Fashion,  Pregnancy

White Eyelet and Red Snakeskin

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I have to confess: I took this belt off within five minutes of getting to work. It’s one of the sad things of being pregnant; lots of my favorite skirts and belts don’t fit so well any more. But that just gives me leave to buy MORE skirts and belts that DO fit! It’s also made me wear dresses a lot more, because there’s more stomach room in most of my dresses, and the waists aren’t usually as snug. We’ll see how long that lasts.  IMG_2038

I have also been trying to wear the lightest (as in, coolest) clothes possible, and the least amount of layers I can get away with, because being pregnant makes you hot. I’m telling you. That was one of the very first signs of pregnancy for me: hot flashes. I never, ever got hot flashes before I was pregnant, and right in the very beginning, when I was just starting to suspect I might be pregnant, I’d go through these waves of heat and wonder what the heck was going on.

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And another great sign that I was pregnant, of course, was the whole over-emotional thing. Which has recently kicked up a notch. Seriously, I sob when I’m too tired, I tear up when I’m watching movies that I love (The Hobbit!) even if it’s not a sad part, and I definitely cried every time someone died in Les Miserables. And when Fantine sings I Dreamed a Dream. And when they sing anything else emotionally compelling. Which, when you’re pregnant, is every. single. song. IMG_2045

Kristina asked on my reveal post how I told Mr. Owl, and I warn you right now: it wasn’t an exciting or cutesy story.

The Saturday before Mother’s Day, we had discussed maybe trying to start having kids. We both felt like it was just getting to the right time, and we know that by the time I will need to quit work, he’ll be making enough at his job to pay all the bills. Of course, we also figured we’d have to wait a week and we’d have time to think it over before we started trying, because my period was supposed to start that day, but hadn’t yet.

Sunday rolls around, and no period. My brother-in-law, whose wife had just given birth, jokingly asked if we were pregnant yet, and I laughed and said no. I mean, there was no way yet, right? We’d just talked about starting to try, but it was just impossible.

Monday rolls around, and still no period, and then I start to wonder. I’m never late, but I still figured maybe it was just a weird cycle since, you know, bodies do that. Still, I start considering the fact that something else might be going on.

Tuesday rolls around, and I tentatively mention, during conversation, that nothing has happened yet like it should have, and I could be pregnant (insert shrug/laugh here.) Mr. Owl shakes his head and says it’s probably nothing. But we both know by then that it probably is something.

Come Wednesday, Mr. Owl decides I should get a pregnancy test, while I’m still wavering on the whole “I could just be fantastically late… right?” theory. But I go along with it, and we get a pregnancy test that night. IMG_2047

And the very first thing I do when we get home is the whole pee on a stick and then wait three minutes of torture to see whether or not it thinks I’m pregnant. Well, I was supposed to wait three minutes, but the two pink positive lines showed up faintly almost immediately, so I knew even though I held onto my state of denial and left it in the bathroom, set my timer for 3 minutes, and told Mr. Owl he wasn’t allowed to go in until I saw what the stick said.

I then ran upstairs, forced myself to change into comfortable clothes slowly, and wandered back downstairs, trying not to smile or cry or do anything that might give it away. And when my timer went off, I ran into the bathroom and saw… well, you know.

I had always wanted to surprise him when I found out I was pregnant, but being a person who cannot keep her own secrets worth beans from her husband, there was no way he would have been surprised by then. Instead, I opted for “possiblly gross him out” by bringing the pregnancy test out and showing it to him and weakly saying “I’m pregnant!”

He didn’t want to touch the test and made me put it away from him. And then we hugged, and were both in shock, and I kept looking at him hoping to see excitement or crying or something, but he’s generally not an expressively emotional person, so his display of excitement wasn’t quite as profuse as I had expected. Which I should have known. IMG_2050

But still, he was excited and I was in shock even though I had basically known and denied I was pregnant since Tuesday, and it wasn’t until he went to take a shower and I went back upstairs that it completely hit me and I just sat down and almost cried. IMG_2052

I wish I had a better story than that (aka, a “surprise, honey, I’m pregnant!”), and I had planned months ago to buy his favorite children’s book and write something hinting at my pregnancy inside, but that all flew out the window as soon as I started to entertain the idea that I might be pregnant.

The great thing, to me, is how perfect the timing was with us deciding we wanted to get pregnant and then four days later finding out we already were. God knew we needed to talk about it before we found out, that’s for sure!

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Romy: Dress
Modcloth:  Wedges
Thrifted: Scarf, belt

It’s funny how nothing in life goes as you had imagined it would.

