I’m writing this on May 1, and as of today, my baby Carson was due a week ago.  We all thought he’d come early, so for the last two weeks, Andy has been ready.  He’s said good-bye to his students, prepped his substitute plans, and come home Friday night ready to start his paternity leave.  But every Monday morning, Carson has sent him back to work.

Now that Carson is expected any day, every one in our family keeps adding one more thing that needs to get done before he arrives.  My eldest son Colin wanted to go to the car show in town.  (He made it!)  My sister’s birthday was today, and she wanted Carson to wait until that passed.  (Check.)     Colin’s birthday is in March and Annabelle’s is in April, so both kids wanted Carson to wait until May so that each of them could have their own birthday month (even though I told them that the birthday month is Not a Thing).  Poor Carson probably thinks there’s never a good day to come.

I like birth dates that are multiples.  I was born on 7-14, Colin on 3-6, and Annabelle on 4-4.  I love that, so I get excited whenever a multiple date crops up as the potential big day.  But now that his arrival has slipped farther and farther past my due date, the chances of him hanging on until the next multiple seem slim.  Andy was born 9-2—not a multiple.  I do love Andy, so I’m trying to accept the possibility that good people can be born on non-multiples.  Maybe.  But wouldn’t Andy be even more awesome if we celebrated his birthday on 9-3?  (Andy says no.)
Here’s an exciting thought.  The next multiple is 5-5, Cinco de Mayo, and I was born on Bastille Day.  That would mean we’d both be born on international holidays.  How’s that for a fun subcategory of multiples?    So maybe Carson should wait a little longer.

People love to ask the kids if they’re excited to get a new baby brother, and both Colin and Annabelle go disturbingly silent at the question.  Sometimes one of them will mumble a yes because they know that’s the expected answer, but they haven’t yet learned the art of faking sincerity, so no one is convinced.  Colin has confessed he has anxiety about our new addition and would prefer things to stay as they are.  I understand that.   He still has memories of learning to share his parents with new baby Annabelle, and that was a tough and long transition for him, even though she is his best friend now.  Naïve little Annabelle, who has never experienced another baby popping into the family, claims she’s excited about becoming a big sister.  Great!  I don’t have to worry about her.  But recently we talked about a future outing, and when I mentioned Carson would come with us, she was shocked.

“I thought we’d leave him at home,” she said.

“No!  He’s your brother.  He’s going to come everywhere with us.”

“Oh.”  She thought about this.  “But maybe sometimes we’ll just leave him at home.  Like Rocky.”

Yeah, so she might not be quite as on board as I thought.

Here’s a fun update.  As I was writing this, I started having contractions, and less than two hours later, Carson was in the world.  So uncheck that box about not having the baby on my sister’s birthday.  (Sorry, Whitney.)  But, May 1 is a multiple!  And it’s May Day—an international holiday!  It’s in May, so Colin and Annabelle are also happy that everyone has a distinct birthday month, and order is maintained.  Baby Carson has learned his first life lesson that it’s impossible to please everyone—and his second lesson that if you have to choose who to please, choose the person who’s in charge of your food supply.

Kirstin Odegaard runs the Benicia Tutoring Center. Read and comment on her writings at kirstinode.wordpress.com.

Sharing is caring!