A Mother's Day like no other!

**Warning - this post is EXTREMELY long. Congrats to you if you make it all the way through!

Yesterday was such a beautiful day in MN. I think I spent 90% of the time I was awake outside soaking up the sun.

Yesterday was also wonderful because we finally got to reveal a little secret that we'd been hiding for a couple months.

Yesterday we got to tell the remaining family and friends that we're expecting a baby in November!

It's Facebook official and all.

Ever since we found out (March 20) that we were expecting a baby, my mind immediately went to thinking how and when we would tell our families. I'm not sure why - maybe it's the many hours I've logged on Pinterest and blogging that made me want it to be perfect or it's just my OCD kicking in.

I immediately started thinking that Mother's Day was the perfect time to tell them our families. I checked the calendar and if everything was on track - I would be just finishing 12 weeks! I was beyond excited and told Chris my idea and he loved it.

I saw an item pinned that was a flower pot with pictures modge podged on it. I get my mom and mother-in-law (Janeal for future reference) flowers or gift cards to landscaping stores or cookie flower bouquets each year so flowers seemed like a good theme to stick with. I wanted to put pictures of all the grandchildren they already have, our pups (the grandpuppies) and an ultrasound picture announcing when our baby was due. I was really hoping I would have an ultrasound picture by then!

Next came the planning of how everything would go down. We both decided that we wanted to tell our moms separately. We pretty much knew that we would be celebrating the day with our parents on different days. The plan was to tell my parents and Chris's dad on Saturday (May 12th) and Chris's mom, sister (and family) on Sunday. Unfortunately my dad is currently working in ND and comes back to MN about every other weekend.

I called my dad on May 2nd to see if he was coming home on Mother's Day. He said that he was coming home the weekend of May 5 and would not be coming home for Mother's Day. My heart dropped! I tried to tell him I had a really cool present for my mom that he would want to be there for when she opened it. "What did you get her?"...um, I can't tell you. Fail! I could tell that he felt really bad, but I tried to just play it off and said that maybe we could just get together on Saturday the 5th. I got a voicemail the next day from him saying he got Mother's Day weekend off and he was coming home that weekend now (too). I knew he felt bad. We had already asked Chris's dad to come down on the 5th for a BBQ with my parents (our dads LOVE seeing each other and talking about hunting). He said he could make it on the 5th but not for Mother's Day. Not quite according to plan, but we had to take it.

Friday, May 4th I call my parents to square away the details of Saturday. What they want for lunch and what time they'll be down. I casually mention that Leroy (Chris's dad) will be joining us. Everything is fine. Chris and I both have the impression that my parents probably know that we're going to announce something. They're not dumb - why would I make a big deal out of what weekend he's coming home? really cool present? Chris's dad is coming down too?

Saturday morning I spent the whole morning cleaning the house, prepping food and getting myself ready. Freakin' nervous wreck. I knew that our parents would be sooo happy for us, but the wait is killing me! I told Chris that I wanted to bring out the flower pot right away so I'm not such a mess! Everyone arrives (my parents about 20 minutes early) we're all talking, hanging out in the living room, Chris and I are in the kitchen planning our attack and finally it's time. I go upstairs grab the flower pot and bring it down. It's in box so the pictures don't show. I go plop it down next to my mom for her to open. She looks at it and says the flowers are pretty and opens the card up. I tell her that she has to take the flower pot out since I had decorated it. She takes it out and starts looking at it. Turning it side to side to look at all the pictures. Meanwhile, my dad and Leroy are just chatting away - oblivious to what's going on. Chris and I are staring intently at my mom waiting for her to see the ultrasound pic. It's on the other side of her and she doesn't turn it around far enough. We're going crazy! She hands it to my dad who looks at the pics and sees the ultrasound pic, but doesnt' realize what it is and/or apparently can't read 'Baby Thydean due Nov 18' Gaaah! Finally he turns the ultrasound pic towards my mom and she finally sees it. Excitement, congrats, hugs and pure joy all around. It was such a great feeling and a huge relief. Our dads reminisced childhood memories. It was a fun afternoon that was cut short by a pretty bad rain/lightning/thunder storm that rolled through. Everyone had to vow not to tell the rest of Chris's family before leaving (mainly his dad).

Here are some pics of the flower pot I gave my mom:















Mother's Day (May 13) we were meeting at Whit & Josh's house (Chris's sister and her husband) to celebrate Janeal's birthday and Mother's Day. We got there about 11:30 and were talking to everyone and I had told Chris once again that I wanted to give Janeal the flower pot towards the beginning of the day so that I could finally relax and not have it on my mind the whole time. About 20 minutes after we had gotten there and while the food was cooking Chris went to the car and grabbed the flower pot (once again in a box so no pictures could be seen). He brings it to Janeal and again she's admiring the flowers and naming them - pretty impressive! Chris tells her that she has to take the flower pot out since it was decorated. This time we made sure to put the ultrasound pic facing her so we would not go through the agony again. She saw it right away and was sooo surprised. Everyone else slowly caught on to what was being announced and it was very overwhelming the excitement that was there. We have a video of it all (hoping to post it later) and I'm so happy that we have the video. It was such a fun afternoon and I'm so happy that everyone knows our little secret now. We both got home and posted it on Facebook and Chris called both of this grandparents to let them know the good news.

Pictures of Janeal's flower pot:

 

 

So there you have it. Such a small post...right! Sorry if you made it all the way through this. I have more posts to come. I want to post the video I took when I told Chris and I hope we can get the video off of Chris's phone of his mom. I planned to video my parents but I forgot to do it (and to take pictures as well). So much going on in this crazy head of mine right now :)

 

                                                                   Happy Monday!