Baby Talk
Just two weeks left until the projected birth day for our child. And the way my wife is feeling, I don’t think we’ll make it that long.
In the months leading up to this point, most of the conversation between my wife and I has been about preparation. How are we going to appoint the baby’s room? Will I get a job closer to home? Will we make enough money for the baby to be okay?
Glory be to God, all of those things have been taken care of. Now, the talk is reduced to a few comments here and there about being part-excited, part-scared about what is to come.
My wife is really anxious about what kind of pain she will be in. I’m anxious about if I’ll be a good coach in the delivery room. She’s anxious about how people at church will react, I’m anxious about bringing the baby outside in cold weather.
Both of us are talking to fill the space that will soon be occupied by crying and testaments of love for a child. But at this point, neither of us is saying much. The nervousness is creating a need for us to say something, if for no other reason than to show each other that we are trying to be bold about what’s coming.
But the most interesting part of our family dynamic, is the boldness of the child. The baby kicks without ceasing. I put my hand on my wife’s belly every night and am amazed at how interactive our baby is. I press with a finger, the baby presses at the same point with a foot or hand or whatever is there at the time. I move my hand across her belly, the baby moves to where my palm is.
My wife and I have been reserved in our words, but are trying to talk each other into a comfort zone. And the person we’ve been waiting for, the one who has us totally nervous and out of sorts, has the most to say.
In a special language we are so anxious to hear and see more of.
