The Awkwardness of the Hedgehog

Dear Simon,

I think it's cute that your mom always starts out her letters by apologizing for not writing more. It's cute because compared to me, she's practically live-blogging this pregnancy. You don't know what live-blogging is, because by the time you read this, people don't blog. They eye-vlog or something with their Google Glass. Actually, there's probably not a Google either. Anyway, that's not the point. I think I promised before both that I would be terrible at keeping up with this *and* that I wouldn't spend all my time apologizing for it. Let's move on to a topic I've been wanting to bring up with you...

You're going to find out about this at some point, so we better just come out and tell you: We used to have a hedgehog. Its name was Pan, and it was a horrible little creature that hated us. We took it back to the pet store when we moved to Rhode Island. ('Rhode Island?!' You're thinking, 'When did you live in Rhode Island? We live in Washington!' At least I hope that's what you're thinking, because if we find ourselves living in Rhode Island again, something has gone horribly awry.) Anyway, back to the hedgehog. I'm telling you about this for several reasons.

First, you would invariably find out about this at a really inopportune time. Maybe we just had a big argument about your grades (Straight A's AGAIN?! We like variety in this family!) or maybe you've just read through these blog posts for the first time and thought to yourself, "Man, I caused my poor mother no end of trouble. All that vomiting. I bet no hedgehog ever caused her that much trouble." It is at these times that you would certainly somehow learn about the hedgehog and spend a lot of time worrying about whether we were going to take YOU back to the pet store for being bad. The answer is no. We love you a lot more than we loved that hedgehog, because it was horrible and you are wonderful, even when we're mad at you. You also aren't covered in spikes. At least I don't think you are. I haven't actually seen you yet outside of a less-than-clear ultrasound shot, but the odds are in your favor here. Not that I wouldn't love you if you were covered with spikes, it would just limit my ability to hug you. But I'd do it anyway. It's also illegal to give your child to a pet shop or circus. Don't ask how I know.

Secondly, it's so when you ask if you can have a hedgehog (or any other horrible animal that people don't generally keep as pets), I can confidently tell you no. Blame your mother for this lesson.

Love,

Dad

31 Weeks!

Hello, Simon!

I'm terrible at keeping up with these entries to you. Sorry about that, peanut, but most of what I do every day revolves around you and your sister, so hopefully you won't feel terribly neglected. For instance, I forgot to post on Halloween and when I was 30 weeks pregnant, but I did wash a bunch of your clothes and blankets, and we've been preparing for you in all sorts of ways. I'm knitting as fast as I can to finish your sister's baby blanket, so that I can start on yours asap. (Your mom is really running behind.) So forgive me, Simon!

As promised, here's Maddie in her second Halloween costume. We went trick-or-treating in Gilman Village, and she had so much fun. I'll take you both next year!

I know what you're thinking. "My sister is so cute!" She really is. And when you arrive, she'll be thinking: "My brother is so cute!" And I just happen to be one very lucky mom, with such cute kids all over the place.

Your Granny Jill visited at the end of October, and your Memere arrived on November 1st. She's leaving tomorrow, which makes me very sad, but she'll be back in January, hopefully long before you arrive. (But not too long. She gets here on January 3rd. Maybe you could try for the 8th? Or the 9th? Honestly, whenever you're ready is fine. But I'd love to not go two weeks past my due date, if that's okay with you.) 

Your daddy and I bought a minivan on Saturday, if you can believe it. Now I'm a mom with a minivan. I really like it! I think Maddie does, too, and I hope you will. It gives us much more space, and it's really nice to have a second car, so that I can take you guys to all sorts of neat places. As soon as I get out of Scary Postpartum Hormoneville, that is. When I had Maddie, I was very lucky in that I didn't have to deal with postpartum depression. However, I did have to deal with a lot of anxiety about driving with my new baby, and about other people touching her, etc. (I even cried every time I took Maddie to the doctor's office for her first couple of months, because I couldn't help worrying about all of the germs in the office.) I imagine I'll be just as hormone-filled this time, too, but I know that it will pass, and I'll be on the road again in no time. 

We're 31 weeks, which means that you're roughly 9 weeks away! How about that! This is what we looked like at 30 weeks:

There is a very big difference in belly size in just the last few weeks! 

Your Memere wants me to say hi for her, and she says: "I love you, and I'll see you in just a few weeks when I'm back in Issaquah!" Just a few weeks! Holy cow!

I love you, Simon. Keep getting chunkier, and prepare yourself for the very wild ride that is labor and delivery. It'll be rough on me, but I bet it'll be much crazier for you, as you're going to be squeezed out like human toothpaste. What a crazy thing!

Love,

Your Mama