Keeping It Under Wraps

In a way, I feel kind of bad. For two months I had to lie to some of my closest friends. Well, not lie exactly. Just omit the truth. A BIG truth. I actually found out pretty early on in my pregnancy that I was expecting. Sometimes I call it a blessing, in the sense that I didn't enjoy too many glasses (okay, okay - bottles) of wine and unknowingly endanger my child. And sometimes, a curse. There is so much that can go wrong between a positive pregnancy test and the first doctor's appointment. Horrible, awful things that no expectant mother or father should have to go through. More on that later.

 

So that was my initial reason for wanting to keep the news secret. If I had it my way, Nik and I would have been the only two people who knew the truth for the first 8 weeks. Realistically, there's no way that could happen. Not because I have issues keeping my mouth shut. But because it's pretty well known that my mouth is usually preoccupied enjoying tasty, adult beverages which unfortunately is one of the many no-nos when expecting.  

 

The following weekend after learning I was pregnant I had plans to meet my brother and his fiancé in Vegas. Have you ever done Vegas sober? Or how about 5 weeks pregnant? Well, I wouldn't recommend either. I met them at the Las Vegas airport Thursday afternoon. It was their first time visiting Sin City and they were so excited. I didn't want to disappoint. At this point they were unaware that anything was out of the ordinary. Nik was going to drive up the next day and meet us there so I was going to try my best and wait for him before spilling the beans. There was no way I could pretend to drink my way through an entire weekend in Vegas, especially around my family. Let's just say we like to have a good time. But I did get through almost 24 hours which I am pretty proud of. My brother would order me a glass of wine that I would happen to take into the restroom with me and come out with most of it gone. He ordered me a strawberry daiquiri while poolside the following afternoon. I exchanged it for a virgin while they thought I was making a phone call. Wasting perfectly good alcohol felt like committing sacrilege . But I do plan to atone for those sins come April.

 

A motherhood necessity

 

Eventually we were able to share the good news and they were ecstatic to learn that there would be an additional guest at their wedding in June. And I toughed it out the best I could the rest of the weekend, staying out until 2am or later as I sipped on my club soda with lime. Wild, I know.

The following weekend, I had a bachelorette party to attend. In FREAKING WINE COUNTRY!! I mean come on, that's like putting crack in front of a crack head. So the evening before we left town I told my bestie, Megan, my big secret. She was the bride's maid of honor and became my partner in crime for the weekend. I would eat for two while she would drink for two. We 'shared' our tastings at each winery we stopped at and our wine glasses were strategically placed next to each other during dinner. That way she could easily pick up mine to drink from as well as hers. But I think we were able to successfully get through the weekend without anyone being the wiser.

And more recently, Nik and I attended our friends' wedding in Jersey City. We spent much of our time there wandering about the streets of New York which was pretty exhausting for a 10 week pregnant chick. But well worth it. Nik became an expert at ordering non alcoholic drinks to look like alcoholic drinks. And Nik really became an expert at drinking any wine or champagne that came my way. He's obviously been having way more fun than me the past 3 months.

But honestly, as exhausting as it is growing a human it's also pretty exhausting keeping a secret about said growing human. Especially with all those damned trips lined up. There were times when Nik would voice his frustrations about how difficult it was for him not being able to tell anyone. That's usually when I would voice my frustrations about how difficult it was for me not being able to punch him in the throat. Kidding! But I get it.

So yeah, I had to forego my fun from Vegas, wine country and those plentiful rooftop bars that New York has to offer. I'm sure it will be well worth it in April. But that doesn't mean I can't longingly look at that glass of wine in your hand and hate you just a little bit for drinking it. And now that the secret's out you at least know why I'm looking at that glass of wine like I want to do dirty things to it.