jmgoyder

wings and things

Love story 77 – “When are you due?”

on August 2, 2012

I know I’m skipping back and forth a bit in terms of this story and I have quite a few missing pieces to fill in but I am in the mood to write about the funny incidents, so bear with me.

Okay, so Ants and I finally got married on March 27, 28 or 29th (I can never remember which and we both always forget our wedding anniversary) in 1993. We honeymooned in Broome because it was cheap at that time of year and Anthony has always been very careful with money. In Broome, we soon discovered why it was so cheap – it was an extremely hot and unbearably humid time of year.

Nevertheless it was a lovely resort right near the beach (if you wanted to wilt and fry), but luckily the rooms were air-conditioned. Anyway, we had a great time overall and came back to the farm a week later … to discover that I was pregnant.

Mmmmm. A little soon perhaps, oh well. At the time, though, apart from feeling an overpowering sense of joy, I also felt extremely embarrassed and hoped that the the local gossips wouldn’t assume that the confirmed middle-aged bachelor had married the ‘girl’ in a shotgunny way. Unfortunately, by June it had become obvious because I had become rather Dolly Parton-ish, so, yes, the small town rumours spread.

I became so self-conscious of this that when people asked me when I was due, instead of simply saying next January, I would stutter and stammer about how it probably happened around March 27, 28 or 29th because I wanted to make it clear that I got pregnant after we got married and not before, because I didn’t want everyone to think Anthony had been forced into marriage.

One day, after my usual response to the ‘when are you due?’ question, an elderly woman, having overheard me, whispered in my ear, “They don’t want to know about the date of conception, dearie, just the date you are due to give birth.”

Oh!


48 responses to “Love story 77 – “When are you due?”

  1. dogdaz says:

    Your stories are so sweet. Looking back I’m sure it seems weird to be so worried about the neighbors

  2. We’re so naive when we’re younger, aren’t we?

  3. pixilated2 says:

    I met a beach like that in Costa Rica. Nothing ever dried. I still maintain that it was the most beautiful place I ever hated. ~ Lynda

  4. Louise G. says:

    Love the story! You made me laugh out loud.

  5. victoriaaphotography says:

    Very funny !
    (My older brother was born 8mths & 2 weeks after my parents married – honeymoon conception too).

  6. At least you were pregnant it sucks to be asked why you are due and you are not pregnant just fat………………lol Ok that has never happened to me but I think it would suck anyway………

  7. niamhsorcha says:

    When Brian and I married I had friends ring to ask if I was pregnant because we got married so fast, although one friend thought we got married so I could get an Aussie visa 😉

  8. love the continuing saga – why are the embarrassing parts of our lives the most entertaining

  9. Haha what a great story…Must have been a small community that you were so worried about what people thought…I love this story. 🙂

  10. Rhonda says:

    Welllll, yes, the older woman was correct…however, I have always suspected the “when are you due” question was an end run to “figuring the conception” date. lol, people are so funny.

  11. Robyn Lee says:

    🙂 so funny! Xo

  12. Anonymous says:

    Oh, Lord! Made me laugh.

  13. viveka says:

    Heartwarming post … thanks! Never been highly pregnant – so I didn’t know that people are so interested in the “due-date” – if it had been me would just pick a date out of the blue, there and where I was asked. Thanks for a big healthy smile.

  14. dcwisdom says:

    Sheesh…people still ask me that! Ugh! lol Broome sounds like Texas – today! 110 in Dallas…Staying in the AC!

  15. terry1954 says:

    leave it to the elderly to come up with the perfect remarks……..i understand how you felt, as i went through the same thing, but my escape from the wagging tails was i went to Germany to live for a year with my military husband. by the time i got back to the states, everyone was excited to see the new baby girl, so it all worked out, but i do remember………………………great post Julie!!!!!

  16. Thank you for sharing a funny memory. I have trouble with mine, so it’s nice to share yours 🙂

  17. ltpen315 says:

    So funny!!
    I had a high school teacher who had a baby 9 mos. to the day from when she got married, so of course she was talked about!! Of course we now know that it truly is 40 weeks which is 10 months!!

  18. eof737 says:

    This is a funny story! I’m glad you sorted out the language before everyone thought you were hiding something else… 😆

  19. Oh the angst we expend, that now means naught…

    Beautiful flower!

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