Ripping Off the Band-Aid

I just spent 32 minutes on the phone with my parents. Hubs and I were planning on waiting until I was out of the first trimester to tell them, as I did not want to deal with what was sure to be an uncomfortable situation earlier than truly necessary. (I have not talked to my parents in a good nine months; thus, the awkwardness of calling them up out of the blue.)

Well, the thought of sharing the good news with my parents (Nemo's grandparents) has crossed my mind numerous times since Monday's ultrasound. While I have been doing my best to focus on other things, the inevitable phone call has had a definite presence in the back of my mind, and tonight I realized there were very few benefits to postponing this conversation.

I will be honest: I do not remember many positive conversations had with my father, and I was not expecting this one to be pleasant. I was bracing myself for a heated argument over my lack of contact. I assumed my father would demand to know why I had not picked up the phone in the past nine months. I was dreading this moment, as I knew my reasons would fall on deaf ears.

I now feel like I have been over-reacting. I doubt that my father has become the dad I wish I had growing up, but fortunately, he has changed enough to allow us to have a pleasant conversation. There were a few awkward moments when he first picked up the phone. (It has been so long since we talked, I do not think either of us knew where or how to actually begin.) But once we got over the initial hump, my parents and I were able to talk about everything: work, our house, and my pregnancy. And they were happy. 

No one brought up our lack of contact during tonight's conversation. I am not sure if my parents will "forgive and forget" so we can move on from here, or if the dreaded conversation will occur at some point in the future. Regardless, I am happy that I told my parents about Nemo, and I am very happy that I am able to feel happy about it.