Getting the Show on the Road

The first of the long anticipated pair of baby boys is slated to arrive sometime tomorrow afternoon. I tried to explain to E this morning why my sister had to go to the hospital in order to have the baby, expressing the need for the doctor's assistance and how babies generally stay at the hospital for a few days. After which, her eyes grew huge, and she said "I thought the baby got to live at Maria's house." Oh no sweet pea, they stay there. But don't you worry, we'll get a pass just like we have for the zoo, and your dad will take you to visit every Saturday.

A few minutes later, apparently still deep in thought over the matter, she proclaimed, "My brother can just come out by himself." Mama appreciates your confidence in her super human female abilities, but I believe birthing this baby is a task I'll leave to the professionals.

But the excitement is certainly mounting. Yesterday, while exchanging a brief cell phone conversation about the news that my sister would be induced tonight, Pat, in a moment of unusual sappiness said "This finally seems real. On Friday, the boy who could very well be one of our son's best friends for life will be born." It was at that moment that I had to end the conversation for fear of losing my compsure in the middle of the shoe store. When shopping for shoes at 80% off the original retail price, one can show no weakness.

Because my family expresses themselves best with food, my sister handed me a plate full of homemade cookies this morning, when she dropped my niece off to stay, in honor of this day, 29 years ago, when our own mother birthed my own large head and 8 pound body. In exchange, I handed her a plate full of cookies I had made for her in honor of the arrival of her first son and the last day she could ingest extra calories without a second thought. With cookies exchanged, nothing else needed to be said.

In a week when we're celebrating births both past and present, it takes a bit more effort to derail my good humor. Lady Luck certainly made her best effort yesterday when I got to my car, after shopping with E, only to realize that my keys were locked inside the car. Insult was added to injury when AAA told me they wouldn't come assist me because my name wasn't on our family's account. (What?) And just as I was railing against this injustice to Pat, my cell phone died. It was at that moment that I thought that it would only be appropriate for my water to break. Then, I realized, that wouldn't happen, because, at this point, I would consider my water breaking to be good luck. But the kindness of a Barnes and Noble employee, an employee of the shopping center, and a good humored police office restored my faith in the kindness of strangers and kept my own good spirits on track. Had I had to pay someone to open the lock (thus negating the excitement of getting my kids' summer wardrobe for next summer for $3 an item and $6 shoes for myself), it may have done damages that not even a plate full of chocolate chip cookies could repair.