Long Time No See

Sorry it's been so long since I've written much. We've been getting all sorts of things done around here, recovering from those rough days in early July. Your Grandma Sue passed away on July 6, the bathroom and kitchen were both in a state of complete disarray, and Dad and I managed to get something that felt an awful lot like bronchitis, which took me quite awhile to really get over.) And we drove to New Orleans and back - was too late for me to fly and your dad really wanted me to be able to go with him, both so he could keep an eye on us and so I could rest up some.

It was a great trip! We drove to Cincinnati, spent the night with your great-great-aunt Betty, who is so very excited about your arrival (she made you a crib quilt and her husband, Robert, helped make you a pillow), drove to Hattiesburg, Mississippi the next day, and then rolled into the French Quarter on Thursday morning in time for Dad to rehearse his talk. We stayed at the Hotel Monteleone on Royal, which is a beautiful old place, and were up on the eleventh floor with views of the Mississippi and the Quarter. Your dad was speaking at the Historic New Orleans Collection's Antiques Forum, where everyone thought he did a great job. We ate well and I fed you plenty of beignets, which we occasionally ate while soaking in the tub, so that I didn't cover you and the rest of my stomach with powdered sugar! Dinners at Delmonico's and Cafe Degas (and the Hotel Monteleone) along with lunches at K-Paul's and Bayona, so I think you grew quite a bit while we were there.

But we had to start home eventually, so we left New Orleans on a Sunday afternoon (after a patience-trying stop at Cafe du Monde) and drove to north Alabama where we spent the night with your great-aunt Judy, who also made you a crib quilt, and the next day we hauled ourselves the rest of the way home. Your Grandpa Gerald was positive that we were crazy and that you'd be born on the road somewhere, but we made it back safely and had a good time. And you can consider yourself inaugurated for road travel, which you'll probably be doing a lot of over the years. Dad and I like our road time, to catch up and debate and visit with each other, to listen to audiobooks and music, to watch the scenery roll by, seeing new places and finding new restaurants and B&B's. You'll be making your way to Deerfield with us in just a few weeks, I hope.

So now things are mostly ready for you. Bathroom still needs a bit of trim work and paint and the kitchen counters are stored in the barn, waiting for your dad to have a weekend free, but otherwise, we're pretty much set - just waiting for you! We can't wait to meet you - to find out who you are and what you look like and what you think and what you like. You've been growing in there so long and we've been planning on you, but we don't know very much about who "you" are, so we're (especially your dad) getting impatient for you to get here.

If you have babies someday, I hope you have as easy a time of it as I have had with you. The last few weeks have gotten a bit uncomfortable, as you're growing really fast now and needing more room on a near-daily basis, and I've cried a little bit, mostly frustrated with trying to sleep so I can be as rested up as possible when you arrive and need me, but otherwise, you've hardly been any trouble at all! I'll miss having you in there, as you've been good company, and I've gotten used to all your little wigglings and twitches and squirmings.

And if I'm not here to tell you when it happens, it'll all be okay and everyone has the kinds of thoughts, worries and concerns that you'll have. I've wished that your grandma Tish was here a lot, because I'm pretty sure she worried about me the same way: was this a good idea, will I be any good at it, what if we don't like each other, how will I manage everything, will I lose myself or my marriage, etc. That's all normal, normal about any big life moments, actually, because we typically want guarantees that things will work out the way we want them to. Babies, marriage, and the rest of life don't come with guarantees though, and you have to step out on faith and believe in your ability to cope with whatever comes along, which is scary sometimes. But I've done that a number of times over the years, and we'll talk about all that someday when you're here and interested, but it's always worked out well. Your aunt Erika likes to say that boldness is rewarded in life, so walking forward in faith and confidence ready to make things happen is a pretty good way to find out what's important to you and to make things happen. There aren't any guarantees, but if we knew exactly what we were going to get before we opened the package or exactly what we were going to see before we left home, there wouldn't be any point in anything, would there?

So, with just a few days before you're due, Sept. 2, I'll leave this here. Not sure if I'll have a chance to write again before you arrive, but I'll work to remember everything about the day you get here and tell you all about it. (And getting here soon would save your grandpas lots of phone calls - they're pretty much calling every day now for updates, like they think we'd have you and not call them right away!) Meanwhile, rest up - you've got a big journey and big transition ahead of you too, and we're all out here waiting to meet you. So many unknowns right now, but I know this and you should too: we love you and are looking forward to meeting you! Much love, Mama