Odds and Ends

This has been such a great time to be pregnant.

Aside from the work…complexities I’ve been managing, I feel like this has just been ideal Being Knocked Up weather. Or at least for me. Now that I’ve emerged from the hell that was my first trimester, I suppose everything is magical and light. But considering that Fall is my favorite time of year, it’s nice that the twains have met.

I spend my weekends, for lack of better phrasing, nesting. Errands are run, rooms are cleaned, meals are prepared. The windows are open in the house and I nap at least twice a day. Generally, it is the life I’ve always dreamed for myself, including funny husband and furry dog. Admittedly being pregnant was never really a part of that dream, though a sense of family typically accompanied this whole picture. I suppose all of this idyllic bric-a-brac has made being pregnant feel as though it was always part of the plan. Family? Always part of the plan. Having kids? Well maybe.

Some day I hope our daughter forgives me for not being one of those people for whom having kids seemed a natural part of the plan. Maybe she’ll be much like me, and love family and people, but not give much thought as to what that’ll look like for her life. Maybe she’ll get it.

I’m just happy with how this all feels right now, even if it means I have to pee every two seconds.

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OF COURSE one of the most beautiful women in the world is on the exact same timeline as I am in this pregnancy. OF COURSE. You’ve won this round, Cruz, but, um, er, never mind. You pretty much just win. Seriously. You’re gorgeous and your accent kills me.

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I just found out yet another dear friend of mine is pregnant. That brings my total to four friends to commiserate with right now. Two of these ladies live here in Chicago and will be on maternity leave the same time as me. I plan on taking the full three months of leave, but I must admit that it all makes me a little nervous.

I said earlier this week that while I’m well-aware of how much there will be to do, I’m also well-aware that there is a bit of time in between naps, feedings and diaper changes where you’re completely wiped out and all you’re left with is Law & Order reruns and utter boredom. This is what my experienced mom friends tell me. And I love L&O as much as the next gal, but three months of it? Oy.

I really like working, and I really like where I work, and I know I’m going to miss it, as much as I look forward to being with our girl.

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My husband is going to be such a wonderful dad.

I know that’s what you hope for when you and your partner venture into this whole parenting business, but in the moments that it catches you completely unaware? Oh it’s like the best gift in the world.

We’ve started talking to the baby, now that she can hear us, and we’ve introduced that time-honored tradition of setting up headphones over my belly and starting her musical education. It’s sweet to see how much thought he’s put into this, how much it means to him that what she first hears is just right.

We went through samples of The Beatles catalog for her first go-round, of course. I am pretty certain that my husband will be assembling The Mother of All Mix Tapes for our daughter, which is awesome.

But the larger, more tear-inducing piece to all of this is just how tender and hopeful he is about our daughter, how much pride he reveals in becoming a Dad. It’s a part of him I’ve never seen before, and despite how much I’m not surprised that he would be this way, it’s currently my favorite element of this whole process.

Scott has this wonderful ability to make you feel as though everything will be OK, that everything will turn out alright. I don’t worry that our daughter will ever feel very alone in the world, or that it’s entirely too scary of a place because of who she has for a Dad.

We’re lucky girls.