Thanks giving

It was nearly two years ago to date that Mike and I found out that were were going to be parents. I'll admit, I was a little suspicious of my "condition"prior to the pregnancy test, but I didn't voice that suspicion. We stayed Wednesday night with my parents because we had to leave super early the following morning to drive with them to Louisiana for my dad's family's to-do in Bienville Parish. I woke up at 5 that morning, restless, and nudged at Mike. "Psst," I said. "We need to go to CVS."

"Huh?"

"Get up, we gotta go get a pregnancy test."

"A what?"

"A pregnancy test."

"Okay. You think this is for real?"

"I don't know, that's why I need a pregnancy test."

So we left on our mission. My mom looked at us like we were crazy as we left the house. I can't remember what we told her we were going to get. Toothbrushes, I think. Something lame.

We got said test and returned to my parents' home. Let me tell you, taking a pregnancy test in one's parents' home is a little unnerving, regardless of the circumstances.

Of course I had pee-freeze (you know, when you gotta go, but you can't for some reason. So Mike was kind enough to run the faucet in the dressing area for me.

Sure enough, no sooner had I "completed" the execution portion of the test, a faint pink line began to appear. I set the test on the edge of the bathtub. Mike and I just stared at it.

"What's that?" he asked.

"It's a pink line."

"I see that. What's it mean?"

"We're gonna have a baby."

"Are you sure? It's not very dark."

We looked at the directions for the test, and of course it said that no matter how faint or dark the line is, a line is a line is a line and that means you're pregnant.

We were elated. We just hugged one another for a few minutes. Then we walked into the living room where my parents were sitting. My mom said, "What are you two up to? Y'all look like the cats that swallowed the canaries."

"Um, we have some news," I said. "Y'all are going to be grandparents."

You'd think we'd given my mom a million bucks. My dad, however, was off in his own little world (probably watching the Weather Channel). Mom said to him, "Rickey, isn't this great?" He says, "Huh?" Mom was pretty exasperated with him at that point. She repeated what we had told her. Dad got this goofy grin on his face and so sweetly (as only a Daddy can) said, "Oh, honey, I am so happy for y'all."

Talk about a great Thanksgiving! Having a child totally gives me new perspective. I find myself worrying about some things that I never even considered important and not caring about things that used to be the be-all-and-end-all. I find myself getting sentimental on a daily basis, thinking about how wonderful this little person is and what a miracle he is. I worry about the state of the world we have brought him in to. I don't worry about a little dust on my end tables. I worry about something bad happening to me or Mike and us not being able to take care of him. I don't worry if he makes a lot of noise in a restaurant. I worry if he's warm enough at night. I don't worry about losing ten pounds.

Priorities change. We become thankful for new things as we move into new life stages. Dust, a quiet dining experience and the perfect weight used to be top priorities for me. Not anymore. My little boy has opened my eyes to a whole new world. His daily changes keep me on my toes and I never get bored. He is a challenge, to be sure, but one that I meet with a willingness that I have never had for any other job in my life. His smiles and hugs are payment enough for me.