So I thought it would be fun to share with you the story and a few pictures from when I told Ted he was going to be a dad! I had always imagined I would find out first and then do something super fun and a little bit extravagant to tell Ted. He is always surprising me, and has planned some big surprises for milestones in our life together- so I wanted to do the same.
The first weekend of November we photographed a wedding on Saturday night and had a flight to California scheduled for early Sunday morning. We were flying to LA, driving down the coast and spending 5 days outside of San Diego at a conference for Ted’s work. The weeks leading up to the trip were all a bit hectic, with my busy season just coming to an end. Once we landed in California we were ready for some rest and relaxation. On the second day of our trip I woke up and had the sudden realization that I might be pregnant. In all honesty, I knew right away that I was pregnant- it’s so true that your body just knows. Immediately I knew had to go get a pregnancy test. I told Ted a small fib about what I needed to buy and had him drop me off at the drugstore, but since we were in downtown San Diego he couldn’t find parking and just circled around and didn’t come in the store with me.
The next stop on our tour of San Diego for the day was the Hotel del Coronado. I made a quick stop in the lobby’s restroom where I took the test. I immediately started crying. I tried to get my composure together so Ted wouldn’t suspect anything. He was actually making a phone call when I walked out of the restroom, so I don’t think he had any time to see the look on my face. After walking through the hotel lobby he suggested we take a stroll on the beach. I was about to burst! My mind was literally racing as I tried to digest what I had just learned and pretend to be engaged in whatever Ted was talking about as we walked!
We found a lifeguard station and I told Ted I wanted to setup the self timer to take a picture together. This is totally normal for us, so he obliged. I took the picture, then switched it over to video. Ted and I sat in the sand and I told him I had a surprise for him, and he had to close his eyes. I handed him the positive pregnancy test and he opened his eyes. To say he was surprised would be an understatement! We cried, he asked a whole bunch of questions, we laughed- it was the best. I didn’t plan a huge surprise or moment like I thought I would, but life kind of took care of that for us. We were in the most beautiful place and the timing was perfect.
We spent the rest of our trip celebrating. We had so many different things to chat about from names, to a nursery, to how and when we would share the news with our family and friends. California will always have a special place in my heart now, and I joke with Ted that when our kids are all gone away to college maybe we can afford to stay at the Hotel del Coronado to celebrate.
