The Journey of Killian J. Kling: April 2007

And then there’s the accumulation of things. Little things. Little shirts. Little socks. Little pants. Little things. Towels and bibs and…belongings. Belonging of someone who isn’t here yet. Evidence, or rather, precursor evidence, of someone who’s still arriving. It’s like someone has moved all their stuff in, but not themselves. Like, freshman year in college, having your roommate move in all their crap. Their bed neatly made with new sheets their mom bought. Clothes, folded and tucked in their drawers, toiletries in a basket, ready for use, and yet this roommate hadn’t yet stepped foot in your shared dorm room. This is kinda like what prepping for our baby’s arrival is like. We have all these things that belong to this person who doesn’t yet belong to the world. All these…things that represent someone, that say things about them; physical, tangible, adjectives. However at this stage, it’s evident now more than ever how much the clothes do not make the baby.

Bassinet circa 1977

This is what our bassinet looked like when Natalie used it as a wee baby.

The 3rd Generation Bassinet

4 weeks!

I can't believe we're less than a month away. Two weekends ago, we were showered with gifts from my beautiful family of women. Mom drove me down to LA as the newly redone bassinet brimming with swaddle blankets and pampers kept us company in the backseat. We arrived at 11pm and of course couldn't wait to set everything up. Even Joel was moved by the tini t-shirts, and familiar children books we put on the shelves. His quote was, "Well THIS makes it real." Sure does. But not as real as the woman I work with who birthed a baby girl 1 week ago and in her postpartum state revealed to me today in detail the gory story of childbirth. So I figure we've got no choice but to hold on for the ride we've got ahead. Meanwhile, the calm before the storm is quite enjoyable.....uncomfortable, but quiet, organized, simple, and full of joyous anticipation.