MADternity Leave

Here we are. One day before our due date. My son is loitering in her loins like it’s the front of a grocery store and he’s on a skateboard. He’s literally moving around that much. So we wait. 

She’s been home for about 3 weeks now. Waiting. Oh is that a contraction? {insert heavy breathing in low and deep tones we learned in our Bradley Class. Everything flows down and out} okay back to normal. More waiting. The story of our lives. At this moment. 

At the time when we decided she would go on leave, she was working hard. My wife is a “meeting facilitator” shall we say. During that period she had begun to feel really tired, overworked, and feeling the need to slow down.  Her body was saying you can’t carry on at this pace. So we decided it was time to shut it down. Or she would have this baby in said meeting spaces.  

Those that know us know exactly who she works for. Things with her work started to drastically slow down over the past year. Her job is much like sales. If people aren’t showing up, buying product, and holding up their end of the bargain then our pockets are the ones that suffer. Throughout all of this I’ve been as supportive as I can be. To watch the woman of your dreams fight to get to her dream job, have faith that it’s going to take her to new heights, only to be disappointed by said BILLION DOLLAR company is disheartening. Now here we are on MADternity leave and she’s just that: Mad. Mad at the fact that her pay has been screwy for the past few months with the amount of meetings she facilitates. Mad with the fact that the powers that be don’t communicate as much as she would like them to. Mad that this amazing company is behind in technology and ways that they work with their employees.

Oh yeah and did I mention that she’s been pregnant during most of this. So all of this is magnified by about 5,000. Those of you who have been around a pregnant mom know what I’m talking about.

THE OTHER REASON for this MADternity leave: this baby is not here yet. There’s no rhyme or reason as to why babies come when they do. You can go with the family history angle and if all the women on her side of the family gave birth one way, on time or not, then you’re supposed to follow that pattern. Well guess what Sherlock? Everyone is different. The baby could have come 2 weeks ago or hopefully not 10 days from now. I’ve heard all kinds of stories about early, late, painful, smooth, and crazy birth stories. But, this kind of thing really messes with a woman who has all things floating around in her brain.

They gave me a due date for my baby but will he come on that day? Will I have to wait even longer? Jeez this is painful! 

Yes. It’s painful. We both are awaiting your arrival son. All the shimmying that your doing in mom’s abdomen needs to move itself along. I’m not down with medical induction. But, if I have to I will take matters into my hands.

Now let me find that restaurant that everyone in Atlanta talks about that has 900+ moms on the wall after eating their Eggplant Parmesan.