Assembly required, batteries not included

One of the things I have loved most about this pregnancy has been watching Chad through it all. In the beginning, he was happy, yes, and excited, sure, but still went about daily life without much of a change. (He was very accommodating on our trip last fall, I will admit – if I said we had to leave someplace NOW to get me some food or I would start dry heaving, he made sure we left!) Time went on – I started fattening up, we had the ultrasound, the doctor’s appointments got longer and involved more – and Chad started to talk about the baby more, framing future events with respect to three of us rather than two. The last month or two has been the tops. Every day we have so many days left of work, so many days until the due date, it could be today, it could be tomorrow – are you ready? Because I am!!

The other day I came home to find something new in the nursery. I think it’s called a Gymini – Renee gave it to us a while ago. It’s basically a play mat, with toys that hang over top of it, and you lay the baby on it while they’re still young and immobile so they can kick and bat at the toys. The whole thing has tons of bells and whistles (the mat also makes noises and plays music and could probably find a cure for the common cold if given a chance), but folds down into a neat little package. I had it in its package, stored in the closet until we were ready to use it.

So I came home, went upstairs, and found the entire thing pulled out of the closet, fully assembled, and loaded with fresh batteries, sitting squarely in the middle of the rug on the nursery floor, and Chad was testing out all the different songs it plays and other features it has. I stopped in for a while to check it out with him, and then suggested either putting it back in the closet or at least pushing it up against the wall to leave more floor space available. To which Chad replied, the whole point is that the baby’s play area is here on the rug in the middle of the floor, so the toys belong on the rug, and why would you want to put it back in the closet? Clearly puzzled.

Things like this endear him to me so much. I just can’t wait to have this baby, if for no other reason then to see the look on his face when it happens. Well, maybe not immediately. Knowing Chad, he'll be looking pretty grossed out when it happens, and might even get a little light-headed. But shortly afterwards - that is something I am really looking forward to.