Who to tell?

The old question of who to tell is a difficult one. I want to tell the whole world - but I know that wouldn't be a good idea. Bad things don't often happen, but the risky time is still until two more months. If we told Dora, it seems fair and symmetrical that we should tell my aunts and cousins, and yet we are not as close to them and don't see them as often. I think we will wait until we next see them.

People at church is very hard - I want to tell them all, especially since I want their prayers and support and ideas and just to share thoughts. I've probably already told too many, but then Mel clarified it for me by saying "Think also about who you would be prepared to tell if things went wrong, and who you want to support you then." This is very sensible advice, and now I feel better about telling so many people - I wouldn't mind if they knew if anything did go wrong, and I think I would need their prayers.

Both my online communities have been absolutely fantastic - I think I have received over twenty e-cards and emails from each! I really value CHFWeb in particular, since most of the women there have LOTS of experience with babies and child-raising, and I expect I will be there every few days looking for advice and reassurance.

I am more anxious than I expected. Now that the initial euphoria is wearing off, I am starting to think about how we will never be just "us" again, as a couple. We will never be a "young professional couple" again, not be able to take off for a weekend away if we feel like it, maybe never have an evening alone together again! I am excited, but also a bit afraid of what all this will mean - especially for where we are going to live! This adds a new urgency to our house-hunting exercises!

Mel has loaned me a book on pregnancy, which I quite like. It is normal, and fun, and light reading with none of the scary obstetric information which I really don't want to know. I don't want to be doctor for this, and I don't want to think about the kind of deliveries I usually attend. I just want to be number seven million and thirty four, not special to anyone else, not remarkable in any way, no drama, nothing to excite medical tea-room talk. I don't want to be a "I saw this amazing case yesterday" example for students - those always turn out badly. I want to be just a perfectly straightforward delivery, and the students can watch if they like but no student is laying a hand on me! I wonder which of my bosses I would be prepared to have see me at the delivery, with it all "hanging out"? I'll have to think about that!