Monday, August 13, 2007

Uncharted Territory

Saturday morning, having returned from our Outer Banks Family Extravaganza a night earlier than planned (more to come later), we found
ourselves with found time. We strolled leisurely through Fells Point waiting for a coveted table at the Blue Moon Cafe for a breakfast that quickly turned into lunch. Once The Boy's sister and friend packed up and headed north, we sat on the couch staring at each other. "There's so much to do but I feel like we beat the system," The Boy said. "You want to go look at baby stuff?" I was surprised at his willingness not only to go, but to suggest such a plan. The weather was unseasonably gorgeous, so his proposal had one caveat: We had to ride in the new convertible.

Windblown, we arrived at The Room Store, where The Boy swore he had once seen baby furniture. Though I knew better (but not enough), I humored him. Somehow, we left having paid cash for a red recliner that will arrive this Friday. "How is it," I asked as we left the register, "that since I've been pregnant you've acquired a convertible and a recliner and all I've gotten is fat?"

"We're going to Babies 'R' Us for you, honey," he lied. "And besides, the recliner is so the baby can sleep on my chest. Everyone will be much happier."

After weeks (months?) of delivering wide-eyed gems like: "I just don't see how a baby could need so much stuff," and "it's okay if I miss a playoff game when the baby is born; I'll just TiVo it for later," and "you're not considering cloth diapers?" The Boy accompanied me to the aforementioned baby superstore. It was a first trip for both of us. We were there to scout out the crib situation and so I could decide if the Ladybug theme suited my daughter (I've decided it's just her style, but with pale, barely green walls, no border, no black crib; you get the idea). Halfway to the cribs, The Boy stopped in his tracks in the middle of the aisle.

"Is everything okay?" I asked him, rolling my eyes at the dramatic response I knew waited for me.

"I'm just, umm, it's just that," he stammered.

"It's overwhelming to see all this stuff at once, huh?" I suggested.

"It's not so much that," he said, a hand to his forehead, "I just can't believe we actually need to be here."

He collected himself and we marched on. Within five minutes he had sketched out the nursery, complete with approximated measurements and had decided on a color and style of crib he preferred: white (for the versatility and ease of matching other pieces), convertible, preferably sleigh. It occurs to me that, by the time our child is old enough to enjoy the toddler or full size benefits these convertible cribs offer, we may have another infant, but I try to think of it as three investments for the price of one.

As we perused the oak section, we encountered a couple who actually kicked several of the cribs. When asked if they needed assistance, they responded they were just testing the merchandise. When we passed them a few minutes later, the husband was lodged under a crib as if it were a hot rod, disassembling it. His wife held the dismembered parts, completely unfazed. And I know we are first time parents and in many ways fit the profile, and I am aware my talk on this little publication has turned to all things baby-- for that I will not apologize-- that's just where I am; but I promise I will never ever contemplate the purchase of a crib as if it were an automobile. And I will never want that wagon wheel coffee table.

*The room pictured is not our nursery. Come on, do you think I'd paint a room pink?

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Evidently, I really am Pregnant


"Oh, he's not here yet!" I cried when they called me back for my sonogram. "I told him to be early; a sonogram is not the same as a doctor's appointment." Vicki smiled.

"We'll just locate the placenta and take some measurements. He won't care if he misses that." A minute or so later, he knocked on the door.

"Come in, come in!" I said. He came in and grabbed my hand. We had been talking about this since we found out I was pregnant. Couldn't wait to see the baby, couldn't wait to learn our first details about our son or daughter. We saw ventricles and heart valves, femurs and a tongue.
Most of all, we sighed relief over what we didn't see. No signs of congenital defects. Things look healthy and normal which, though cliche, is always good news.
"Now," Vicki smiled, "Here's one leg, and here's another leg and . . . there's no third leg, so. . . " She typed "IT'S A GIRL" on the screen, confirming what I was convinced of and what The Boy feared.

"You'll love her anyway, right?" I asked The Boy.

"Yeah," he said, squeezing my hand, "I'll definitely love her."
 
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