It’s official.
I mean, we knew already from the many strips of paper and the lack of a period, but now we have a blood test that confirms it: you are having a baby.
I’ve been texting E about it all day. “Antici…”
She didn’t think it was as funny as I did.
The first thing I did was text Mel to tell her. To tell someone. I’m not sure how someone with a blog can be so very private about these things, but Mel is the only person in my world who even knew that E and I were talking about trying to get pregnant this year.
Why tell her and no one else? It’s something to do with her story, more than mine. I knew her before her kids, before there was any hint of them being on the way. I knew her through both pregnancies, and now on the other side, and she is the same brilliant, hilarious, type-A person she was before – only now she’s that as well as the mom of two toddlers.
This has been a big part of my progress to becoming a willing father to be. In my life I’ve known so many people who have gone from vibrant adults to dull, disconnected parents who are no longer people in their own right. Before we got pregnant, I had to know – know that I could still be me, who loves words and music and making intricate plans. I didn’t want all of me to be undone just to have another person to look after.
I won’t say Mel is my only role model in that regard, but because we’re alike, and she is even more like E, she’s the one that’s brought me the most peace of mind. So, she’s who I told first, even though I can’t wait to tell Gina and Ross and all the other adopted aunts and uncles this eventual but no longer hypothetical baby will have.
Mel texted back two incoherent strings of text, and then: “Excitement is ruining my grammar!”
Yep, that’s Mel.
Note: This post was embargoed until we reached 20 weeks; it was made public on 3/20/2013.