There's someone else now

I chaperoned a field trip today for our 8th graders. We went to Bowling Green, KY to the National Corvette Museum...for the third year in a row. I actually enjoy the trip. We get to see how a corvette is put together which, for me, is very cool because I have absolutely no idea about anything on, in, or about cars. After we get to walk through the plant and the museum there is a pretty sweet gift shop filled with coffee mugs, shot glasses, and coozies. There's also other stuff, but all of our kids seem to purchase one of the aforementioned items. The last two years I've received a t-shirt as sort of a payment for chaperoning the trip (I also receive a free meal at Ryan's steakhouse, which should be enough). This year the guy that puts the trip together asked me if I wanted a shirt. Now, I've got enough t-shirts to wear a different one everyday for two months in a row, so lately my wife has been griping at me when I come home with another one. She's not really worried about drawer space, she just wants one herself. Last night we won our city league flag football championship and got a...that's right, a t-shirt. I was thoughtful enough to get one for her, too. So, today as I'm standing, trying to figure out which style t-shirt Davina would want, it hits me that I'm now not just thinking about one other person. I've got another one on the way. I make a direct route to the cashier and ask where the baby/children's section is and she points me to the far left corner. I get over there and have absolutely no idea what size I need to get. I grab the smallest one I can find and decide that's the one I want. I show it to my fellow teacher (who has two daughters of his own) and ask him if he thinks this will fit her. He says, "yeah...in about a year." That's fine, I guess. We'll need some more clothes in a year.

Our nursery is ready to go. We've got everything we need, except the baby. Jordan is kicking and punching and seems to be ready to be here. I walked into her nursery tonight when I got home and laid the shirt I bought her over her crib. What will she be like when she's finally ready to fit into that shirt? What will we be like? I feel like my growth or change as a person has sort of leveled out in the past few years, but I feel a big change coming now. And that's not a bad thing. When I walked into her room tonight to lay that shirt down, I felt proud to be giving something to her; something that I picked out on my own. It'll be three or four years before she is able to appreciate gifts, but that's ok. I'm beginning to feel a little piece of what it's like to be a parent, what it's like to want pass up something for yourself and give it to your child. I think I like it.