getting a baby.

i have shared this story with some of you already. however, it is by far my most favorite pregnant story to date.

i work with and encounter a variety of children each and every day. one of these children is 'christopher'. christopher falls somewhere on the autism spectrum and has a knack for memorizing staff members names, preferences, hometowns, etc. when he sees an adult he knows, he always speaks with great diction: "good morning, mrs. stevens."

one afternoon, as christopher stood at his locker donning his coat and hat, he turned and stared wide-eyed at my growing abdomen.

"mrs. stevens!" he exclaimed with great astonishment and shock. "are you getting a baby!?"
i grinned. this is the first time i have not minded being asked whether or not i am pregnant. "why yes, yes i am, christopher."
he paused and added, "when are you getting it?"
(at this point, i am visualizing myself perusing the aisles of target in search of the perfect child.) "i'm getting it in may." i respond.
"my birthday is in may!" christopher cried with gusto.
by now, a crowd of teachers has gathered, skirting the edges of this hallway encounter, grinning and giggling at our meeting of the minds.
"are you getting a boy or a girl?" chirstopher asked.
"i'm getting a girl." i whispered to him.
at this remark, he gasped with great joy and proclaimed, "you're getting a girl? you're getting a girl!"

christopher followed up with me this morning, inquiring again, "are you getting a baby girl, mrs. stevens?" he then went on to closely examine my stomach trying to visualize her "big head" near my belly button.

at 30 weeks, i realize i have failed to update many friends and family. in an effort to catch everyone up, let's break it down:

current gestation: 30 weeks, 3 days.
weight gain to date: significant (however, baby girl only weighs about 3 pounds right now...)
complaints: waking up every time i have to roll over in bed, unseemingly endless hunger, feelings of helplessness/uselessness, back-aches.
non-complaints: internal acrobatics and watching the coffee in my coffee cup quiver when i rest it on my belly, watching bill put together the crib, having my hand held on the ice.
activities: three miles walks have been cut by half a mile, constant shoveling, yoga between classes, cleaning house and doing laps around the middle school.
cravings: no "cravings" (other than my usual chocolate...) i seem to be eating a lot of bananas, trail mix and nuts. i have also been experimenting with different salsa recipes. however, because i am a creature of habit, i'm still stuck on blueberry waffles, spinach salads, rice and salmon (and yes, it IS safe to eat salmon...i double checked.)
baby-related news: the crib is up, the room is painted and the changing table came yesterday.
non-baby related news: i discovered an ice dam above our bedroom closet after bill left for denver. my favorite "hippie" dress may be beyond help, but there is a lovely rose colored imprint on the wall it hung near. i didn't cry, but i did call my realtor after calling the insurance company and filing a claim. i am losing two personal days to this battle with the weather. as soon as the drywall is replaced and the room repainted, the house goes on the market and we begin searching for the house we'll raise our daughter in. it has been a good little cottage, but it is time to move on. i am not sad...i am anxious and ready.

i am still in search of peace, but have come to a couple of realizations during my afternoon jaunts on the treadmill:

- a dramatic society fosters drama everywhere. thank god the writer's strike is over - reality television had begun to corrupt my co-workers (and me). i must now begin the withdraw process from "Scott Baio is 46 and Pregnant"...

- just when you think you have eliminated the negative elements in your life, new ones pop up. it is very similar to the mole that tears through my father's pasture and misses every trap.

- you cannot make everyone happy. it is quite an impossibility. the only person you owe happiness to is yourself and you must do (or not do) whatever it is to achieve that.

- daddies of little girls make great pa-pa's...even before the wee one comes.

- it is essential to find time in the day for the necessary, the physical, the emotional and the mental...not necessarily in that order...

and now i have spent far too much time in front of this glowing box.

"They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself." - Andy Warhol.

go well.