Telling our friends

As noted, I've not been really great about keeping this secret while Dean has acted as if he is under an oath to keep silent.  The disparity in our reactions caused me some sadness, but I was also full of hormones - again as noted in previous posts.

We were heading to Florida to spend a week in the Keys with our friends Julie & Paul.  The night before we were going to leave, Julie was having a birthday party at the Mariners game.  A large group of our friends were going to be there, but it being Julie's birthday, I didn't want to steal her thunder.  Since many of us go to trivia on Thursday night, I thought we could tell our friends then.  Dean was reluctant & thought maybe we could do it on Memorial Day (after our vacation) at the group BBQ.  Well, there were no plans for a group BBQ so I thought it was a pretty weak plan.  However, I'm practicing patience & wanted to give him some time to make the decision.

We didn't go to trivia.

Friday night, the gang was going to the Mariner's game to celebrate Julie's birthday.  I met everyone at the Pyramid Brewery and most were 2 or 3 beers in.  It's totally funny to stand around your friends who are drinking with your glass of Sprite & not feel like a sore thumb.  I couldn't imagine how any of them didn't notice that something was up with me.  Not drinking at a baseball game!?  Then again, pretty much all the girls knew... so anyone who would have given me a hard time had already been neutralized.

About 4 beers in, Dean comes up to me & says it's time.  I replied "For what?"  He said "To tell them."

We're in the patio at the Pyramid Brewery about an hour before the game & I thought "Oh dear God, this might be embarrassing!"  Not sure why I thought that but oh well...

The gang gathers together and Dean leans forward as if he's got a big secret to tell & he doesn't want to say it too loudly.  By everyone, I'm talking about 10 to 15 people amongst a completely full patio at the Pyramid.  Crazy.

I'm standing upright at the edge of the circle that's closing in around me.  I can feel Dean's hand gently resting on the small of my back as if it's pushing a button that's moving all the blood to my face.  I can feel myself blushing & starting to lose focus a little.  I look around at all my friends edging in closer & closer and the circle in front of me getting smaller and smaller.

All I can hear is Dean beckoning everyone in closer & closer.  I find a face in the crowd and focus on it.  I don't know who she is, but her face is my lifeline for the next moment that is for some reason filling me with dread.  Do I really want all my friends to know?  How are they going to react?  What if noone wants to be around me?  Maybe we should wait until I look more pregnant to tell everyone...

"Alicia & I are having a kid!"  Dean says with great flourish.  As if to punctuate his statement, the hand on my back moves around and he does an amazing jazz hands as if saying "TA DAAA!" 

My eyes move back to my friends and I witness emotions on the faces of my friends who didn't know start out stunned and morph into suprise followed by... happiness?!

Then there was hugging.

Dean looked like he could fly.  It's amazing how much I love that guy.

I think my favorite thing about being pregnant so far is that every day has the potential to be the happiest day of my life.  This day was definitely one of them.