This weekend was eventful. My sister, Tanya, threw a baby shower for Christi which meant a weekend visit from friends and family. The first to arrive were Stacy, Kristi, and Amanda. These girls, all married to my buddies in Dallas, have adopted Christi.
Friday evening I joined the four girls for dinner. As the only male at the table I was privy to a completely different form of communication. The priority of dinner was clearly not eating. Words poured out of all four females at a machine gun pace. No pause long enough for a breath, no topic off limits. They discussed waxing, shaving, polishing, buffing, curling, cracking, and bleeding. Next, and in this order, were: driving, television, pediatricians, dogs, movies, breasts, drinking, cats, insurance, and a little sports. The only pause was when the waiter introduced himself and took our drink order. I’ve never been happier to see a gay man in my life. I was able to find a TV in the distance showing a baseball game to occupy my mind instead of trying to keep up with the conversation.
Forced to try to regain some of my manhood, the following morning I drove downtown and bought a new shotgun. I gathered up my nephews and a friend to shoot a little skeet while the girls went to the shower. A shotgun range made for a quiet afternoon compared to the previous evenings dinner. We met up at my sister house shortly after 4pm. Christi had a wonderful time at the shower and received more gifts than our house would hold. A good start to the weekend.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Part 18 - MASSEY 2.0
We’ve passed the second tri-mester mark and we are getting really close to the next phase of our lives – MASSEY 2.0.
As the fateful day approaches, we find ourselves swimming in the enormity of all the preparation. From the beginning, we were aware that Christi may be on house-arrest during the final month (very common in twin pregnancies). We are working with a tight schedule.
We started to develop a checklist of tasks. This list started out modest enough - furniture, family friendly transportation, and a few accessories. Our downfall… gathering too much information.
Friends and family are very liberal with advice on what our babies will need. Our short list of “Shit we need to get done” quickly ballooned into “A comprehensive strategy for Massey parenthood preparedness with a focus on household and lifestyle readiness”. No longer a list; we soon had a Mission Statement, Guiding Principles and Tenets, and a Financial Business Case complete with Risk Assessments. We quickly learned that baby stuff is NOT cheap - particularly when we need to purchase items in pairs. I am now shopping our Business Plan for MASSEY 2.0 and looking for investors seeking equity stake.
In all honesty, things are going really well. We have hit most of our major milestones and are almost complete with the major tasks. MASSEY 2.0 is in full swing and all we need is a shiny new SUV and a couple of kids to throw in the backseat.
As the fateful day approaches, we find ourselves swimming in the enormity of all the preparation. From the beginning, we were aware that Christi may be on house-arrest during the final month (very common in twin pregnancies). We are working with a tight schedule.
We started to develop a checklist of tasks. This list started out modest enough - furniture, family friendly transportation, and a few accessories. Our downfall… gathering too much information.
Friends and family are very liberal with advice on what our babies will need. Our short list of “Shit we need to get done” quickly ballooned into “A comprehensive strategy for Massey parenthood preparedness with a focus on household and lifestyle readiness”. No longer a list; we soon had a Mission Statement, Guiding Principles and Tenets, and a Financial Business Case complete with Risk Assessments. We quickly learned that baby stuff is NOT cheap - particularly when we need to purchase items in pairs. I am now shopping our Business Plan for MASSEY 2.0 and looking for investors seeking equity stake.
In all honesty, things are going really well. We have hit most of our major milestones and are almost complete with the major tasks. MASSEY 2.0 is in full swing and all we need is a shiny new SUV and a couple of kids to throw in the backseat.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Part 17 - Movement
It’s been almost two full months since I wrote my last blog entry. I am making a commitment to post more often, just for the simple catharsis of it all.
Since the accidental discovery that we were having boys, Christi and I have built a much stronger bond with the little guys. We have determined that Judsen is on the left - Owen on the right. They are moving around in there like crazy. Kicking, punching, and rolling around in Christi’s ever-growing belly. I am reminded of the motorcycle act at the circus. You know… the one where two guys on motorcycles go into a huge round cage and circle around each other and upside down.
See what I mean: http://www.vimeo.com/clip:69724/context/tag:circus
Sometimes Christi will be setting quietly on the couch and let out a big “WOW!”… usually because someone has kicked a pancreas, liver, or other major organ. It’s usually followed by an announcement that either Judsen or Owen “is awake”. She will sit for hours on end with her hands rotating around her globe of a belly with a Cheshire grin. I enjoy feeling them move around too but get more enjoyment from seeing Christi happy to know that they are doing well.
Astonishingly, Christi is starting to look a little different to me. I don’t think it’s the proverbial “glow”… it’s something different. Almost a wisdom that I had not noticed in her eyes before. I see her knowing more than I know about life, parenthood, right and wrong. She is ready to be a mommy.
Since the accidental discovery that we were having boys, Christi and I have built a much stronger bond with the little guys. We have determined that Judsen is on the left - Owen on the right. They are moving around in there like crazy. Kicking, punching, and rolling around in Christi’s ever-growing belly. I am reminded of the motorcycle act at the circus. You know… the one where two guys on motorcycles go into a huge round cage and circle around each other and upside down.
See what I mean: http://www.vimeo.com/clip:69724/context/tag:circus
Sometimes Christi will be setting quietly on the couch and let out a big “WOW!”… usually because someone has kicked a pancreas, liver, or other major organ. It’s usually followed by an announcement that either Judsen or Owen “is awake”. She will sit for hours on end with her hands rotating around her globe of a belly with a Cheshire grin. I enjoy feeling them move around too but get more enjoyment from seeing Christi happy to know that they are doing well.
Astonishingly, Christi is starting to look a little different to me. I don’t think it’s the proverbial “glow”… it’s something different. Almost a wisdom that I had not noticed in her eyes before. I see her knowing more than I know about life, parenthood, right and wrong. She is ready to be a mommy.
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