I was keeping a secret when I went on my month-long Grand Tour of Beloved People back in October. My secret survived through a reunion of college roommates and ten days at my sister's house, where I also saw my mother and Khanjoe. It wasn't until the end of my trip that one very large dog let the cat out of the bag.
The last stop on my itinerary was a visit with my brother, Robert, and his family. Allison and "Ebug" picked me up from the airport. We went back to their house - which isn't actually their home, because they've got a long-term house-sitting gig. The house-sitting arrangement also includes pet care, namely dog-sitting for a massive Bernese Mountain Dog.
We had a nice lunch. I was enjoying getting to know my niece at her cute toddler stage, and she was warming up to me. After we finished eating, the three of us went outside for a little walk. Ebugloves to 'go fast' on the sidewalk, and she was showing off her new running skills. Eventually, it was time for Ebug's nap, so we went back inside.
When we walked through the door, Allison noticed a chewed up ziploc bag in the hallway. She wondered out loud what the dog, Albus, had gotten into. I took one look at the bag and knew just what it was. I checked my bag. I had left my suitcase unzipped, and Albus had nosed around in there to find my bag of vitamins. Then he gobbled up the vitamins, along with a healthy dose of plastic bag. I told Allison that my vitamins were missing, and Albus must have eaten a bag full of 15 or 20 vitamins. She was irritated but not surprised. Albus has a reputation for being a bit of a rascal.
We both got to thinking. A few minutes later we were googling 'dog ingested 20 human vitamins' and variants thereof. We found lots of warnings about the toxicity of human vitamins for canines. While Allison put Ebug down for her nap, I called the vet. They looked in their records and found that Albus weighed 145 pounds, and they said that we should call poison control. Given his weight and the exact brand of vitamin, poison control could estimate the toxicity for his size based on the chemical formulation.
When Allison came back downstairs, I told her what the vet had said. And I also told her that it was a bag full of prenatal vitamins because I was pregnant!! I wanted to tell her before she overheard me telling poison control that the dog had eaten 365 Brand Prenatal Vitamins. As it turns out, an XXL dog would have to eat 40 of those prenatal vitamins before he would show any signs of damage.
So that goofball dog blew my secret, but it was SO fun being able to share our happy news with Robert and Allison. When Robert got home that night, we were re-hashing the story. He asked me what kind of vitamins they were. I said, "Prenatal vitamins." And he said, "For just in case?" I replied, "No, prenatal vitamins for being 8 weeks pregnant!" I will never forget the giant, joyful hug that my baby's Uncle Robert gave me (us!)! Over the next few days, Allison and I talked a ton about pregnancy and babies, which was so interesting and enlightening for me. And we took turns taking naps, as good co-pregnant ladies should do. :)
At Thanksgiving, H and I told the rest of my family about our pregnancy when we were all together. We told my parents in the airport parking lot, minutes after H landed. I couldn't keep the secret any longer than absolutely necessary! When we got home, we told the rest of my siblings. I remember that Pumpkin was piddling around in the bathroom, and I went in there and asked her to hurry up and come out because I had a secret to tell everyone. She cocked her ear up at me and said, 'You can just tell me now.' Joe texted Khani the news in record speed. At our Thanksgiving meal, the next day, Abbie wrote (in her beautiful handwriting) everyone's name on their cups as in relation to our baby. The German side of the family found out over Christmas. It was such a treat getting to share such big news in person with all of our family. It feels amazing to think about how many people are eagerly anticipating the arrival of this little baby.
And now I am 21 weeks pregnant, due in late May / early June. I've felt the baby squirming around, and I'm developing the beginnings of a baby bump. All my examinations show that this baby is healthy and growing just as he/she should be. This all just seems like such a dream come true! We are so happy to be expecting a baby and are excited about all the adventures he/she will bring to our life!