27 weeks, and I have been feeling GREAT. As I told James, I feel "Lucky, special, and kind of sexy." There are even moments when I forget I'm pregnant. Then I drop something and try to bend over and get it. Ho ho ho. James called me his porpoise yesterday, which under normal circumstances I might have taken offense to, but I do in fact somewhat resemble a porpoise these days, and nighttime is kind of like a show at Sea World, only the water is a down comforter. He pointed out that porpoises are smart and friendly and smooth. I said it's ok, as long as he doesn't call me a whale.
Boots is active - every couple of hours, there is a round of swirling and kicking. And in the last couple of days, there are hiccups. Dr. Groszmann says that hiccups are a sign of good neural development, so we find ourselves hoping for hiccups.
Emotionally, I alternate between feeling calm, happy, excited, and grounded and vaguely worried. I think I'm getting the nesting thing the last few days. I have been working on the baby's room and trying to figure out what we need besides a crib and diapers. The other day I was at CVS and some baby soap and lotion caught my eye and reminded me that we will need to wash the baby. It's this sort of revelation that makes me a little uneasy, not that the baby needs care, but that these things are just occurring to me. Like the other day, when I realized that when I'm at the hospital, I will have the baby, and from there on out the baby is in our charge. Holy cats.
So, about color... the baby's room is pink. And it will be pink. Even if it's a boy. I do not believe that if it IS a boy that our boy will struggle with his identity because he slept in a pink room as a very small child. I am just writing this down because I do feel a slight bit of guilt about this, and yet I think it's ridiculous. Why are boys and girls things so specifically different? I remember when my niece was small, my sister was driven crazy by pink clothing.
But the pink clothing doesn't drive me nearly as nuts as some of the boys stuff - tractors, trucks, deer, etc., like young boys are being subliminally trained to be public works employees, not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just, why not books, art, and musical notes? What about boyhood equals large equipment? Then again, I know for a fact that some of that is hard-wired. My friend Graham, who is 3 years old, was offered to choose a toy for himself from a whole wall of toys, and he immediately and with laser-like focus chose a fire engine from probably 35 options. Absolutely no question. And his parents are arty, funky, sensitive, modern individuals. So maybe I'm just fooling myself. Maybe I'll have a boy that wears nothing but blue and brown. Maybe I can just think of it as robin's egg and bark.
Anyone that knows me knows that I adore color - I want a piece of clothing in every shade...and then I organize it by color group, so that when I look into my cabinet, it's a beautiful rainbow. BUT, I fear the beautiful rainbow of toys that will fill our home. Primary colors are so often garish. Yech. That's something I shall certainly have to let go of, lest I turn into Mommie Dearest. ("Christopher, Christina, what did Mommy say? No more primary colors! Now organize your toys as I have taught you, and don't let me catch you with that hideous xylophone again!"
At any rate, the room's not pink like bubble gum, it's pink like the inside of a shell. Light, subtle pink with a just a breath of peach in it. Jamie and my brother Bill picked the color for me, back when it was my room.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Dear Boots,
I am writing to you today, January 20, 2009, because this is a very historic day. This is the day that Barack Hussein Obama becomes the President of the United States.
Another very historic day is coming soon, and that is the day that you will be born. Your father and I are very excited that you are joining our family. Daddy’s been talking to you each day by leaning over and addressing my big belly. We call you Boots right now because you kick around a lot in there – you flop and flip and squirm and squish around, and whenever you do, I can tell you’re up to something. I wish all the time that I could see you in there, but for now, we have to be patient and wait for your arrival. You need some more time in there anyway, so you can grow a little more and get ready for the world.
We don’t know if you’re a boy or girl yet, we decided to keep it a surprise. We know we’re going to love you no matter what. You already have a crib from our friends Brian and Marci Grossman, and a car seat from my cousin Debbie.
