When Lightning Strikes!

I remember the exact moment I decided I was ready to be a mom.  It hit me all at once.  Like a lightning bolt from the sky -- BAM!  I was ready.  Now.  Time to make it happen.  Unfortunately for Todd, there was no warning.  I hadn't been "ooh"-ing and "ahh"-ing over babies for weeks.  I hadn't been stifling a ticking clock.  We were living a "yuppie" lifestyle (to use a term from our generation) - working, playing, enjoying life.  Then, one Sunday morning, sitting in church -- BAM!  It's time for a family.

Over the years, I've tried to remember what Dad was preaching about that day, or what songs were sung, but I have no idea.  Truth is, I don't think the sermon or music had anything to do with my epiphany.  There's never any warning when lightning strikes.  It just happens.  BAM!  Looking back, the smart thing to do would probably have been to bring it up to Todd over dinner or while driving in the car.  Instead, I leaned over right then and whispered in his ear, "I want to have a baby."  Just like that.  No warning.  No discussion.  I'm sure it took him completely by surprise but, to his credit, he just quietly grinned and whispered back, "Let's talk about this later, ok?"

I really don't remember, but I'm sure the discussion went something like this:  "I want to have a baby, what about you?"  "Ok.  Let's do it."  I think, though it didn't hit him with the same immediacy, he was just as ready as I was.  We'd been married for three years and had been having a ball!  We worked Monday through Friday and spent our weekends footloose and free - garage-saleing (one of our favorite things to do), going out to eat, catching a movie, or hopping in the car for an impromptu getaway!  We enjoyed those first three years together, but now we were ready to share our lives with someone new.  A bit of him and a bit of me, mixed into a cute little bundle of sweetness.

Soon, we were blessed with an adorable baby boy, Nicholas Edward.  He was sweet and perfect.  We were so happy.  Our house was a home.  It was no longer just a stopping off place before heading to the movies, going out with friends, or taking weekend trips.  Now, it was a place to be together, to retreat from the rest of the world.  It was a place of lullabies and cuddling, and before we knew it, rough-and-tumble wrestling, digging in the dirt, playing with trucks and toy guns, patching skinned knees, reading stories, and tickle time before bed.  And that's when it hit me - like a lightning bolt from the sky -- BAM!   We were a family.