pregnancy testThe first time I saw the + sign in the window of my pregnancy test (all 12 times I took it), I almost fainted. I was in shock. It was not expected. We conceived in the "planning to plan" stage of trying to get pregnant. He walked in the door from work and I blurted out, “I’m Pregnant!”

Since then, I've announced a pregnancy once more -- that time with a little more finesse -- but I really wish I could have a do-over on the first time I announced our big news.

If I could do it all again, these are the many ways I might announce my pregnancy:

  1. Have Lady Gaga burst out of a giant egg on stage at her concert, singing "Born This Way" and holding a sign that says, “Baby (your last name here) being born this way in the spring of 2013!
  2. Have an airplane fly over your family reunion pulling a sign behind it that reads, “Congratulations (your husband's name here) Baby on Board!”
  3. Have your older kid scribble on the wall with washable crayons, while you write, “Get ready for round two of spontaneous wall art!" Feign outrage at the mess and call your husband in to take a look at what your kid has done. Then hand him a tissue and a Mister Clean sponge.
  4. Arrange to have a movie theater show previews for old baby-themed movies such as She’s Having a Baby, Baby Boom, 9 Months, Due Date. Just when he starts to figure out the theme, have the last “preview” be a single shot of a baby with the title above it, “Baby (your last name here) Coming Spring 2013.”
  5. Take a photo of your positive pregnancy test and have it blown up into a billboard strategically placed on your husband’s route home from work. The billboard should read, “Baby (your last name here) Coming Spring 2013." If it’s a subsequent pregnancy, you can put a photo of your other child on it wearing a "I'm a Big Brother" (or sister) T-shirt.
  6. Fill the spare room with blue and pink balloons and wait until your husband has to go in there. Tie the positive pregnancy test to a giant balloon in the center of the room.
  7. Run your partner a hot bubble bath after a long day. Take a baby bottle and write a sweet note inside that tells him you are pregnant; toss the positive pregnancy test in there too. He’ll get in ready to relax and find something in his way. He’ll find the bottle and the note. Within minutes you’ll have a little full frontal action coming at you, covered in bubbles.

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