Do any of you mommies have fun first-pregnancy reveal stories? Tell me! I want to know! (Or please, tell me I am not the only one who couldn’t bear to even keep her suspicions a secret and completely ruin the chance of surprising him with the news…)

I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday, and a very happy Fourth of July, in case I don’t post tomorrow!

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17 Comments

  • Sarah Whiting

    Your “reveal to husband” story is pretty much like mine. And with future babies it will probably be the same. I couldn’t keep a secret like that from him. Most everyone we are close to knew within a few days too. I’m just terrible with pregnancy news.

    But it doesn’t matter! All that matters in that moment and in the future is that you knew you were pregnant and you were both excited (probably also in shock and nervous).

    I’m so very excited for you both! It’s such a wonderful thing, expecting a baby. 🙂

    • Eccentric Owl

      Yeah, I am going to try REALLY hard to surprise him with the next one, but we’ll see if that actually happens. Ha! Seeing as how I’m so bad at keeping secrets from him. 😀

      I’m excited, too!

  • Grace e

    You are looking beautiful, the proverbial “glow”!!
    Your story Sounds pretty much like my big reveal. My husband always suspects even before I realize what’s going on. So I can’t really tell him because he already knew. As for telling everyone else. I have to tell them right away because like you are I show really fast. On a side note here is something I wish people had told me. I carry big babies and get enormous I wish someone had told me about maternity support bands. Not only will they save your back the last two months they can help prevent stretch marks, also start using a good lotion preferably one designed for stretch marks right NOW!! Don’t wait. I wish someone had told me these things cause now I have the mommy tummy no one wants.

    Grace e

    • Eccentric Owl

      Thank you, Grace!

      Hah, yes, I am sure the next time I might display the symptoms (the biggest being emotional and hot flashes!) and I might not be able to keep it a secret! But we’ll see!
      Thank you so much for that advice! I’d never heard of maternity support bands, but I’m definitely going to look into them. I started using a stretch mark cream as soon as I found out, so hopefully I won’t get many (or any!)

  • Salazar

    I don’t think every pregnancy reveal has to be cutesy or funny. It feels more real that you guys were shocked and excited and scared at the same time, I’d rather read that than any cutesy tale.

    The dress is super summer-appropriate, btw. Love it!

    • Eccentric Owl

      That is true. I just would have loved to have done something special and surprising. But I’m okay with how it turned out! Hehe.

      Thanks! I love it, too. My brother bought it for me a few years ago.

  • Alexandra Marie

    Ok, gotta say- I still think you managed to have a very sweet story- it’s special and it’s yours. So happy for you both! Alex

    tobebeautifulingodseyes.blogspot.com

  • mariecarolk

    Haha that’s an adorable story really! And you look positively radiant in these pictures 🙂

    Marie

  • Caleb

    Great story! I think it’s funny that he didn’t want to touch the test. We’re praying for your health and looking forward to meeting the little owl soon!

  • Marlen

    hahah loved how anti-climactic the pregnancy story was, but that’s still so exciting and sweet! good thing you guys talked about it before hand or else this would have been a real shocker! and i love your white dress and how we can see your sweet little bump- though i can totally imagine how uncomfy belts must be right now. and lol i totally cry at those points in movies too and i’m not even pregnant. imagine how i’ll be when i AM. oh lord. and i’d TOTALLY love to meet up with you!!! i live in lower queen anne but we can meet up where ever is best for you! 😀

    xo Marlen
    Messages on a Napkin

    • Eccentric Owl

      Haha, I know. At least I have plans to make the gender-reveal more fun (cake with colored candy in it. I’m really excited to try that. Maybe just for the cake and candy…)

      It would have been SUCH a shock, and I don’t know how I would have reacted! But I think we would have been excited nonetheless, since we’d been slowly talking about having kids soon anyway.

      Yes! Ooh, so you’re pretty close to the ferry and all of that; maybe we can meet up and wander Pike’s Place Market and Pioneer Square and all of that! It’s a classic touristy thing to do that I always do when I go to Seattle. 😀

  • Jamie Rose

    Haha I don’t think I could keep something like that a secret in order to have a cutesy reveal! I love that you just happened to be pregnant right when you agreed to start trying. I’m also glad it was so easy for you to get pregnant! That’s awesome that the timing was this perfect!

    Also, this dress is adorable on you! I love the red belt with it, but I can understand how it would get uncomfortable! This makes me want to wear a red and white outfit.