Lunchable Mom

Dearest Baby Namaste, 

One of the interesting topics of the first months of carrying you was "the reveal". Who are you going to tell? How are you going to tell them? When are you going to tell people? What if people find out? 

This is a big topic I had minimal understanding of until I saw those 2 lines on the pregnancy test. For the instant I realized I was pregnant, I literally wanted to climb onto the rooftop and tell the entire world. I was bursting with excitement.  

Nowadays revealing this exciting news carries great pressure. You cannot simply tell people, "Hey guess what? We're finally going to have a baby." There seems to be this need to make it a production, a parade, an entourage, maybe a video montage? Definitely tshirts.  

In case you didn't know this....the reveal is your 1st test of "What kind of parent will you be?" 

Will you be the Mom that sends your child to school with a non-GMO organic lunch where the sandwich is in shapes of their favorite superhero? (Video Montage Reveal) Or are you sending your child to school with a Lunchable and a bruised apple ("We're expecting!" generic post on facebook)? 

Will your child have a private running coach? (Pink balloons released to sky at fancy reveal party with your minimum 50 guests). Or will you tell your child to chase the chickens in the backyard until they're tired? (Just telling people "it's a girl!" when they ask) 

Which mother will you be: Homemade Costume Mom? Or Sheet-over-the-head ghost costume Mom?

The big pregnancy reveal determines this, apparently. (Please sense my extreme cynicism. I don't believe any of this to be true).

I waited to tell my closest friends in person because I wanted to see their facial expressions. For many, one of their 1st questions was "How will you reveal it???" 

Uh....tell people? 

I've never been a cutesy, creative, home-made, crafter. 10 years ago when we first got married, I wanted to show Ryan I was a cute wife, so I bought supplies from Michaels and made a wreath. That wreath still hangs on our door every Christmas, mostly because I spent $60 and 4 hours on the thing, and I will make damn sure I'm the full moneys worth on it.  

One of my friends insisted on helping me make a bandana for Miles and a onesie for our reveal - and I did not argue if someone wanted to do the work! (And I am eternally grateful for this dear friend who is so creative and crafty!) 

So here is what we came up with -- and I must say was pretty dang adorable. But had there been no prompting, I would not have done this. 

(Miles is staring at Ryan who is holding a carrot in order to get him to look so perplexed :D)

(Even the chickens made some sort of appearance in the reveal)

(Miles does not look so sure about this new adventure.)

And this t-shirt sums up our 1st 10 years of marriage.

This year we are in year 11, and people quit asking. I assume they gave up on us. 

Now that we know the gender, the pressure of "how are you going to reveal???" I've even received disappointed responses when I said we aren't going to have a party and there will be no pink or blue confetti or explosions. 

Basically, when people ask me in a face-to-face conversation? I tell them. (I'm such a lunchable, ghost-costume Mom already. I'll probably let our daughter eat fruit rollups from time-to-time. Shame) 

No tannerite. No balloons. No pink fairy dust. Just "Yep! It's a girl! We are so happy!" 

And that does not mean we aren't excited about having a girl. I just don't have the energy to do some fancy reveal. 

This is not to shame or criticize those who do choose to release balloons into the sky and blow up teddy bears of blue tannerite to tell the world the sex of their child. You do you! And if you have the energy and planning ability to organize that? Party on! 

Right now I am just trying to spend any free moment that I'm not working, writing my capstone, running, tending to the chickens, or vomiting --- reading up on what in God's name a Haakaa is, or how many attachments one must purchase for a stroller to take your child outside of the house safely, and how to get your baby to sleep during the night. (All things I still haven't found the answers to...) 

I tell you what - when Baby Namaste does grace this world with her presence...if we crack the code of sleeping 8 hours a night? Consider yourself invited to the biggest party of the year...where we will release balloons into the sky filled with tannerite, and there will be a giant sign exclaiming this exciting news! 

Until then? We are having a girl. And we are so excited ;) 

With Love,

Your Lunchable-Serving Mom