One thing I’ve noticed about getting married is that you’re instantly put in the “Baby Watching” spotlight. Every movement is critiqued and you hear whispers from the peanut gallery every time you opt for decaf or offer to be the evening’s designated driver.
In my situation, I’m pretty lucky. My family knows that my husband and I are waiting to go down that road until next year (after I'm finished with my intense and demanding MBA program). Most of the conversations we have about children are light hearted and presented in more of a “won’t it be nice someday” tone.
Of course, at my nephews birthday party this weekend, my aunt greeted me loudly with, “So when is the baby coming?!” <cringe> After immediately making a mental note to up the ante on the weight loss efforts, I responded nonchalantly with some comment on how we’re waiting until next year. ThankYouVeryMuch.
So, obviously, I’m not immune to the baby comments. Believe it or not, even the UPS delivery man has asked me when I’m going to procreate. (Awkward!)
Even though I know that my husband and I made the right decision as far as timing goes, I have to admit that every now and then I get a little wistful about waiting. It starts off innocently enough – taping A Baby Story here, visiting The Nest there, and the next thing you know, I’m browsing for “Baby Book Lots” on eBay and checking out my company’s maternity policies.
If it’s this hard to avoid getting sucked into the baby-mania marketing extravaganza now, what will become of me when I’m actually expecting? Am I destined to spend hour upon hour researching the pros and cons of the latest baby debates, taping the entire TLC morning lineup, and accosting family and friends (or, heck, even the UPS guy) for their opinions on vaccines and sleep techniques?
If I’m being honest, I know I’ll get a bit carried away by the research and preparation phase when the time comes. Isn’t that almost a rite of passage?
In the meantime, I’m going to try and resist the impulse to hit the "record" button so often and instead focus on enjoying my newlywed life. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that my summer classes start next week; I think I need the distraction.
