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Surprise announcement draws even bigger surprise reactions
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Published: December 3, 2008
Family planning for the Normans started before we got married.
When we announced our engagement my mother-in-law started dreaming of grandchildren. When we moved into our first home, the dreaming became not-so-subtle pressure. As months rolled by the not-so-subtle pressure turned to pleading.
My husband and I brainstormed ways to orchestrate the perfect storm. We knew if we found just the right mixture of surprise, diversion and documentation, then our announcement would be remembered for generations to come.
The plan went off without a hitch, and as my mother-in-law threw what can only be described as a hissy fit in the middle of a family get-together, the stunned looks frozen on the faces of our extended family told us that we had achieved the pinnacle of baby breaking news.
I turned to my uncle, who brought it all back to reality:
"Your life is over."
That was just the beginning of completely unexpected reactions.
Later in the evening we watched as an aunt wrangled her two sons off each other, both attempting to hit the other in the crotch. She looked up with desperate defeat as she gave us our next piece of advice:
"Pray for a girl."
But it was my dad's reaction that came as the biggest surprise.
After hearing the news and seeing the ultrasound, he sat motionless in the armchair staring blankly across the room.
As they left that night my husband looked confused.
"Don't worry," I told him, "It hasn't really hit him yet. He'll give us a sign when it does."
One week later he called.
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