Telling our Family...

Photo of Steven's Babcia after hearing the news!

Waiting to telling our families was one of the most difficult waiting periods. We had this exciting news, but couldn't tell anyone but ourselves.

Since it was so close to Christmas we decided to wait to Christmas eve to tell the family. We debated a million different ways of telling them...Making an ornament with the sonogram photo on it, writing a christmas-y poem, having our 3 year-old niece make the annoucement, etc.

By the time Christmas came, Steven and I hadn't decided on a concrete plan. So at the last minute I wrapped our sonogram photo and Steven found some stickers (an important bribe for later).

First, we stopped by Monica's house to tell them the news. We arranged the family on the sofa while Steven took our niece into another room to bribe her to tell everyone our secret in return for a lovely collection of stickers. Apparently, the bribe worked like a charm because she ran into the room, and said "Uncle Stevie is having a baby!" After a moment of confusion and interpretation of the 3 year-old's words, everyone was elated. And I was just thrilled to finally tell someone!

Later that night, at my aunt's house, we had finished the 6th or 7th course (I wasn't counting anymore) and decided to take a short break to open presents...the perfect time for our Present. We gave my grandmother the present with the sonogram photograph. You could see her complete bewilderment by the photograph in the frame. She looked at the black and white photo of our baby and asked if it was a picture of my dog!!!!! I knew she had never seen a sonogram picture before. I explained that it was a picture of my baby and asked if she was ready to be a great-grandmother. That's when it clicked...and the whole family errupted in joyful celebration.

Steven and I could have debated for many more months on the best way to tell our families, but somehow I think everything worked out wonderfully in the end.