I mentioned briefly in my 'hurling towards 30 post' that a close friend is expecting her first child later this year. I wish they made an emoticon that accurately showed our reactions when we realized she might be pregnant. We were sitting on the couch watching t.v. and she'd been sick with what we all assumed was the stomach flu for a few weeks. This was her second bout with the flu in less than two months (shoulda been a sign, I know). She mentioned she wasn't sure why she kept getting sick since she's generally a very healthy person and I jokingly threw out a line from an old commercial ('member that one with some chick jogging in the park who says, "I can't concentrate....could I be pregnant?", as if lack of concentration is the only symptom of pregnancy.). We laughed and then, at the exact same time, it hit us that that could actually be the problem (seriously, I've never known anyone to not consider they could be pregnant to the point where they miss their entire first trimester). Three pregnancy tests and a visit to the doctor later, she's now in the process of realizing just how much her life is about to change.
Before I go any further, I should emphasize that I really do love the girl. I've known her since we were about 16 and I can't say I've ever thought about her being a mother. Not that she isn't everything a mom should be, it's just that whenever we talked about someday having kids of our own she always made it seem like that was way far off in the future for her. She met her boyfriend (and future babydaddy) a year ago and I wasn't sure how long he'd be around since he was very much not her "type" (and believe me, she does have a type and she rarely deviates from it). But hes turned out to be a great guy and he really does care about her and that's always a great thing to have in this situation.
What has been thoroughly entertaining for me so far is watching them slowly come to terms with what a monumental change becoming a parent is. Having grown up around kids most of my life and living in the same house as my sister-in-law during the pregnancy process of baby number two (so lovingly chronicled on this blog), and oh yeah, having a kid of my own, I've been through this same song and dance several times. It's never been lost on me that raising kids is a huge responsibility. This particular friend loves my daughter and they spend a good amount of time together but she knows she doesn't have to be a disciplinarian and that she can always give the kid back whenever she wants. That is no longer an option for her once she has her baby, obviously. It's funny listening to the soon-to-be parents talk about what's gonna happen to them in about five months time. They are totally clueless about what they need to buy and what they need to build, whether or not they can build it themselves or should hire someone. Their cluelessness is kinda cute to watch though.
The best baby convo I've had with her so far was when we were in a store and some kid across the aisle started screaming bloody murder and she said she hopes her kid never does that. I laughed cuz, come on now, EVERY parent has to go through that at least once. It's like an initiation ritual. And I pointed out there will be many other things that'll make her cringe or mildly freak out, especially in the beginning. But for everything that embarrasses you, there will be something else that just melts your heart and makes you forget all about it. It's stressful and it's aggravating some days but it is all worth it. So my advice would be to enjoy the next six months because every year after this is gonna seem to fly by way too quickly. It's probably gonna be a steep learning curve for both of you but I have no doubt you'll make awesome parents. After all, you've already made your first kick ass parenting choice in naming me the godfather ;p
