New Territory....

I rode the bus to middle school everyday and all the 'bus' kids would be seated in the gym bleachers until the first bell rung. It was cool (and safe) to ride the bus back then and we lived in a neighborhood with lots of my friends. So each morning we had maybe 20-30 minutes of social time in the bleachers until school started. I remember a couple of times when one or two of my friends would get off the bus and walk right past our normal spot to the end of the row and make their way to the "Top of the Bleachers". It was where most of the cool 6th graders gathered and maybe, just maybe if you were lucky, you would be invited as a 5th grader to sit one day at the "Top of the Bleachers". As a mere 5th grader, I quickly became fascinated with sitting up top one day and until the day that I experienced it for myself, I watched as the cool kids walked by and took their seat. The seemed so cool in an effortless kind-of way...Nevermind that it was unknown territory, I wanted to be one of those kids.....

This week is 32 weeks. We are going to the doctor bi-weekly now and it wasn't too far back when I was newbie. I remember sitting in the waiting room during our first months looking at all the "'pregnant" girls. I mean about to pop pregnant. They seemed so cool in an effortless kind-of way as well. I knew that I would be where they were in due time, but I couldn't help but think of middle school when I had those same kind of feelings. And now, I am 'one of them' with the belly and waddle to prove it. And each time I see one of the sweet faces of the newly pregnant people around me I laugh a little inside remembering the sweet days I had dreaming of this new territory.
I got invited to sit at the top some in 5th grade and by 6th grade our whole little crew paraded itself there every morning. And as you can imagine, the 'Top of the Bleachers' was NOT what it was cracked up to be I soon found out. However...this stage of pregnancy is more than I could have ever imagined. Each week the anticipation of meeting my baby girl grows along with my waistline. Her clothes are washed. Her bed is made. And her mommy & daddy are ready and thankful for the new territory that she will bring...