Sketches of babies have started infiltrating my notebooks for several weeks, which I guess is no surprise. Half the time, I really don’t know exactly what I’m going to draw when I start and I’m almost as surprised as anyone by the end result.
Anyhow, this was doodled today at the office and, for some reason, it felt appropriate to post. Not a great likeness of my wife, but I was drawing without a reference, so I guess that’s the way it goes. Hope you like it:
We’re looking at 13 weeks in a couple of days, which is more or less the close of the first trimester. And a couple of days ago, I saw Carey and it took me by surprise: “You kind of look like a pregnant lady.”
We decided early on to do the prudent thing and get a whole trimester under our belts before openly telling people our news. What was a tiny handful of immediate family and a few local friends has started to expand. We’ve made a few calls, sent a couple of emails, particularly over the last several days. It couldn’t be helped, we’re starting to spill it. Up to now, most of the people who know about our biggest life event are strangers we’ve never met who happened across our still-secret blogs.
It’s a little like walking off a cliff. We know intellectually that whatever happens with these three… all our fears and anxieties and excitement and confusion… has nothing to do with who we do or don’t tell. The three gnomes don’t care how ready we are, they’re moving forward with their own little plans. But, even still, with each new person that knows our news, it feels like we’re committing to something a little bit more.
But it’s fun, dropping the bomb on people. Assuming all goes to plan, it’s our once-in-a-lifetime chance to make an announcement like this, because ain’t no way we’re having any more. We’ve settled into a sort of rhythm with it: Carey and I are beginning to perfect the “hand off.” If we’re in-person with someone who we feel good about telling, one of us will announce the pregnancy and we enjoy a minute or two of hugs and handshakes. Then the other will drop the Triplet knowledge and all chaos ensues.
No surprise, nobody believes us immediately. We’re getting used to slack jaws. It’s weird, we know. Those we’re close to have a hard time picturing us going the IVF route and, of course, they’re right. When we tell people there was no IVF, no fertility help, it makes it all the more incredible.
Carey’s even taken to packing the ultrasound printouts with her as “proof”. Of course, once or twice, we’ve even heard, “yeah, but hang on. Jer knows photoshop, right?”
As much as we’re enjoying having friends and families celebrate (and sympathize) with us, we’re also trying our best to treasure these final moments of Our Big Secret being, well, a secret. We’ve read too many triplet blogs recently to have any illusions: triplets draw attention. Stares and questions quickly become an everyday part of life. Not that I’m complaining. I’m kind of looking forward to fielding questions about our little veggie nuggets. And I’ve done my best to prepare an anticipatory FAQ to help things.
But for now, it’s still, kind of, just the two of us. And we’re waiting on our beach chairs, watching that wave on the horizon grow taller and greener by the second.
Won’t be long. $#&%’s about to get nuts.
Tips On Triplets 