A Revelation

Today I was meeting with my co-worker Chris who will be covering my maternity leave. We were going over the calendar for October/November/December and the finer points of what will be happening while I am away. As I was counting 12 weeks from my due date, that put us at January 5th as my return date. Really, when you think about retail jobs, I will be away during the best 3 months...Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. My co-workers tease me that I planned to have a baby in October just so I could be gone for the Christmas season! While that is definitely not true (after all we went through...we would have been happy with a baby born at ANY time of year!), it really will be nice to be "home for the holidays" with the baby. It is sure to be unlike any holiday season we have ever had! And ironically, I will probably be twice as tired as I have ever been working a Crate&Barrel holiday season!

Then I had a revelation. What if the baby comes early?! A week or 2 early puts me back at work right around Christmas week!!!! Can you imagine a worse time to return to your retail job and adjust to juggling family and career? I cannot be early!!! Later would be fine! My mom keeps telling me that you don't really have to worry about being early with your first, but I am not ruling it out. This baby has to stay put for as long as possible! If only we got to pick the date...

But I guess if I have learned anything during this entire process, it is that things happen in their due time. There is so much in life that you cannot control and are not meant to control. (Keith would argue that there is plenty that I control!) Everything unfolds exactly the way it is supposed to which is so hard for most people to trust. I firmly believe that now! So, I guess if I have to go back to work the week of Christmas then that it what I must accept. But don't think that I am not going to at least try to convince the baby into staying in as long as he can! Is it too early to start bribing little James Brown??????