Baby #2 is On the Way!!

And, no, I'm not very far along. It's a little out of the ordinary, isn't it? Telling everyone you're pregnant when you're weeks into it? Different, yes. But, I feel like we've got some good reasons why we're doing it. I recognize that doing it this way isn't for everyone, and I'm sure everyone has their reasons to wait. But, for our story, it makes sense.

Reason #1: We're happy about it, and it's convenient
Sure, maybe not all happy surprises need to be shared immediately. But for this, I really don't see the need to downplay my feelings just to keep the truth hidden. Because, it's almost like people can sense it. When I was pregnant with Evalyn I had people asking me at work when I was going to get pregnant, after I already knew, but before I had told anyone.  This time, I had two family members ask me when the next one was coming within one day of me having that positive pregnancy test. And then, there was that phone conversation when she asked how I was feeling, and when I said, "fine," she said, "Are you sure? I don't think you're telling me the truth." To be honest, don't think I could pretend like there really wasn't a baby growing inside me for three months. So, for me, it's much more convenient to tell people I'm pregnant rather than avoiding questions, or downplaying the fact that my world has completely changed for 2-3 months.

Reason #2: I believe Life Begins at Conception
I haven't always had this idea backing my inclination to announce my pregnancies "early." In fact, it wasn't until I read an article similar to this one that this was even on my radar. But, when I read it, it made complete sense to me. I believe that life begins at conception, and so whether a person is 5 weeks along in pregnancy, or 99 years old, he/she is still a life that has value. I feel like many people wait until after the first trimester to announce pregnancy because that is when most miscarriages happen. But, if that baby is a person--a precious life--shouldn't people know about that loss? It's an important/devastating one, and no one should have to go through that alone. For me, I don't think it would make that loss any easier if I hadn't told anyone I was pregnant. I feel like anyone who has experienced loss needs support from people around him/her.

I think that recent political happenings have lit a fire under the abortion debate, again, too. I choose to announce this pregnancy earlier than the "standard" because (for me) it's hard to say I'm pro-life when I don't openly acknowledge the existence of a baby until I'm 12-13 weeks pregnant.

Reason #3: I'm ignorant
I, personally, have never experienced miscarriage, so I realize that I may be saying all these things without knowing the other side of it. Maybe it is easier to grieve with a select few people, rather than having to tell everyone you've already told you're pregnant, that you have now lost the baby. Maybe that would be another heartache all on its own.

I'm sure there are many reasons people wait until after the first trimester to announce pregnancy, and I'm sure I don't understand many of those people's circumstances. But, for us, we feel like it makes sense to announce it now. That, whether we announce it now, or go through some stressful secret-keeping weeks and announce it later, our baby will still be our baby. No amount of time or circumstances would change that.