The Big Shocker

So, that's my uterus up there. And as you can see, it is occupied. Occupied by a very serene looking 12 week old fetus who had pretty bad case of the hiccups when I got to see it on this sonogram about a week ago.

This is a big shocker. A big one. There was no plan for this. There was no remote idea that this would happen. When we found out, it took Bob roughly 14 days to be able to speak in complete sentences. But, God or Nature works in mysterious ways and its going to keep things exciting in Tatertown for quite awile. And my fingernails will look great for another 7 months or so!

Pretty much everyone knows. But we'd held off on telling Connor, mainly because we wanted to get through that first sono and some genetic testing to make sure everything was on - track. But we decided to tell him over Thanksgiving dinner---since what do we have to be thankful for that is possibly more exciting than this?

Coincidentally, I heard a radio show yesterday with a professor from George Mason who talked alot about mindfulness and "being in the moment". I tried to really focus on the interchange between the three of us on this topic, but I have to tell you that it was pretty exciting and it made it challenging. Below are bits of the interchange. Maybe I've got the order wrong, and I'm leaving out the unimportant bits.

To start with, I bought a little baby doll which I tucked under Connor's napkin on the table. We're sitting in a booth and he's inside next to me. He sits up, sees it, grabs it and looks at us and says:

C: What is this?
B: What do you think it is?
C: A doll
D: What do you think it means?
C: I don't know.
B: Take a guess.
C: I really don't know.
B: Connor, you're going to be a big brother.
(Connor's eyes widen and he looks at me puzzled.)
C: What? Huh?
D: Yes. You're going to be a big brother.
(He's still not speaking. His mouth is hanging open. He's holding the doll on the table.)
B: Connor--Mommy is pregnant. There is a baby in her tummy.
C: WHAT? WHAT? YOU ARE PREGNANT? OH MY GOD I AM FREAKING OUT.
(He's breathing heavily. Then, suddenly, he rolls his eyes back in his head and flings himself backward onto the booth bench and then slides slowly under the table. Bob and look at each other and laugh.)
B: Connor, get up.
D: Come on out, honey.
(He slowly climbs out.)
C: YOU ARE PREGNANT? REALLY?
(His voice is high-pitched and stressed)
D: Yes. Really.
C: Let me see that belly. I want to see it.
(He reaches over, lifts up my sweater wrap, and starts to poke and prod all over my abdomen.)

At this point we have about a minute long conversation about how big the baby is right now, etc.

C: Someone needs to take me outside RIGHT NOW.
B: Why?
C: BECAUSE MOMMY IS PREGNANT AND I'M FREAKING OUT AND I NEED TO SCREAM.
(He's smiling and then again does the eye roll and body fling.)

After this, things go on similarly for awhile. He calms down a bit and starts telling all the servers in the restaurant that I am pregnant. We finish up dinner with more joyful hysterics and then Connor and I head to the bathroom on our way to get the car.

In the bathroom, he's calm by now. We're alone and its quiet. He looks up at me.

C: Mom--you're really pregnant? This is not a prank?
D: I'm really pregnant, Connor. Really.
(I now can show him my mildly swollen belly. He touches it gently for the first time. He looks up at me again and looks serious.)
C: Mom. Congratulations.
(He wraps his arms around me and gives me his best hug. I squat down to get on is level and hug him back.)
D: Thank you, Connor. Congratulations to you, too. We will all do this together as a family.
C: I know mom. And when this baby gets here you can love it as much as you love me.
D: Oh, Connor. I'm gonna try. But I love you an awful lot.
C: I know. But we will try.
D: We'll try. But one thing will never change.
C: What?
D: You'll always be my FIRST baby.
C: I love you, Mom
(He is looking at me so seriously with such an eye-lock. Its like a real, adult interchange.)
D: I love you too, baby. Thanks for already being such a great big brother.

We head to the car. When we get there he insists on opening the other side door and telling me that "this is where the baby will sit".

Overall, one of the best nights ever. Don't you think?