According to our Baby Day countdown, we have exactly 9 days, 17 hours, and 5 minutes until the ejection of our son by C-section. Whenever people ask how much longer until I am due, they seem to think I should be delighted at how soon it is and then they say something really dumb like "Enjoy these last few weeks of non-responsibility!" Or "Enjoy the rest you're getting now!" Isn't that like telling a hormonal prepubescent to enjoy middle school? And just as realistic?! Silly idiots.
Life as I know it is about to change completely, drastically, and abruptly in 9 days. All the things I have been hearing about for the last 10 years in Relief Society and from friends and family about having children - I am finally going to experience for myself! So I wish people would stop telling me how hard it is to have kids- how pukey or colicky or poopy or exhausting they are. It's a little late to get out of things now!! (and I wouldn't even if I could) Besides, I used to tell myself those same things all the time in an effort to quell my desire for children - it never really worked. Now is the time for people to offer up the encouragement and desirability of children. You know, like all those Relief Society lessons about how children are your greatest joy. Yeah, why not tell me that now?! Or is that truth just reserved as an emotional bullet to whip out right after a miscarriage or a failed medical intervention to get pregnant?!
But I have enjoyed some fun firsts. I know - most of these won't be enjoyable after a while, but it means a lot to me now. I folded and put away baby clothes - for MY OWN CHILD. It was very weird, but really exciting! We decided on a bring-the-baby-home outfit. We have our baby room all set up! (Which is kind of funny because I'm pretty sure the plan is for our boy to sleep in our room with the bassinet at first.) I picked a pediatrician - which I almost forgot to do! We have our carseat.
As far as I can tell, I think we have everything ready for our kid. Except maybe mental fortitude and emotional strength. But I don't think pregnancy hormones and the shortage of sleep are really going to help with that. Oh, yeah, I forgot. I'm enjoying this! I love my stupid PUPPP rash where it is impossible to satisfy the itch. And I love being enormous and waddling. And the impossibility of having enough continuous sleep. And heartburn and urps and spending half my workday trekking to the bathroom. It's wonderful. I wonder that I should at all anticipate the end. I think I'm going to go appreciate my pregnancy with a bowl of ice cream.
2 comments:
Yay and Hooray! I will tell you that it is fabulous to hold that snuggly tiny little body and just rock him. More fun when he is happy. You will love watching him learn new things and do new things and you are welcome to call me every other day to announce that he pooped, or blinked, or snorted, or cooed, or smiled, or is wearing the most adorable outfit ever!
Some of your greatest joys will come in the middle of the night while you are rocking 'junior' to sleep; just the two of you in quiet darkness when you will have time to reflect on the miracle of birth and how precious human life is. And when you are tired and exhausted, wishing you were in bed asleep, as you look at those tiny hands and feet and the cute smile, your heart will swell with gratitude to a loving Heavenly Father that blessed you with this child! You are going to be great parents!!
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