Procrastination pays off - for once

Two years ago at Christmas, my mother gave me a very nice pair of pants. They were attractive, expensive, warm and suitable for work. The only problem with them was that they were fall-off-my-hips too big.

I meant to exchange them, but I forgot until it was too late. I meant to sell them on eBay, but I was too lazy. I meant to donate them to the Salvation Army or Goodwill, but I was too cheap.

So they sat in my closet. I even moved with them last year, again meaning to sell or donate them but never getting around to it.

The upside of all this laziness and procrastination is that now that my waist is starting to thicken and my regular pants are getting too tight, these wool trousers are now not only staying on, they’re pretty comfortable. I figure I can probably get about two months wear out of them before I’m too big. Sweet! That’s one less set of maternity pants I have to buy in the near future.

The only remaining downside is that a closer look at the label reveals them to be dry clean only. Well, that won’t be a problem as long as I don’t spill my decaf on -- Ah, crap.

The world at large is aware

I had my first ultrasound this morning. It was cool to finally see the little being that all this fuss is about. S/he graciously gave a well-timed full-body wiggle during the ultrasound, which was very exciting. It moves! It’s alive! I’m actually pregnant and not just ill!

So, now that I’ve reached the 12 week mark I’ve bitten the bullet and told everyone at work. My boss knew a few weeks ago when my symptoms and doctors’ appointments were starting to interfere with my job, but now it’s general knowledge. It’s a bit surreal. I’ve already started to get parenting advice; one person has informed me that I’m having a boy based on the angle the legs seem to be at in (side view) the ultrasound. Yeah. Sure. I’m guessing she’s got, oh, about a 50% chance of being right.

Next step: Scan ultrasound photo and send to grandparents-to-be.

Weekend report - The family has been informed

This weekend was fairly productive in one way, and quite unproductive in another.

I spent Saturday morning cooking up a nice lunch for all four of our parents. I winged together a Shepherd’s Pie using beef and Portobello mushrooms in a red wine gravy (alcohol carefully boiled off, extra wine fed to the guests so I wasn’t stuck with an open bottle I can’t drink). It turned out very well and I’ll have to write it down so I can do it again.

I ended up taking the advice of Steve (Brip Blap) and Mike (Four Pillars) and just blurting out that we were pregnant the second they were all together in the living room. I had wanted to have something special prepared for them, but this worked just as well and was a heck of a lot easier.

Everyone was very excited and they had a nice chat reminiscing about Hubby and I when we were babies and what it was like to be about-to-be parents. Let’s just say pre-natal and newborn parenting guidelines have changed significantly since the 70s.

After lunch we phoned our grandmothers. Mine was ecstatic and we spent a good long time chatting about it. Hubby’s said ‘that’s nice, congrats’ and then told him to tell his parents she’d received the parcel she’d been expecting. She’s never been one for letting the little things get in the way of what’s important to her. I found it hilarious (and predictable). Mom-in-law was quite embarrassed, poor thing.

We were then taken out for a very nice steak dinner, where I discovered that 90% of the appetizers are on the ‘no-eat’ list. Pass that bread and water, would you, Steve? The French onion soup seemed safe enough (and was delicious), and I had a very nice (medium, instead of my preferred rare) steak. I had a deep, hearty sniff of Dad-in-law’s after-dinner Port in recompense.

Sunday I’d planned to go and get started on the much-procrastinated Christmas shopping, but I decided to sleep through it instead...oops. Guess that’ll have to be next weekend.

Sharing the news - Help required

So, this Saturday will be a big day in babyland for us.


No, no. I still have more than six months to go on this whole pregnancy train, as my morning sickness reminds me every day. I'm sure my general level of crankiness is what reminds Hubby.

On Saturday we're having both sets of parents over for lunch at our place. Ostensibly it's an apology meal for being so busy lately that we haven't had time to socialize with them (and by busy I mean sick and tired, though not of them). In reality it's the day we've chosen to tell them to expect their first grandchild.

I'm eleven weeks pregnant today, and close enough to the three-month mark to feel fairly confident that all is going well. I'd hoped to have undergone my first ultrasound so that I'd have a visual aid, however my parents are unavailable every weekend after this until Christmas, and the ultrasound isn't until next Tuesday. I'm sure they'd make themselves available if they knew such big news was in store, however that'd spoil the surprise.

Reasons I want to tell them before Christmas:

1) It's going to be increasingly difficult to hide the belly bulge that is beginning to make itself known. My pants are starting to get a bit tight, and for the first time in my life this is not a sign to lay off the crap food because I haven't been eating (much of) it.

2) Apparently I'm such an alcoholic and cola addict that the tip-off sign to everyone who has figured it out so far is that I'm not drinking booze or Diet Pepsi. There is no way I'll be able to find a non-tip-off way out of the wine that accompanies every meal leading up to the holidays at both families' houses. Since we want both sets of parents to find out simultaneously, I can't let them figure it out on their own.

3) I don't want to receive a bottle of my favourite expensive port from my generous in-laws for Christmas. I won't be able to touch it for at least a year (assuming breastfeeding goes well), and having it sit in my wine fridge completely untouchable will just make me cry given my overly-hormonal state these days.

4) I don't want either set of parents to waste money buying brie and blue cheeses just for me to eat over the holidays. You're supposed to stay away from unpasteurized cheese while pregnant, and to have it sitting in front of me...Well, see the statement about the port. Drinking 20-year-old Taylor Fladgate while eating a nice piece of blue cheese is my idea of nirvana. Hmm. Maybe I'll just have that cry right now.

5) I want to tell my far flung relatives about the pregnancy in their Christmas cards. It'll be nice to have a piece of interesting news to share for once, and it'll save on overseas postage and phone calls if I do it all together. However, I can't tell Uncle Mort if I haven't told Dad yet, can I?

6) Some of the friends who know we're expecting have family in the same small town as our parents live. They've been very good about keeping the secret so far, but it's bound to come out over the holidays. And in a small town, once someone knows, everyone knows.

7) This is where I get selfish. I'd like to receive some baby-oriented gifts for Christmas. A gift card from Toys"R"Us will be more useful than one from Best Buy. Sorry Hubby.

So, all four of the parents will be told this weekend. The question remaining is how. This is where I need your help.

If you've had kids, how did you tell your families, especially about the first one? If you haven't but are planning to, how have you dreamed of doing it? Feel free to share your stories in the comments. I need all the ideas I can get.