Baby news

On the weekend I finished telling family members that I'm expecting a child. I told my sister whilst we watched her 3 year old son have his swimming lesson. He looked very adorable in his 2 piece swim suit and purple/yellow goggles, paddling across between lane ropes, participating in underwater dunks, putting rings on hoops and all the other tasks his teacher asked of him. 

"I think he already knows", I told my sister, thinking of how he kept touching my belly two weeks ago. And she tells me that he had been telling her that his auntie and uncle were having a baby. She humoured him, and he explained to her that it was Andy's baby. She agreed with him Andy was the baby's father and he said "No, Andy's having the baby"! After he got out of the pool, my sister wrapped him up in a towel, removed his goggles which had left rings around his eyes, and announced the news to him. He played along and repeated his assertion that the baby was in Andy's tummy, and touched my belly, unconvinced there was anything there. Then as we left the pool, I asked him if he thought I was having a boy or a girl, "I don't know!" he groaned. "A girl", he then requested. 

I also told his older brothers, they competed in nonchalance, I know they'll be more enthusiastic when it's delivered. Ned has been quite engaged with us lately because A and I have been maintaining our facade that as a ringbearer he has to pay for the rings and collect them from the jeweller. "But I'm a kid! I don't have ID! Don't they know I'm only 10?!" Sunday was a good family day: saw Ned do some pedal prix practice, watched Gus play club soccer (unfortunately they were beaten, and he conceded some goals whilst keeping, up against some very strong goal kickers), but he adapted in the second half and managed to play more of an attacking role, he's great at getting in and intercepting the ball and passing it to his team mates. 

 Then we left, Asher asking again if we were visiting him at his house, this is the second time he's asked, and I'm feeling bad about letting him down. The other reasonably good thing about the weekend, was starting prenatal yoga classes. Before then I was despairing about the navigation of birth options, disheartened because I didn't get into the midwifery group practice, sick of making phone calls and trying to work out what appointments should take place. But the yoga class was in a great restorative space, with a view of a sunlit courtyard, and that made me feel better. The teacher was great, experienced in postnatal care and good at emphasising that birth preparation is about getting your support organised, and doing some investigation. Some other class members are at about the same stage as me, one I've known for years, so it was comforting to find a group to talk to, because I am sure this talk is boring for non-pregnant types. It is also bittersweet: to finally be pregnant, but also to know how hard it was when I was trying without success, how envious I was for pregnant women, unable to be charitable. I know some of my friends are still trying and I'm just so relieved to be off that treadmill.