september 18

we are at twelve-and-a-half weeks, so we begin the process of announcing our pregnancy. first up: my parents!

brad and i organize a lunch date with my parents to "thank them for providing us a place to live for a year." we are both very adamant that both parents must be in attendance, and nervous that something will fall through and all our plans will be ruined. thankfully that doesn't happen, and we all meet at Pan Olivo in paso robles for a nice lunch. after we order, i pull out a thank you card for my parents and hand it to my mom. she reads: outside: "thank you," inside: "for everything. and congratulations, grandma and grandpa!" and then screams, "are you serious?" and starts crying. my dad reads the card and gets the classic "dad smile" he gets when he is really happy. it was just the reaction i was hoping for.

after lunch i call my sister and tell her that she will have to plan a vacation to come visit us around march 30 because that's when our baby is due. she is also very excited.

i don't get ahold of my younger brother until that night, and i tell him straight up: "i just wanted to call and let you know that we're having a baby." and his reaction is exactly what you would expect if you knew my brother. one of the first questions he asks is, "so, are you getting fat?" i love him.

the announcement to my older brother comes the next day. i left a message for him on saturday, and on sunday he texts me that he is awake and can talk any time. when i call, his first statement is, "hold on, let me go get [wife's name]." he knows what's coming because i never call him. because he knows, and i know he knows, i ask, "do i even really need to say it?" and his reaction is, "yes, definitely."

brad's calls to his family go pretty much the same way. that sunday night we drive down to disneyland to spend the weekend with his brother, and make a little stop at ikea for a crib and changing table. when we meet up with his brother and brother's wife at downtown disney, brad says, "hey, look at what we just got at ikea" and shows them a picture of the crib. brother and brother's wife scream and then ensues lots of hugging and some crying (on the part of brad's brother; he's such a softy). that weekend they buy us baby's first toy: a mickey mouse doll.

his parents are the last to know because they are in germany and we have a killer time trying to get ahold of them through skype. they just didn't understand how much we needed them to get online!