2004-06-25 - 8:32 a.m.
I am losing my waist. I can tell plain as day. At 110 pounds, pregnancy can show up fast. Yikes, I am losing my waist. I can only hope I'll get my figure back after I give birth to Pebbles (or Bamm Bamm). My little Sippy Cup will be the luckiest kid on the planet. Here are my reasons why I believe that:
*Sippy Cup's Ciocia will be the best aunt since she's never been an aunt before (at least, not through blood). She will be Sippy Cup's ONLY Ciocia. Although I feel slightly guilty about not making her an aunt sooner, I know that the wait will be worth it. She is a divine mother and an all-around great human being, no matter what her teenagers tell her. She is patient. The best smell in the world to her is baby smell. She is fascinated with the whole birthing process and can tell me what to look out for. There isn't anything she doesn't know about newborns, infants, and toddlers. She is a nurse. She will mold and shape my baby's head. She drops what she's doing to talk to me. She will kick my husband's ass and tell him what needs to be done after we come home from the hospital. And he will have no choice but to listen to her. Otherwise, she will rip out his balls through his nose. She will, in a sense, become me. My sister loves me and she loves the baby inside of me. She's known me since the day I was born and she has my best interests at heart. She can fold laundry, race after a toddler, talk on the phone, beat the dogs, and burn dinner all at the same time. I want to be like her. I've wanted her kind of life for a while now. I'm going to get what I've wished for. She and I will be comrades as I slip into the motherhood frenzy. And she will be my ally.
*Sippy Cup's Uncle will be called "Uncle" because he will be the closest uncle to the baby. He doesn't need to be called "Uncle-followed-by-his-name" because he will be the only uncle who truly matters in Sippy Cup's life, on a daily basis. If anything ever happens to me and my husband, I want Uncle to raise Sippy Cup. Period. Plus, if the baby is a boy, you can be sure his Uncle's name will be a part of his. My brother is an extraordinary human being. He has grown so much and has become an inspiration to the lives he touches every day. He will love my baby so much it will hurt. If there's anything I know, it's that my brother is the strongest man I know. He has broken evil chains and has shown me that believing in yourself is the key to finding happiness. He is a happy man. He has so much love inside of him. And he is my hero. He will be Sippy Cup's hero, too.
*Grandma will steal the baby from me and love it all the days. She will rock Sippy Cup, sing songs, and let me sleep, if there will be such a thing after I give birth. She will be an amazing Grandma, like she is to my nieces and nephews. She will take immense pleasure in watching the baby learn and grow and become lovelier each day. My Mom will play the piano for the baby. In fact, when the baby's at her house, he/she will sleep under the piano as Mom plays. Sippy Cup will inherit Mom's love of music and art. She will stare at the baby when he/she sleeps, just for the sake of doing so. She will secretly give my baby gifts and spoil it rotten, no matter what anybody says. My Mom is the greatest woman I've ever met. She can do anything. She will be a constant positive influence in my child's life. What more could I ask for?
*Punka will hold Sippy Cup and speak in his low, calming "Punka-with-baby" voice. He will love my baby as much as he's ever loved anything in the world. My Sippy Cup will inherit my and my father's love of the Northwoods. My father is so good with babies. When my baby gets older, he will teach Sippy Cup how to fly kites, how to cast a fishing rod, how to build a styrofoam airplane (and fly it successfully), how to make a big breakfast, and how to putt golf balls on the side lawn. He is amazing. He has taught me many things and he will pass them on to my Sippy Cup. He will care for my baby while I go to work. I don't trust anyone but family on this one. I don't want strangers watching my kid. I want the best for my baby. The best person with babies is my Dad. If my sister lived closer, I'd have them take turns, since she gets her love of babies from our Dad. I love my Dad and I'm grateful for every day he is alive. Fathers are so important.
*Gram is another story. She's all piss and vinegar (which is where I get it from). She doesn't like "bad" babies. She hates toddlers. She detests the crying, pooping, running around the house, sitting on the furniture, kissing the dogs, and anything having to do with raising kids. I'm amazed she had any kids at all, and that they didn't murder her while she slept. I love my Gram, though. And I love her so much, despite her somewhat caustic attitude. I may be the only one that doesn't dislike her as often as others do. None of her grandchildren come to see her, but she only gets mad at certain ones. Ciocia Fatty's kids can never do anything wrong, even if they don't see her for a year. And Ciocia Fatty is a saint. BITE MY ASS! I want my Gram to be a part of my child's life, even if it means whoopin' Gram upside the head to make her nicer. She's nice to me, but not to anyone else. She must be nice to my baby or I will kill her in her sleep. (I had a sinister smile on my face as I wrote that. Could you tell?) I love my Gram more than anyone else does. She has no choice but to love my baby or she won't have ME anymore. No need to share that with her. She and I get along on a very unique level. I'm the only one who can put her in her place when it's necessary. She has seen me at my best and at my worst. Nevertheless, she's always been there for me. She taught me how to crochet, how there's no such thing as "can't," how you make the best of what you've got, and what happens to you when you don't forgive. I've been blessed with a Gram who loves me no matter what. I just wish she extended that love to others, the way she does to me. She has a lot of love inside her and a lot of life experience behind her. She just isn't good at showing her love to the others who matter, too, sometimes. She will adore my Sippy Cup because I won't give her a choice. My Sippy Cup will be the best baby, no matter what, and she won't be able to argue with that.
*As for Sippy Cup's cousins, they'll be grateful that all eyes won't be on them anymore. They can screw up and no one will care because my baby will be the center of attention. I'm sure they'll be relieved to not be on stage anymore. The youngest cousin will have someone closer in age to him to play with when he comes to visit. He will hold the baby's cheeks and kiss her/him softly because he likes babies, too. The older cousins will take turns carrying the baby. Sippy Cup's legs will be black from all the love. They are all great with babies because they get it from their Mama.
*Sippy Cup's Uncle Bill will, no doubt, make my baby a Bears fan. He will teach my baby about the importance of the colors navy blue and orange. Sippy Cup's Uncle Bill will love watching our family get bigger. He's all for lots of love in the house. He loves children, babies, toddlers, you name it. He can teach my baby about "TT-Daddy Day" and sing crazy songs about anything. He can teach about the importance of chip shopping, golf ball hunting, and music, music, music. I look forward to it all. Maybe he'll be able to teach Sippy Cup how to make money when he/she's older and how to save it.
The way I see it, my baby will be the luckiest baby in the world because nobody has a family as great as mine. We have been through much together and have come out ahead. There are so many reasons I feel lucky to have them. I don't need to name them because they already know them in their hearts. Money, success, and happiness mean nothing if there's no one to share it with. My family is a constant support system for me. I am grateful to know each and every one of them and to be a part of all their lives. I understand what the word "family" truly means. It means never having to be alone.
I love you guys more than you'll ever know! And Sippy Cup loves you, too!
