Telling the First-Time Grandparents

Grandma and Grandpa Sides already have six grandchildren and the seventh coming in February.  Ours will be the eighth....so basically nothing new.  Not that they aren't excited for us...they most definitely are!  But telling them wasn't quite the same as telling first-time grandparents, Grandma and Grandpa Fritz.

Our plans were to tell them at Christmas by wrapping something special.  In fact, we got this super cute onesie in New York that says "Don't you wish your grandma was hot like mine?"  See?


Our plans changed the weekend of November 19 when we got an email from my sister.  The email had the following pictures attached...

They pretty much speak for themselves!  Talk about the surprise of a lifetime!  She is pregnant, too, and expecting their little bundle of joy on June 15, just 3 1/2 short weeks before us!!  Who would have thought?!

{Side note: I was a little suspicious.  Her and Justin have been married for nearly five years and she finally found a full-time teaching job (read: insurance coverage).  In fact, I was concerned about sharing our news at Christmas just in case she was pregnant, too...I didn't want to take anything away from her.}

Anyway, after calling her for all the details--and of course, telling her that Baby Copeland would have a cousin just a few weeks younger--I tried to talk her into waiting until Christmas to tell our parents together.  But they already had dinner plans with them the following night and were planning to tell them then.  I completely understood and we hung up.

Not more than ten minutes later, she called back and said "What if we Skype you guys in and you can tell them right after we do?"  Though it wasn't how we pictured sharing our wonderful news (via the Internet), she didn't have to twist my arm.

The next day, we tested Skype a few times.  My stomach had butterflies all day!  6:20 meant go time.  We dialed them on Skype one last time...and then sat and waited.  My parents were to arrive at 6:30.  The plan was to tell my dad his birthday present was in the {old} office {now nursery}.  They had the computer camera facing the door so we could see their reactions the moment they walked in.

What felt like an hour later, the door finally crept open.  Never mind the BABY letters on the wall, my dad was more intrigued that we were on the computer (he is not the most technologically savvy)!  My mom, on the other hand was, thrilled!  After hugs, congrats, and a little chit chat, my mom said something like "I'm gonna be a grandma!"  It was at the point that Craig held up our sonogram picture.  My dad was confused again..."How and why did we have their sonogram picture?"  Oh, Dad...

My mom understood immediately.  And fell over.  And then explained to my dad what he didn't get.

And that is how we shared our news (and my sister's news) with the grandparents-to-be.  My parents went from no grandchildren to learning they will have two in a matter of just a few weeks.  How exciting for them!  And how fun for my sister and I to go through this process together!  And of course, for our future children to have a cousin so close in age!  Life is pretty great right now! :)

1 comment:

  1. Now that just cracks me up!!! What an AWESOME way to tell your parents, I think that was probably better than your original idea. LOVE it! Nothing like giving Grandma Deb and Grandpa Greg a little heartattack! Too good! That is one good story to share down the road! I'm so excited to follow your pregnancy journey thru your blog!

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