Week 17

I stood in the shower yesterday unable to look away from my ever-so-protruding bump. My eyes tricked me into thinking I could see my belly growing with every breath I’d take in and out. It’s like I just woke up and wah-lah, a small cargo where my stomach used to be. Just like that, there’s no easing into it. I’ll either have to buy new pants or not complain when my “lack of circulation line” leaves a perma red tattoo around my muffin top. I stare in awe and can’t stop wondering how there could actually be life in my newly found bump.

Kami bought the baby the cutest little shoes the other day. They are brown plaid and so cute that I plan on leaving them on my side table until the day he arrives. Chris’ family also bought our little man something too. It’s a tiny red sox bat with a little note that said, “It’s never too early to be a Red Sox fan." These guys are so thoughtful. I haven’t even got him anything yet. Shopping is normally my thing too. I should be all over it, but I guess my mind has been elsewhere lately. Sometimes when people ask me about being pregnant it takes me a second to remember he’s really in there.

Work has been engulfing every last brain cell I have available. I only slept an hour last night because I had to submit grades today. Normally I would blame my procrastination, but this time it just took so freaking long to read all the papers. I’ve probably got a good 35 hours of correcting in this last week myself, plus Chris and Kami’s help. If you were ever considering being an English teacher, join the circus or wash toilets instead. Besides a few minor breakdowns, I survived and it’s all just a bad dream now.

I did tell my kids at school the news though. Since my classes are 90% boys, I got some interesting remarks back. “What happens in Hawaii doesn’t stay in Hawaii, does it Mrs. Torgersen?” a short boy in the front row chuckled. “Mrs. T, you’re p…the p word?” I heard another boy ask in a very serious tone as if I just told him I had cancer or something. A lot of the kids were surprisingly mad that I kept this secret from them for these last few months. I think my favorite though was a fairly shy kid who I could see squirming with delight as he said, “So, we actually get to watch you get fat…cool!” Oh boys!