Gratituesday: A Life Changing Evening!

We woke, headed to work, rushed home and drove to our next to last Bradley Natural Childbirth class.  On the way home, we stopped to pick up a pizza.  Pizza after Bradley Class had become a fun Friday tradition. As we sat watching Emeril and eating pizza, a ripple moved across my very large belly… and then another… and another.  Patrick joked that our little bundle of joy, due May 1, “was packing to prepare for his move.”

Little did we know how right he was.  I had already decided earlier in the week that I would not return to work on Monday; I was going to take a few days for myself before the baby arrived.  My reports were written, files were in order, my desk organized and straightened.  I was relaxed and anxiously anticipating the arrival of our little boy…

I did not, however, think I would be holding him in my arms less than 12 hours later!

That last evening before children was a fun, relaxing evening.

 Quite a change from this evening, nine years later.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010:

The boys dined on hastily prepared peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as I cleaned up the sticky mess from a can of clear coat that exploded all over our front hallway:  the wood floors, Ryan’s new bike, his bike helmet, my ski jacket, and several other things that happened to be in the way of the pressure-backed spray!  I certainly wasn’t relaxed or filled with anxious anticipation as I shooed them off to bed, still trying to scrape the stickiness off of the hardwood floors.

Now that the mess is somewhat contained, and the boys are tucked into bed, however, I have time to sit and think… quietly, on my own… and, despite the mess of this evening, I am truly grateful.  I am grateful for that evening of joyous anticipation nine years ago… and for all of the adventures I have experienced in the nine years since that evening.