How we told

So everyone has their own ideas and stories about how they told their family or announced it to the world... Here is our little story.

So timing wise, we had our first ultrasound the week of Valentine's Day. Lucky for us, my mom has kept a tradition going in our family every year to have dinner for Valentine's Day. Well this year, she had to make the choice to either go to the Cyclones game that the girls were playing hockey during a period break or Valentine's dinner... She chose the first option (which was a good choice!). Ryan and I knew this ahead of time. She has also always given us all gifts, something small like chocolate and a candle or a stuffed animal, etc. This only made things easier to play out!

We decided to host Valentine's day dinner at our house. We also invited Ryan's parents who aren't used to the tradition but they love coming over for dinner and socializing with my family. My aunt and uncle couldn't come because they were all sick with the flu but my cousin could come because she had been at her mom's house and wasn't sick (we called them and told them after everyone else found out). Since my mom loves taking photos of every event we have, I played it as if I was taking photos of everything for her so she can feel like she is part of the dinner. I took photos of everyone sitting around, eating, and the big reveal!

We made mugs and/or wine glasses for everyone, depending on their taste with their new titles on them and either a bottle of wine or a bottle of sparkling juice. My mom got a wine glass that said "They call me Nana" and a mini bottle of wine. Ryan's mom got a wine glass that said "They call me Mamaw" and a mini bottle of wine. Ryan's dad got a coffee mug that said "They call me Pap" with a mini bottle of sparkling juice. My grandpa got a mug that said "The best grandpas... become GREAT grandpas!" with a mini bottle of sparkling juice. And my grandma got a mug that said "The best grandmas... become GREAT grandmas!" with a bottle of sparkling juice. All of the bottle of sparkling juice/wine had a tag that said "Do not open until October 2015" on them and were placed inside the mugs and next to the wine glasses. I put them in a pink paper bag and taped them shut. After dinner but before dessert we gave them their presents and said "Mom wants me to take pics of the gifts, so just open them like normal... You know how she is!"

They opened them up and my grandpa pulls out his bottle of sparkling juice and says "October 2015? That's weird". Ryan's mom got her glass out and immediately started crying and asking if it means what she thinks it means. Well it did lol Ryan's dad started tearing up and my grandma was very confused because she hadn't even gotten her bag open yet (she is one of those take the tape off then open the bag/box nicely kind of people... everyone else are rippers lol) Once she realized what it meant, she immediately came over and gave me a huge hug. Ryan took a video and I think his brother's reaction was the greatest! He just stood there and looked around very confused and then started crying and saying (in a confused tone), "I'm going to be an uncle?!" They all LOVED it! I've attached photos at the bottom for your viewing pleasure (there is even a moving one to get the real feel for how it kind of went lol). I didn't get any pictures of the mugs/wine glasses because I'm a goof.

We went up to Ft. Wayne to see my dad the next day. He moved up there at the end of December because he got a promotion at work. We only went up to have dinner with him to tell him but we ended up getting snowed in up there and stayed the night at his house... It was a lot of fun! For my dad, we gave him a yellow onsie that said "My grandpa is a rockstar" and a pair of binkies that say "Mute Button" and "Pull to Sound the Alarm". He laughed and loved it. He is like me in his emotions, he will smile but he is not a crier or a screamer. I could tell he was happy. He called his girlfriend on the way back to his house to tell her the news and she said he was overjoyed. I think its bittersweet for him... His baby is very clearly growing up lol

Cody and Ryan cooking dinner

Ryan's dad, my grandpa and my grandma watching a V-Day movie

Marissa (my cousin), Isabel, Aaryn (Ryan's brother) and Cynthia (Ryan's cousin)

My grandpa, my grandma and Kira (Cody's girlfriend) eating dinner

Aaryn, Elizabeth, Ryan's mom, Ryan's dad, Isabel, Cynthia and Ryan

Isabel and Skylar (Ryan's cousin) dancing

Dancing again... They were busting a move and putting on a show

Grandpa and Elizabeth

The start of the BIG REVEAL!

Grandpa discovering his sparkling juice bottle

Sherri standing up and starting to shake

Sherri in the process of hitting Doug telling him what it means... Meanwhile my grandpa is smiling because he knows

Loving the pure reactions of grandma, Sherri and Doug.

Its so much better in motion!

 

 

Couldn't trick my dad into taking pictures... He gets skeptical like me. We even had to tell him the present we brought was a housewarming present!

 

 

This is how we told the FB world and the rest of our friends and family. Hockey is our life so it only made sense.