So, back to history…by the time you are my age, I am hoping that having a leader like Obama will seem like old hat to you, like something completely regular. For me, it is something new. Obama is the first African-American President of the United States. He is the 44th President. In the two hundred and thirty odd years since this country was established, we have never had an African-American President, so that’s a big deal.
And what’s an even bigger deal for me and your Dad is that Barack Obama seems like a great leader. He is enormously smart, strong, reasoned, logical, balanced, and good. He has values that we understand.
Things have been very dark in our country for several years. In the past 9 years, horrible things have been happening, like 9/11 and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and our country seems to be falling apart. In 2000, George Bush became President, but it is not clear that he won the election. Many people felt that he stole the Presidency. Right now, people are losing jobs, losing their houses, not able to go see the doctor if they are sick. It’s very hard for a lot of Americans. And people have felt like they are not part of the country. People have been feeling powerless and full of despair.
Barack Obama has given people hope. More than ever, people believe that things can change for the better, partly because this unknown, inexperienced, junior senator from Illinois has gone from delivering a very good speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2004 to gathering grassroots support across the entire nation and getting elected President. People that had never voted before turned out, states that never elect Democrats “turned blue.” People who had never participated in politics at all donated $5, $50, $500. Your father drove to New Hampshire and went door to door to tell people about Obama. He called lists of people. We donated money and attended fundraisers.
And today it feels like the first day of what we hope are better times. People across the country are so excited that they have gone to Washington DC in historic numbers to see Obama sworn in. There are millions of people there right now, bundled up against the chilly weather, huddled together, to celebrate a new era.
And we are so glad that you will be born into a country with hope. You must always believe that you can make a difference in the world, and you will.
Love,
Mom
Another very historic day is coming soon, and that is the day that you will be born. Your father and I are very excited that you are joining our family. Daddy’s been talking to you each day by leaning over and addressing my big belly. We call you Boots right now because you kick around a lot in there – you flop and flip and squirm and squish around, and whenever you do, I can tell you’re up to something. I wish all the time that I could see you in there, but for now, we have to be patient and wait for your arrival. You need some more time in there anyway, so you can grow a little more and get ready for the world.
We don’t know if you’re a boy or girl yet, we decided to keep it a surprise. We know we’re going to love you no matter what. You already have a crib from our friends Brian and Marci Grossman, and a car seat from my cousin Debbie.
So, back to history…by the time you are my age, I am hoping that having a leader like Obama will seem like old hat to you, like something completely regular. For me, it is something new. Obama is the first African-American President of the United States. He is the 44th President. In the two hundred and thirty odd years since this country was established, we have never had an African-American President, so that’s a big deal.
And what’s an even bigger deal for me and your Dad is that Barack Obama seems like a great leader. He is enormously smart, strong, reasoned, logical, balanced, and good. He has values that we understand.
Things have been very dark in our country for several years. In the past 9 years, horrible things have been happening, like 9/11 and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and our country seems to be falling apart. In 2000, George Bush became President, but it is not clear that he won the election. Many people felt that he stole the Presidency. Right now, people are losing jobs, losing their houses, not able to go see the doctor if they are sick. It’s very hard for a lot of Americans. And people have felt like they are not part of the country. People have been feeling powerless and full of despair.
Barack Obama has given people hope. More than ever, people believe that things can change for the better, partly because this unknown, inexperienced, junior senator from Illinois has gone from delivering a very good speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2004 to gathering grassroots support across the entire nation and getting elected President. People that had never voted before turned out, states that never elect Democrats “turned blue.” People who had never participated in politics at all donated $5, $50, $500. Your father drove to New Hampshire and went door to door to tell people about Obama. He called lists of people. We donated money and attended fundraisers.
And today it feels like the first day of what we hope are better times. People across the country are so excited that they have gone to Washington DC in historic numbers to see Obama sworn in. There are millions of people there right now, bundled up against the chilly weather, huddled together, to celebrate a new era.
And we are so glad that you will be born into a country with hope. You must always believe that you can make a difference in the world, and you will.
Love,
Mom
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
