A Special Announcement

{A little trip back to August, 2011}

A Bad Way to Tell your Husband you are Pregnant with Baby #5

Upon confirmation that I was pregnant for the 5th time I agonized over how to tell Joshua. I’ve never made any fanfare over how I tell my husband the test was positive. Before it has usually been in the mornings when I gently waken him with my whispered, life-changing announcement. This time I wanted to find the perfect way and time to tell him. He gave me a good opportunity one day in the kitchen when the subject of how to do this very thing came up. Should have told him then, but it didn’t seem perfect. I wanted to come up with some clever, memorable, even pinterest-worthy way to share this significant news. Something more special and profound than “So... I’m pregnant.” But it was a busy time of year and I just couldn’t seem to figure out the amazing way I was going to make this special announcement.

So I waited.

I ended up telling him in the worst way possible. Well, it was at least a pretty bad way.

We were traveling to Clinton, LA for the 175th Anniversary of the church where Josh’s dad had been pastor of for several years. For the first time ever I was going to see the place of my husband’s childhood. It was August and blazing hot. The morning we were to leave something went wrong with the van- after it was packed up for the trip. Several hours, and a trip to the mechanic, later we were on our way again, starting an 11+ hour drive that would put us arriving at our destination much later than we had intended.

The whole family made the trip to Clinton, LA!

As we traveled the air conditioner in the van became less and less effective. Eventually, the children were soaked from sweat and everyone was miserable. At one point, the distraction of dealing with grumpy children almost led to a head-on collision with a motorcycle that left Josh pretty shaken. Soon after that, Grandpa and Uncle Jason, who were traveling with us in a separate vehicle, stopped and we shifted seating arrangements. The kids and I rode in the vehicle with A/C with Jason driving and Josh drove the van with Grandpa. At least traveling in the front two seats of the van was almost bearable as those windows can be lowered all the way, unlike the windows in the back of the van.

Needless to say, it was not turning out to be the easiest of trips.

In fact, it was downright miserable. The heat was intense. I don’t remember the exact temperature, but being August, it must have been in the 100s.

After one horrible emergency bathroom stop (a bathroom that had holes in the floor) Jonas cut his eyelid after diving over the backseat in Grandpa’s vehicle and landing on a plastic toy sheriff’s badge that cracked under the weight of his head.
Later while driving on the interstate, one child located a carbonated can of energy drink and thought it would be a good idea to vigorously shake it. An explosion followed, somehow missing the hanging clothes-including the suit Grandpa was to preach in-that were in the back of the vehicle.
While driving along the two-lane stretch of highway 71 between Texarkana and Shreveport (which was under construction & where there are NO BATHROOMS) we had to stop on the shoulder and “fear for our lives” as the semis roared past so that little bladders could be relieved.

All that before we even made it halfway there.

(Josh says my explanation of this journey is mild. It was much worse than I'm making it sound.)

After making it to Shreveport the heat began to lessen with the sunset and the A/C seemed to heal itself. We were able to settle the kids for sleeping in the van again and continue the trip.

As we neared our destination I thought “I’ve got to tell him. I’m going to burst if I don’t and we are about to be in a house full of guests and the weekend will be so busy I may not get another chance.” On top of everything else I was exhausted and drifting in and out of sleeping sitting up in the passenger seat. About 2 am upon realizing how close we finally were to Clinton, I sat up suddenly awake and just blurted it out.

“I’m pregnant”.

Like I already said, the worst way possible, or at least not a very good way. After all my agonizing to get it right, I got it very wrong. My poor husband. All things considered, he handled it very well.

But that was it. That was how I told him.

We had a great time in Clinton, by the way. It was so fun to see the house, the school and the church where Josh spent so much of his childhood and for him to see old friends. And by the time we left, the reality of going from a family of 6 to a family of 7 was pretty much set in.

Funny thing-the van still lives & it seats exactly 7.

Where Grandpa was Pastor for more than 9 years

Good Friends & Family

Home where my husband spent many childhood years

She's going to be a big sister!

p.s. Joseph Conrad, a healthy & beautiful son, was born April 23, 2012. He is loved beyond measure, despite the unceremonious announcement of his conception.

Thank you Grandma for the pics!