As the second trimester of pregnancy is underway, Nick and I have settled (somewhat) into a mental stability together about our impending parenthood. While the baby was a wonderful planned event, there truly is nothing that can prepare you for the words, “We’re pregnant,” “We’re having a baby,” or anything along those lines. Week by week, as the news softens from joyous shock to ecstatic reality, we’ve been sharing the news with more and more people in our lives.

To me, it’s now commonplace to let people know that we’re expecting. It’s been over three months and every conversation tends to revolve around preparing for the bundle of joy in six months. But nothing, I repeat nothing, could prepare us for when we walked into church this morning.

One of our friends came up to our pew to hug us. Since we hadn’t seen Jennifer in a long time, the embrace didn’t feel anything new or strange. But when she pulled away from us she says, “It’s nice to see you guys on the front cover of the bulletin.”

And there it was, for the world to read that we’re expecting.

Now, since Nick works for the parish, it makes sense and it is quite the lovely feeling of having a community of people share the wonder and happiness of our first pregnancy.

It just took me awhile to get used to have people know me inadvertently through Nick. All I know about them is that that they are very genuine and nice people. And it feels great to be supported.

So, we grabbed the bulletin, and scanned the pastor’s notes, I smiled up at Nick and said, “Well, so much for a quiet pregnancy.”

Nick replied, “Like this was going to be a quiet pregnancy anyway.”