Baby Clark-Announcing our news

I knew I was going to be taking a test the morning of  September 23rd. I didn't sleep well due to anxiousness and excitement. I woke up at 4:45 and decided that I couldn't wait any longer. As I was waiting for the tests to register, I was praying "God, if the test is positive, thank you thank you thank you. If it is negative, please let me not be discouraged and know that your timing is when we are suppose to have a baby." The first test came back with a second faint line. I couldn't believe my eyes! So I took the digital test. When it said "Pregnant," I had to try my best not to squeal with excitement. I didn't want to wake Derek up like that. Instead, I got completely ready for school and then I snuggled in bed with Derek and said "Good Morning, Daddy!" He rolled over and said "Are you preggers?" I told him I had taken 2 tests and they both said that I was pregnant. He was excitedly still sleepy but we knew we couldn't wait that long to tell our families!

I found out on Tuesday and had to wait until Thursday evening to tell my parents! As soon as I found out, Derek and I decided to order them books as a "late birthday present" since their birthdays were late August and early September. I texted them saying that they should expect their presents on Thursday. Since I couldn't be there to see them open them, I told them to face time me before they opened them. They had no clue we were trying to get pregnant so they were really surprised! I bought my dad this book:



I bought my mom this book:



They loved it! Mom held the phone towards dad while he was opening the box from amazon. He pulled out the red book and then looked at the camera and said "Are you trying to tell us something?" They were both so excited!

I face timed by brother, Jacob. Then my brother and sister-in-law, Adam and Ashley. I said "Congratulations on your promotion! They were all confused. Then I said your promotion to Aunt and Uncle. Jacob said "Are you pregnant?" Adam and Ashley were both so excited and said they had a feeling that "the promotion" comment was about this.

The next day, Friday, we went to meet Derek's parents and sister and brother in law for dinner. We were late of course due to traffic but we made it. We bought his mom a book from Hallmark that was called Me and Grandma-a journal to write together.
We bought his dad the book:



We bought Kenzi and Josh this book:


We thought carrying 3 wrapped boxes into Olive Garden would blow our cover. We were gladly wrong! They all opened their gifts. Tom chuckled. He got it a smiled. Kenzi leaned over and saw his and finished opening hers and she said "Really?!!" and started tearing up! Sandy was slowing opening hers. She looked over at Tom's and smiled but we don't think she understood what the book meant. We had been taking care of Tom since his surgery and Chemo starting in August and she thought it was about that. Derek said "Mom, keep opening your present." When she read the title of the book, she started crying and came over and gave us hugs!

We got to FaceTime some of our grandparents/family to tell them the news and that was fun! I made some cute cards for some of my closest friends down here in Nashville. Telling them that they were being promoted to "Auntie_____" come June 2015. We shared the picture at the top of my blog on facebook to announce our news. Sent texts of ultrasound pictures to some friends who live further away.

One of my favorite announcements, though, was with my Kindergarten class. I had ordered this book:


I waited until the day were were announcing on facebook (10 weeks) to tell my kiddos. I had them come to our carpet for our daily "morning meeting" and told them I had a special book I wanted to read to them. I turned the book around and read them the title. A few had smiles on their faces but none of them came out and said, "Are you having a baby?" I told them after I finished reading the book, we were going to talk about the connections they made during the story. After I was finished, lots of hands flew into the air. One little girl said, "the story was about a class, and we are a class of kids." I replied, "You are absolutely right, anyone else?" More hands and another response "the story had a teacher and you are our teacher." Again, yes, but anything else. Another hand, "I saw a fall tree in that story and we have fall tree's out right now." They are all very observant but the best one before a little boy gave the answer I was looking for was, "I saw one of our sight words in the title of the book!!!" Right again! One little boy raised his hand and said "Well, Mrs. Clark might have a baby." I replied, "When do you think I'll have a baby?" His response was "Well, I don't know!!!" After that I told my class "What would you think if I told you a little baby has been growing in Mrs. Clark's belly for awhile now?" Gasps, hands over the mouth, big eyes, squeals, and cry of "really????" rang out. They were all so excited and had LOTS of questions. We talked about my "baby doctor appointments" and that if the baby doesn't come until the due date (June 2nd), then I will be with this class the whole year. I will only be out one day at a time for the "baby doctor appointments." A sigh of relief filled the air because in the story, the teacher had her baby in February and had a substitute for a long time. I shared my ultrasound picture with the kiddos to show them how tiny the baby was (a couple weeks ago by then). Questions like "when will your belly get bigger?" and "is the baby a boy or a girl?" were the most popular ones. I'm going to document what my kiddos have said during my pregnancy because you will get a kick out of it and maybe my little one will want to read it some day and know that 19 little 5 and 6 year olds were over the moon about him or her.

I also had told my team of Kindergarten teachers with the book several weeks before I had told my class. I wanted them to be aware and know incase I got sick at school. Luckily that didn't happen! They were all so excited too!!!