Baby on Board!

December 29, 2008 3:14 PM

Looking for fun ways to tell my SO that the baby we have been trying to make is on the way!

My SO and I have been trying to conceive the old-fashioned way and my home pregnancy test turned up positive today. Great news!! I want to tell him in a fun way but can't wait too long because (1) he will know on New Year's Eve if I pass on the cocktail and (2) I just can't wait to tell him!!!

Does the hive mind have any suggestions? Here are some facts that might help.

Neither of us has ever had a child.
This child will be due on or about Labor Day (pun not intended, but always welcomed)
He and I are not spring chickens and our respective ages and lifestyles would have suggested that this baby would have been harder to conceive.

Help me have some fun with this!!!

posted by anonymous to human relations (42 comments total)

You could bake a baby into his food. (Delicious...)
posted by phunniemee at 3:20 PM on December 29, 2008

I bought Mr. Zizzle a newborn size Red Sox onesie.

There are onesies for everything these days. I'm sure you could find one that has to do with something that is a favorite if his.
posted by zizzle at 3:23 PM on December 29, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

A framed picture of the positive pregnancy test, with an attached note saying "Your boys can swim!"
posted by Ostara at 3:24 PM on December 29, 2008

Anonymous because you're both on MeFi? Un-anonymize it! Has MeFi ever been used to break the news to people before?
posted by avocet at 3:24 PM on December 29, 2008 [9 favorites has favorites]

YOU'RE NOT STERILE!
posted by shmegegge at 3:27 PM on December 29, 2008

I like this idea.
posted by Effigy2000 at 3:30 PM on December 29, 2008

Come back from the grocery store with only "baby" foods: baby carrots, cans of baby corn, baby bok choy... and leave them all out on the kitchen table. Maybe buy a jar of actual baby food in case he misses it although it will have expired by the time the baby is old enough to eat it.
posted by GuyZero at 3:38 PM on December 29, 2008 [2 favorites has favorites]

It might be nice just to get him a card and write out the news on the inside. That way you don't have to worry about tripping over words in your excitement and you'll have the fun of watching him catch on as he reads it.

This video shows parents being informed that they're going to be grandparents by card. It's so sweet and I think it would be even more special for the father-to-be.
posted by shesbookish at 3:40 PM on December 29, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Nthing the "baby" foods idea - my mother gave my Dad a Baby Ruth. He understood because neither of them ever ate Baby Ruths. :-)

Congratulations!
posted by chihiro at 3:40 PM on December 29, 2008

He comes home, says "wow, that smells great, what are you cooking?"

"Oh, I've got a bun in the oven."
posted by Forktine at 3:41 PM on December 29, 2008 [6 favorites has favorites]

You could set the table for three and wait for him to ask, "Are we expecting someone for dinner?"

Or, you could say you have something special planned for Labor Day. When he asks, you could just smile and say, "Labor."
posted by mattdidthat at 3:48 PM on December 29, 2008 [9 favorites has favorites]

Start knitting a baby blanket
posted by theora55 at 3:57 PM on December 29, 2008

someone i went to school with announced her pregnancy to her husband this way: she placed a hamburger bun inside the oven and told her husband that the oven was broken, and could he have a look and see if he could fix it? meanwhile, she held the positive test behind her back, and waited for him to ask her why there was a bun in the oven.
posted by janepanic at 3:58 PM on December 29, 2008 [18 favorites has favorites]

organize a Pictionary or Charades night where the answer to every question is "We're having a baby" or some other baby themed song or movie
posted by kanemano at 4:07 PM on December 29, 2008

Please let us know how you wind up telling him! Also, congratulations!
posted by mattdidthat at 4:08 PM on December 29, 2008

Having cinnamon buns baking one morning would be cutesy (but delicious!).

Or you could send an early Father's Day card in the mail to him at the house with something simple and sweet written by way of explanation, and then watch as he opens it up, gets confused, and finally realizes what's going on.
posted by peachfuzz at 4:16 PM on December 29, 2008

Get him a huge, saccharine card of the "This is just to say..." variety and then put a "Baby on Board" sticker inside it.

Make a rabbit dish. When he asks why, tell him it's because the rabbit died.

Slip a baby-themed CD mix in his car stereo. Perhaps lead off with REM's "It's the End of the World as We Know It." (I say this as a parent.)

