She's Having A Baby. . .

As I write this my best friend, Wendy, is having a baby girl. My husband and I spent the night at their house last night so we might be there when her little two-year-old woke up this morning. At this stage in my own pregnancy, it is strange to think about the end, the contractions and the hospital with its bright lights and funny smells, the motions of the baby coming into the world. It seems like such a difficult thing.

I am not afraid of the pain--not yet, anyway-- because I know that it will be so overshadowed by the joy. But this baby in my own belly is still hiding out. It's not thinking of making itself known yet. So often I catch myself staring at my abdomen (which is already larger but I don't know if this is from the baby or the range of digestive issues that come with being pregnant) and thinking, "Just stay in there. Stay here with me." And the moment when that baby is ready to come out feels so far away that I really can't conceive of it. No pun intended.

Yesterday some parts of my body which will remain nameless became fiercely sore. I keep picturing these dreaded HGB chemicals swirling around in my blood, making me feel this strange and unpredictable way. Another recent sign is the emotional rollercoaster. Yesterday I cried at a trailer to Charlotte's Web. Pathetic, but true. I keep thinking about that famous I Love Lucy episode where Ricky sings "She's Having a Baby" to Lucy when he finds out she's pregnant, and even the thought gets me a little choked up:

We're Having a Baby- (sung by Ricky Ricardo)
We're having a baby, my baby and me
You'll read it in Winchell's
That we're adding a limb to our family tree
We're pushing our carriage
How proud I will be
There's nothing like marriage
Ask your father and mother and they'll agree
He'll have toys, baby clothes
He'll know he's come to the right house
By and by, when he grows
Maybe he'll live in the White House
Our future looks brighter
But definitely
We're having a baby
We're having a baby
We're having a baby
My baby and me