I am set to have my baby

Anne Wambua continues with her story journey towards having a second child.

‘I have never planned for anything before like I have for this baby. I am practically counting the days to my EDD. January seems to far. I cannot wait for Christmas to come and go’.

As I write this, it is 9am: and I have already had two meals. I feel constantly hungry. When I do, nausea soon follows. So I have to eat, instantly and constantly—I feel faint when the hunger pangs strike. But when I have a bite of food or sip a drink, the feeling dissipates as quickly as it came. Strange. It is like a raging fire dying away after being doused with water.

I am very pregnant. My stomach is big, and now I can feel the weight. I have learnt to wake up from bed in style, and also to turn in bed in style. I went to clinic last week, and I found out that I had added 2kgs. I was pleasantly surprised. This is because since I got pregnant 30 or so weeks ago, I have only been adding 1kg per month. But in the last one month this has doubled. This is good news. It means my baby is growing. The doctor promised me that the weight will from now on build up steadily. I do not mind. And I am glad, for any weight I add seems to be going to my tummy, and no where else. My face has not changed: my arms and legs are the same. My friends tell me I am lucky. I know I am; pregnancy can really alter ones’ entire look. Actually it is hard to tell I am expecting when you see me seated. It is only when I get up that you will be surprised at my bulging tummy.
I cannot wait to have my child, to see him grow. I see pictures of mothers holding their infants and this fills me with so much excitement and warmth. It will soon be my turn. I had a baby shower last Saturday. Actually, my sister Rose held one for me. It was a complete surprise. All along I have thought I am the secretive and creative one. But then I got to rethink this. I understand that for close to a month my loved ones have been plotting how to surprise me. And surprise me they did. Playing the ultimate sleuth, my hubby somehow got hold of my phone and accessed the numbers on my phone book. He got contacts of my friends that my sister needed. Then they went ahead to hatch a plan on how they would catch me unawares.
On this Wednesday evening I listen on to a conversation between the two of them.
We shall be going to view my sister’s car which she intends to sell. A friend of my hubby is keen on buying one like that, I hear. I enquire on who this interested party is and I am informed that I do not know them yet. And so I shall take him (my hubby) there on Saturday afternoon. Mentally I quickly cancel the dates I had set for this day. And I look forward to going for this long drive with my beloved—my sister stays in the outskirts of the city.
I walk into her house to be greeted by a group of about 20 girls, shouting ‘surprise’. It was all I could do not to burst into tears.
I was deeply touched. How could I have been so blind? And to think that I had been constantly in touch with these people. Is it not only yesterday that I spoke with Irene? And she did not send any signal. And the day before yesterday I sat down with Eunice and Eda for a long coffee chat! I even find Ruth, a neighbour. I feel cheated. In a nice way.
It is an awesome baby shower. The food is good and so is the company. We have lots of girl talk and the gifts are beautiful, thoughtful. So now I have most of the baby stuff. I was looking at it later on after the event and it hit me that yes. I really am going to have a baby. The sweet little items are enough to make even the coldest of hearts go mellow. I am not a planner by nature. And neither is my man. But this time round I am prepared. This weekend the baby cot will be ready. And last week we rearranged our home to accommodate our soon to be born child.
And my dear mother got me a house help. I finally gave in to the idea of someone helping me run the house. All along I have felt that it is still too early to have one. But my hubby has been feeling sorry for me. He tells me that with extra hands I will now be able to paint my nails and rest more. I have never had a live-in help before. My life is sure going to change. Today I woke up to find that she had packed my lunch and breakfast. And as I left for work I thought to myself—not bad. Now I know it will be a while before I eat my husband’s cooking. But all is in order.

END: PG18/14-15