him that, no, he did not and that the digital had displayed that one beautiful word.

In case you're wondering, I visited Jim at the firestation later that evening. We just stood there in the bay with the fire trucks grinning ear to ear. It was such a beautiful, romantic, surreal moment. We just kept looking at each other, laughing and saying "I don't believe it....I just don't believe it."

Jim was hell bent on being there when I took a test so he asked that I take another one Sunday morning when he came home. I agreed but told him to buy a test on the way home since we were out. His shift ends at 7 am so I was expecting him to roll through the door between 7:20 and 7:30. But by 7:15, I was doing the pee-pee dance and calling him to hurry up. When I heard the back door open, I immediately greeted him, grabbed the test and darted upstairs - however, not before I caught a glimpse of the flowers he bought me. To this day, I refer to them as the daddy-flowers.

Needless to say, that test popped up positive before I finished peeing. When I presented the prize to Jim I just laughed. For months I couldn't pass that stupid test to save my life and here I was getting positive reults without an ounce of energy. Suddenly something so so difficult had transformed into something so freakin' easy. Who would have thunk it?

But regardless, the proof was in the pudding. We were pregnant......really, truly pregnant.