Leave him a shopping list. On it, put pickles, salt and vinegar chips, ice cream and something odd and exotic.

Pick up a small trophy (preferably for swimming) at a secondhand shop. Attach your own note: "Congratulations! They won!"

And hey--congratulations. Best wishes for a smooth pregnancy and a healthy, happy baby!
posted by MonkeyToes at 4:31 PM on December 29, 2008

While I don't have anything to add to the above, I might suggest a second test (and a third?) in case of false positive, just to be sure.
posted by Rendus at 4:48 PM on December 29, 2008 [2 favorites has favorites]

Ask him to grab your shoes for you as you're on your way out the door on New Year's Eve. When he asks which ones, direct him to this pair.

Congrats and best wishes for a safe and healthy pregnancy!
posted by dancinglamb at 4:57 PM on December 29, 2008

I like the idea of King Cake, but make use of the festive timing upon you. Save the announcement for New Year's--at midnight, bring him a flute of champagne with the small plastic baby at the bottom.
posted by Tufa at 5:37 PM on December 29, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Watch Alien. When it gets to the first part where the alien is bursting out of the dude's stomach, say "That reminds me . . ."
posted by schroedinger at 5:38 PM on December 29, 2008 [14 favorites has favorites]

If you can wait until New Years you should simply refuse a drink, and when he asks you can casually explain why. Have fun!
posted by big open mouth at 5:38 PM on December 29, 2008

"First of all, let me preface this by saying that I'm almost certain you're the father..."
posted by yeti at 5:47 PM on December 29, 2008 [11 favorites has favorites]

Go out for dinner and a movie. Cut through a back alley on the way to your car. Have a pre-arranged male friend of yours (who has never met your husband) pop out of the shadows and mug you (he needs to wear a poorly-conceived disguise, like a mustache and glasses). As you give him your wallet, you struggle for the gun and knock off his disguise. Now that you've seen his face, he tells you that he has to kill you.

No! Please! I'm pregnant! You plead. He shouts "Congratulations!" and then you all go out for dessert.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 6:11 PM on December 29, 2008 [8 favorites has favorites]

Make him a card with today's Zooborn featured baby, Amani the Baby Aardvark, and write something inside about yours hopefully being cute in a very different way. [But OMG! Amani the Baby Aardvark!]
posted by judith at 6:32 PM on December 29, 2008

On your way out to the party on NYE, ask him if he has any resolutions. Naturally, he'll then ask you if you have any of your own.

Tell him you resolve to get a few new hobbies: Sleeping less, making milk, learning a few lullabies, etc.
posted by bondcliff at 6:41 PM on December 29, 2008

Knock, knock!

Who's there?

Your offspring, and very soon at that!
posted by ostranenie at 7:13 PM on December 29, 2008

I don't understand why this awesome news has to be dressed up with a joke or a gag. Wh not just make a nice dinner tell him you've got good news?
posted by girlgeeknz at 7:56 PM on December 29, 2008 [2 favorites has favorites]

I'd knit booties (or a bootie if I was really impatient) and do something cute with it, such as hiding it in his sock drawer or his pocket or brief case, or making him shut his eyes, and then slipping it into his hand.
posted by orange swan at 8:29 PM on December 29, 2008

I know this is going to come across as being a downer, but as a recently pregnant person who is now a mother, I felt (and feel) superstitious about emphatic enthusiasm about BABY! BABY! when you are only a few weeks pregnant. I would announce the pregnancy, not the baby. There is still a lot to be excited about, and also a lot to cross your fingers about. I don't know about you and your husband, but onesies and little toys just made me nervous before the second trimester.

Some suggestions (somewhat lame, but emphasize pregnancy and not actual baby):
--Do you have a calender for 2009 up yet? Put one up, then ask him if he can check what day of the week labor day is. You'll have circled it in advance, with "baby due" written on the date.
--Wrap up a bottle of prenatal vitamins and tell him you are giving him a late Xmas or Channukah present. Tell him his "present" is that he gets to remind you to take one every day for the next 9 months.
--Text him a message on his/your way home from work: Bring home ice cream and pickles please.

