Recent Things (Dad)

It's been a great joy getting to feel my boy squirm around and kick. Increasingly these past couple of weeks, I've been able to catch him during his wiggly sessions. Almost without fail, if I place my palm on Danielle's belly, I'll feel at least a bump or throb within seconds. Every once in a while, I'll feel a hard kick, or even a snaking movement that trails across her belly. I've even seen movements from across the room. Our boy's getting big!

You would think these things would help it sink in a little more - and it does - but sometimes, it's still quite unreal to me. I just can't imagine what he looks like! For whatever reason, I've never had trouble picturing what our little girl would look like: basically, exactly like Danielle in her baby pictures but with darker hair and squintier eyes. But a boy? I just don't know. I don't even have an image. I hope I recognize him when he comes out.

Actually, I did experience a moment this past week when it all finally hit home. Danielle and I took a hospital tour on Sunday, and the moment we entered the delivery / recovery room, I felt the breath sucked out of me. I didn't have time to think about it for long, though, because that's when I noticed my wife had gone completely white and her eyes had grown to abnormal proportions. I think we both caught a taste of what to expect in three short months. Once we get to that hospital, it's like boarding a train that won't let us off again until we've seen a whole new world.

What a fun time, though. Danielle's hanging in there better than I could have hoped. Just yesterday she ran out to trim the hedges because they were getting to be an eyesore. This is the girl who earlier this summer declared that the yard was my domain. And after the basement flooded, she helped me sort all our soaked crap. I think the nesting instinct is spilling over from the nursery to the whole house. Hooray for me!

And the only other thing worth noting is that we've narrowed names down to a short-list. Like all indecisive procrastinators, it's not locked, but it's becoming obvious to me that we're pretty set on them. Though I can't picture our boy, I think I can almost hear us calling his name. (And don't bother asking, because we're not telling!)

That's all for now. Three more months! Yikes!