Originally wrote most of this on December 3rd and 9th, 2012. Edited today.

Almost as soon as I got home from the doctor’s office, I thought about how I’d tell my parents, siblings and in-laws. It wasn’t even a question of telling them early on. I needed/wanted their support and prayers no matter what happened.

I would have told them that weekend, but I wanted a little time to come up with something cute/creative. I’m not big on the cheesy, Pinterest-type reveals. However, I wanted to do something special since I only get to tell my parents they’re going to be grandparents once.

A week after we found out, I called my dad to check in with and my mom about their plans for the weekend. They’re busy people and often have appointments, parties, visits and other things going on. Usually I just show up and see whoever is around, but this time I wanted to make sure they’d be together. After conferring with both parents, I made plans to see them after a breakfast fundraiser Sunday morning.

On Saturday evening, Sean and I went to the local Babies R Us to find some grandparent, aunt, and uncle onesies or bibs. We found cute dinosaur and giraffe bibs declaring love for grandpa and grandma, respectively. We skipped the aunt/uncle ones since they were gender based or declared “my uncle/aunt is single.” I didn’t think Alexis, my brothers’ girlfriend, would appreciate that.

When we got home, I wrapped the grandpa and grandma bibs together in the same box. Late Sunday morning Sean and I headed out to the fundraiser in HH. We missed the actual fundraiser but my mom saved us food. After a brunch of pupusas and champurrado we presented them with the box.

“A present for both of us?” mom asked eyeing the plain box on the desk. “Can we open it now.”

“Yeah.”

“We can?”

“You can.”

“Do I need my glasses?” dad asked.

“You probably don’t need your glasses.” He got them out of the desk anyway and turned on the light.

Sean filmed with his iPhone and Papá Chepe watched from the recliner.

With their backs to us, mom and dad opened the box (which previously held a wedding gift). Mom moved the tissue paper.

“Aaaah, I had a feeling!”

“Oh my goodness!” dad exclaimed.

“I had a feeling” mom repeated in a sing song voice and giggled.

“Congratulations!”

They turned to hug us and then showed Papá Chepe.

“I had a feeling this was coming,” mom confessed. She knew it was weird that I had called a couple of times just to find out their plans. I’m never so deliberate about visits. She added, “In church, I prayed, ‘If Cindy is pregnant, please let her have a good and safe pregnancy.’”

Do moms always know these things? If so, I wonder when my sixth sense will kick in.

Mom called over Mamá Toni — she missed the borlote while she was in the kitchen cleaning up — and shared the news.

Then dad, the lone non-drinker, suggested taking shots. He had Pepsi. Everyone else, including Mamá Toni and Papá Chepe, toasted to grandchild #1 and great grandchild #33 with shots of rum. [Yes, I missed #31 by a few months. My cousin Ernie’s son took the spot. I’m okay with that.]

“When did you find out?” mom asked.

“The day after Thanksgiving.”

“You waited this long to tell us?!” I knew she was gonna say that. Can’t blame her.

She went on to ask how I’d been feeling and told me she never got morning sickness with her four pregnancies. Maybe I’d get to miss out on that rite of pregnancy passage too.

THE SISTER

Lori was off at Starbucks studying all day. We didn’t see her until we returned from Mass around 6:30. We cornered her in my mom’s room away from my visiting aunts and uncles. She opened the box, looked at the bibs and then exclaimed, “Shut up!”

“Really?!”

She was pretty excited.

I had to rush back out to the aunts and uncles as I was helping with the wording/formatting of the invitation for the grandparents 70th wedding anniversary party.

THE BIG BROTHER

Dad called me when Danny got home from work that night. We did the box and bib thing again. Danny thought it was an early birthday gift at first. Not really.

He opened the box, said what he found and then put it together. There were congrats and questions (working on it? unplanned?) and funny comments.

“Sean’s sperm can swim!”

We chatted for a little while about due dates, how I’m only 6.5 weeks along and how the info should be kept within the immediate family.

THE LITTLE BROTHER

I didn’t want to wait much longer to tell my brother. Ideally, we would’ve stopped by his and Alexis’ new place before heading back to LA, but he was already getting ready for bed at 8 pm. He works long hours during the holidays.

I called him Monday night and put him on speaker phone.

I was pretty matter-of-fact, since we didn’t have the bibs around anymore.

“We’re having a baby.”

“Already?!”

“Yup.”

THE BROTHER-IN-LAW

Sean texted his brother a link to a video from Seinfeld.

“He’ll appreciate it this way.”

Junior’s response via text: Really?!!
OMG!
Congrats!

THE IN-LAWS

We told Sean’s parents after our first doctor visit via Face Time. I think Sean felt better after hearing the heartbeat for the first time. Although we mailed the same grandma/grandpa bibs to Junior, we didn’t use them to reveal the news.

After making sure both Eula and Kenton were together, I simply said, “I’m pregnant.”

They were ebullient with joy. Eula said she already knew it because she was wishing and praying for a pregnancy. Kenton and Eula have been talking about babies since we got engaged. I know they’re very excited to become grandparents.