Things I Never Want to Forget

Things I never want to forget about carrying Nicknack (in no particular order):

1. The way he always had the hiccups! It worried me to no end;

2. The way he got up in the middle of the morning (between 4 and 4:30am) and bounced, jumped, and did a jig;

3. Singing "Teddy Bear Picnic" to him, especially in the bathtub;

4. Seeing his first ultrasound, at seven weeks. His heartbeat - bink, bink, bink - is why we started calling him Bink Bink, then Bink. In fact, a week after his birth we almost changed his name to Brinkley, because we couldn't stop calling and thinking of him as Bink!

5. The other ultrasound, when we got to really see him for the first time. He waved to us!

6. The joy of shopping at Babies R' Us and belonging!

7. The fun of setting up the nursery. Especially when the glider arrived, just sitting in it, rocking, and imagining
what was to be!

8. The cuteness of the little layette clothes and tiny little diapers!

9. Always wearing pink;

10. Packing for the hospital and buying new things (bathrobe, slippers socks, earrings) so I could look extra cute for this delivery (HA!)

11. Attending the birth classes and reading all the books and feeling like the most prepared (and therefore bound to be the best and most perfect) parents!

12. Always having him with me; taking him wherever I went;

13. Realizing what God had done for us and committing Nicknack to his care;

14. Walking into the bathroom to clean it and noticing myself beaming - just grinning! - in the bathroom mirror, without even intending to... I was just that happy!

15. Putting together the stroller, the crib, etc. It was a hassle, but so neat to see baby gear sitting around the house! Also, driving around with a car seat;

16. The fact that I always thought he'd be a boy, from the second I learned we were expecting. In fact, I'd actually bought some baby clothes before I even found out, because I couldn't resist their cuteness. And, for the first time, it was boy clothing I couldn't resist!

17. The fact that I always predicted he'd be late; he arrived one week after his due date.

18. Finally getting to obsess about baby names and having it not be weird.

19. Coming up with his name, even though it had never made our top ten list, or even been considered. Also, the fact that Penn and I tend to be on the same page about most things, even potential baby names;

20. The feeling of importance and meaning; I was somebody's Mama now. Penn and I felt like more than just a couple now - we felt like a family!