Week 74 – More, more, more!

“More, more, more!” her nieces and nephews chanted as they sat at the table, empty ice cream bowls in front of them.

Why had she thought she could do this?

She wasn’t a kiddie person, and while she loved her siblings and their children she didn’t know why she thought she could look after all six of her nephews and nieces at once.

She had lost her mind.

That was really the only explanation she could think of.

“No more ice cream,” she told the screaming munchkins. “But you can go watch a movie and I’ll make some popcorn.”

A chorus of yays echoed through the kitchen followed by the sound of six pairs of little feet as the kids rushed off to the living room.

She looked around the kitchen and groaned. What a mess. This was going to take hours to clean up. How could six little people do this much damage in just a couple of hours?

“Hey.” Arms slipped around her waist and she was pulled back to rest against a strong chest. “Did you check?”

“No.”

“No? Why?”

“Because I don’t want to know.”

He chuckled. “Babe, you’re going to find out sooner or later anyway. Lets go look together.”

She didn’t want to but she didn’t fight when her husband took her hand and led her to the bathroom where her life could change forever.

“Do you want to do it?”

“No, you do it.” She had never been this afraid about anything before in her life. “Yes or no?” she asked when she heard his sharp intake of air. “Yes or no?” she repeated, unsure which answer she wanted to hear.

“Yes.”

Her eyes flew to his. “Yes?”

He grinned back, then put his hands on her waist and picked her up, swinging her around the small bathroom. “Yes.”

This was really happening.

She had been trying not to think about it for weeks. Avoiding it any time her husband brought it up. Blocking it from her mind as best as she could.

“Aren’t you excited?” her husband asked as he set her back on her feet.

“I’m terrified,” she admitted, hating that she had to say it, she was letting down the person she loved most in the world.

“Baby,” he smiled, and tucked her hair behind her ear and then cupped her cheek in his hand, “everyone is scared when they find out their about to become a parent for the first time.”

“I’m not ready. I’m not good with kids. What if I mess up our baby’s life? What if I’m a horrible mother?”

“No,” he said softly, kissing her forehead then putting his hands on her stomach. “You’re going to be an amazing mother. We’re both going to make mistakes but we are going to love this baby so much.”

“Our baby, we’re really having a baby,” she giggled as tears began to stream down her cheeks.

“We’re having a baby,” her husband echoed.

“Kiss me,” she curled her hands around his neck and pulled his head down so his lips could meet hers. She was still unsure about being a good enough mother, but they would learn together, and her husband was right, they would love this little baby more than anything else in the world.