Things Kids Say

Here is a sampling.

Kindergarten:
"Mrs. B---, for letter p I drew a /p/pig and she's /p/pregnant, just like you!!"

First Grade:
"Good luck having a baby tomorrow. I hope you don't die because sometimes you do."

"Did you eat that baby or did you grow it?"

Second Grade:
"I already know why you're not coming to school tomorrow. It's because you're having a baby right now." (Just to clarify, I'm NOT having the baby right now--this child is confused)

Fourth Grade:
"Are you pregnant or something?" (Yes, something like that)

Fifth Grade:
"Hey! Are you pregnant?" (I answered affirmatively) "See, I told you so!" (I'm glad to have settled the apparant argument.)

Things People Say

"Are you ready?" This is the number one question I hear lately and I'm just never sure how to answer it. How can anyone every be ready for this? I cannot even imagine how my whole life is about to change. I am so excited and so in love with this baby boy that I can't imagine loving him more. But I know that when I see him, I will love him more than I now think possible. How can I honestly claim to be ready for that? How can I claim to be ready to learn how to be a mom? Is this really what people are asking me? Or are they wondering if the house is ready? That question I can answer. We have pretty near everything we need to welcome the baby home. All of the clothes and bedding are washed and put away. Diaper changing stations are stocked throughout the house. (The vacuum bag explosion has been cleaned up)The carseat is installed and the hospital bag is pretty much packed. The house is not childproof, but I figure we'll have a little more time to accomplish this since, gifted as he is, I'm sure the baby will not come home from the hospital crawling or walking. So, we are not sure if we're ready, but we're pretty sure our home is.

"You deserve it." This is a very strange thing for people to say because I'm pretty sure no one could ever really deserve such a wonderful blessing. I used to think otherwise. I used to think that some people don't deserve their kids and other people do. But now I know that none of us really deserve it. What could I have ever done in my life that could warrant God trusting me with the miracle of a baby? I'm pretty sure it has nothing at all to do with deserving. I think God will use this baby to bring us so much joy and also to teach us more about His character and His love. I think it's a most remarkable, most undeserved gift.

"You're huge!" Hmmm. This is the only time in my life I will allow this comment.

"You're tiny!" Okay...you're being nice.

These are the most common comments/questions I hear on a daily basis. I'll spare you the constant stream of advice from total strangers and casual aquaintances. My actual friends and family have given very useful and encouraging advice, usually when I ask them for it. Strangers seem to feel the belly is an invitation for advice and questions. I hear the same is true of carrying around an infant, so no release in sight on that front.

The Last Bean

When I was a kid, there was a game at my grandparents' house called "Don't Spill The Beans." I really hated that game because it always ended in disaster. The game consisted of a little plastic bucket with a slightly concave lid, which hung suspended between two little plastic posts. So it kind of swung there. There were also a couple of handfuls of beans. You would start out by placing a few beans on the lid of the bucket when it was your turn. As the game progressed, you'd put fewer and fewer beans as the bucket became less stable. By the end, you were meticulously placing one tiny bean at a time on the lid and hoping it didn't cause the whole thing to tip. Eventually, it would tip, spilling beans everywhere, and making the unlucky last bean-placer the loser of the game. I think I cried every time. (I don't like Jenga, either)

Anyway, I think about that game often when life gets frustrating because it's always something small that tips the scale and causes me to go into fits of tears. You know, you start out with all of these things (beans, if you will) to manage and it seems like you can just pile them on and it's no big deal. But as you get more and more, well, it becomes trickier. And in the end, it's not the "scared to death of motherhood" bean or the "c-section" bean or the "good friend in a tight spot" bean or even the "absolutely NO money" bean that gets you. It's the "VACUUM CLEANER BAG EXPLODING IN THE LIVING ROOM" bean. It's not the tragedies. It's the dishes. That's when I say, "This is just the last bean" through tears. And Jon tries to correct me, "Don't you mean, the last straw?" Well, now you all know, I mean the last bean.

Turn, Turn, Turn

That's what we are singing to the baby every day now. So far he is still in breech position, so we will schedule a c-section for two weeks from now!!!! I have decided to opt out of having my doctor attempt to turn the baby through external version, so a c-section it is. BUT, if he turns around before we actually go into surgery, we can still call the whole thing off and wait for normal labor to commence whenever it does. As of now, though, we are preparing everything for a birth by c-section in two weeks. All this time I have been comforting myself with the belief that the baby would be late, as most first babies are. Two weeks is not very far away. Prayers would be appreciated!