he's home!

i woke friday morning and found i had gotten a couple texts in the middle of the night from chris.
he said he'd changed his flight from the red-eye(which leaves seattle @ 10:30 PM PST and lands in Atlanta @ 6:30 AM EST the next day) to the noon flight out of seattle friday that lands after dinner in atlanta same day.
i was so excited but decided to surprise the kids and not tell them.
we went to our homeschool co-op like any other friday. and i admit i was so distracted by my secret that when a friend hugged me and came away with tearful eyes i was a bit confused. then i quickly thought about why. this could very well be my last co-op. there is one more on the calendar next week but if i have the baby before then...
her long hug followed by tears made more sense and i felt bad that i didn't quite get the seriousness of the embrace until it was over.
chris did text me as he was boarding and i told him I'd pick him up at a marta station north of town instead of the airport- that way the kids would be clueless right up until he came up to the car- heightening the surprise.
we headed home from co-op and the kids began cleaning the house while i cooked dinner. i told them if we had everything done by 8 PM, including after dinner kitchen clean-up, i'd take them out for dessert. so they busted their butts working. we had roasted fish, acorn squash(YUM! so glad it's in season again), and coconut brown rice.
they finished by 8 so we spent 15 minutes finding shoes and getting properly dressed since it was chilly and rainy. i texted chris since i hadn't heard from him. he said he was boarding the train at the airport and could i pick him up at the split so he wouldn't have to transfer.
i got to the station ahead of chris so i had to feign being lost.
"i know it's around here somewhere. i'll just circle the block a few times"
a few times turned into 5 or 6. the kids started to get restless an offer suggestions.
"ask your phone!"
"put it in GPS!"
"let's just go to that yogurt place by tech!"
chris called and said he was off the train and walking towards five guys- the burger place. i knew where that was. i pulled up and idled in front of the restaurant and the kids just sat confused.
"five guys has dessert?"
i saw him walk up to my door in my side mirror. he's home!!!!
the kids were so surprised. john started crying because he wanted OUT of his car seat and daddy to hold him. the older two claimed they knew it was daddy and not dessert- but I'm not so sure.
i'm just glad he's home.
we went to home depot yesterday to load up on paint- we are either selling or renting our atlanta place and it still needs lots of work. and while there and walking around i had quite a few braxton hicks contractions- the practice ones that aren't labor at all. and these contractions used to worry me- but now that he's here they kind of feel nice. i can't convey how relieved i am that baby waited until daddy came home.
and now i'm content to wait some more. typically at this stage of my pregnancy i start to get so uncomfortable and impatient that the waiting is almost torture.
but this time it's different.
don't get me wrong- i'm totally uncomfortable here, but i just want to enjoy our family being together before a new one arrives. i tend to have a bit of tunnel vision for new babies- and i felt bad that chris would come straight from lonesome seattle to us, i'd have the baby- and then proceed to "ignore" him for a few months. chris is a big boy and he understands but it still makes me feel bad for him. but now- every day is family day. and every day i am pregnant is another day i can give my full attention to him and the kids. oh- and every day i am pregnant i don't have to pack a diaper bag! those things! no matter how cute or expensive or full of pockets and zippered pouches the companies make the diaper bags nowadays- i still don't like them. i don't even like purses! they are a necessary evil in my opinion.
anyhow- he's home! thanks for the prayers!
now i gotta make breakfast!