Anyway, GOOD LUCK with everything! What an exciting time for the two of you.
posted by tk at 8:37 PM on December 29, 2008

Both times my wife was pregnant, she sprung it on me in the middle of an argument. "Don't yell like that, I'm pregnant!" And of course, after that, the argument was completely forgotten and we both got all lovely dovey. Not exactly cute or sweet, but if you pick the right argument, it's indispensable. "I backed into your car." YOU DID WHAT? "I'm pregnant."

Congrats.
posted by ColdChef at 9:02 PM on December 29, 2008 [8 favorites has favorites]

ask him if he can check what day of the week labor day is

It's Monday, same as every year. Maybe ask him if he can check what day of the month it is.
posted by eritain at 9:05 PM on December 29, 2008

The daughter of friends of the family let her parents know by bringing out a dish of ice cream with pickles stuck in it.
posted by brujita at 9:28 PM on December 29, 2008

Congratulations!

I have no clever recommendations as both times I was pregnant, I came running out of the bathroom waving the stick & probably flinging specklets of pregnant lady pee all over everything while squeeing about 'THE LINE! THE LINE! There's gonna be a BAYBEEEEEEE!' Which is really just a super long way to say I *really* admire your restraint & ability to take the time to clearly think through how you would like to present this information!
posted by susanbeeswax at 11:25 PM on December 29, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

You could probably just tell him and it would be awesome. Like asking someone to marry you, sometimes it doesn't need to be a big production. The news is exciting and life changing in and of itself.
posted by chunking express at 7:00 AM on December 30, 2008

But, if you want to do something, please, please, please do the faux-robbery up thread.
posted by chunking express at 7:01 AM on December 30, 2008

But, if you want to do something, please, please, please do the faux-robbery up thread.

Jeez, think twice before doing that -- people get shot that way, you know? If some dude in a mask jumped out at my wife, I'm going to be figuring out the details later, and "dude, wait, it's just a joke!" will not get the attention it should in that moment.
posted by Forktine at 7:56 AM on December 30, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Like susanbeeswax said. I had a cute onesie all made (for when I did get the positive test) but once I saw that line, I freaked out, ran downstairs, and, hands shaking, showed him the test.

I also admire your restraint. :D

(As it turned out, I had to make two more onesies anyway, when we found out there were three in there, not just one, so it was just as well.)
posted by pyjammy at 9:51 AM on December 30, 2008

do the faux-robbery up thread

Don't. This isn't television. Even if nobody gets hurt, many other problems could arise from this. Plus it's not even that funny unless you have a sick sense of humor.
posted by ostranenie at 9:43 AM on December 31, 2008

Well, the deed has been done and my anonymity is now blown! I decided to post the due date on our shared iPhone calendars! It is kind of a geeky way to go, but we worked hard at finding out a way to share a calendar. And yes, he is also on Metafilter---it would have been fun to make the announcement that way but he does not go to Askme very often.

Anyway, my 40th birthday is in early October and we had discussed going to Italy for the birthday celebration. I suggested that perhaps early September might be better due to the weather and the extra day off for Labor Day weekend.

Due to his work schedule, I asked him to look to see if it would be a good week to go. He looked and was perplexed to see "Don't make plans....DUE DATE". After a moment of confusion, it sunk in and he asked if I was pregnant. Sheepish grin by me followed.

It was wonderful! Now on to the less fun parts of being pregnant, including the dilemma as to what to do with the great Christmas gift card to the best sushi restaurant I have ever been to, in Austin or otherwise! Oh yeah... and accepting that my 40th will be spent here at home nursing a baby and not in Italy with me nursing a bottle of Barolo.

Thanks for all of the great and funny suggestions. I threw in a few more after the deed was done...including the congrats on having good swimmers, saying that I am almost certain he is the dad (which was funny because it was so preposterous), and telling him about my new year's resolutions (i.e. to learn to live on less sleep, quit drinking, etc.) and that Labor Day has a whole new meaning now. And given that I recently posted about a hooded man approaching me in my back yard at night and our subsequent high alert, the faux robbery idea seemed ill-advised (but really funny).

Thanks again and happy new year!
posted by murrey at 1:38 PM on December 31, 2008

People need to chill out. I think the faux-robbery thing was (obviously) a joke.
posted by chunking express at 11:20 AM on January 1

Also subtle and geeky is very cool.
posted by chunking express at 11:22 AM on January 1