May 19
This freaking placenta previa. I am once again “spotting” as the medical world says. I have not gained any weight since the end of March, so I am looking scrawny. Dr. D. says, “Eat, eat”, as though it is that simple. But you Baby, are in there, jumping through hoops, stretching, squirming, yawning, moving this way and that way, in an attempt to find your comfort zone. When you are in one of your “Jumping Jack Flash” moods, I rub my tummy and you fall asleep. The funny thing now, is if I don’t feel you move around for two or three hours, I get paranoid. OMG! Are you OK? I poke you till you wake up and kick at my prodding fingers. Your Dad, Cousin The Pretty Little Dutch Girl (as much as a teen ager can with her own life front and centre) and I look forward to your safe arrival, as each day passes successfully. You are the next main event!
May 22
Although I am not leaving work for a while yet, I was given a dinner in your honour today, Baby …(just in case you would arrive early) and we were heaped with oodles of goodies, a hooded towel and soft blanket, booties, all in white – my favorite colour for a baby, a mobile for your crib – little zoo animals in a rainbow of colours to catch your eye as well as, can you imagine, a play pen and change table in a striped tiger motive with a matching wall hanging and to top it off a little tiger sleeper – they are the best.
Since most of my co-workers are from Central and South America, I won’t be surprised if you come out singing “La Bamba”. Oh, and of course your Uncle who (married to your Aunt Baby of the Family) works there as well – there is never any telling what he is up to next, so we keep an eye on him, even as we shake our head at his behavior, at times. He is a good old boy, born like us, on the Gaspe – our father knew his father, who knew his father, who knew his father – ya with me?
It was so much fun to rush home and set everything up in your bedroom, it even inspired your Dad to finally take the crib out of the boxes and set it up for your arrival. I will let you in on a secret – if I let your Dad loose in a store, he would buy the store and all its’ contents. But Yuppie Baby, we must not spoil you, you understand. I know it is just not fun having such a down to earth Momma but think of those babies in Africa – if we don’t spend all our money on you, we can support them. I just know that is what you would want.
Your Dad and I have wrangled over your name since Day One. I wanted to call you something royal and majestic, befitting to what you will bring in to the world … like Jasper or Kingsley (I can see you are happy I did not get my way) while your dad thinks the only name for you is John, after him and Opa. As we set up your room, you come through loud and clear to me. You are a boy…to be called “John Robert” you communicate to me by the process of osmosis. I can only imagine how proud my father will be to finally have a grand child named after him. He’ll probably say you are the third prettiest baby in the world ever born – he was the prettiest, so he claims his midwife said… I was the second prettiest because I looked like him (uh…the pictures say otherwise), and since you bear his name (Robert) even if you just look a smidgen like him, you will be the third prettiest baby ever born in the world…..no less.
After all the day’s excitement you develop the worst case of hiccups to date – what I have noticed is after dinner each night, you get the hiccups, your little body heaves and squirms and you try to make them just go away. I try to soothe you by rubbing my tummy but tonight nothing works.
