That is all about to change. After college, the years start to run together with no real delineation demarcating the passage of time. I have a feeling, however, that 2011 is going to stand out.
First and foremost, we are buying a house. That in and of itself is enough for us to have a strong year, and in most cases, that would be our big news. But of course, when it rains it pours, and now we have news much more substantial than that.
Yes, Hilary is with child. She's knocked up. I slipped one past the goalie. My boys can swim. Another cliche.
This is not unexpected news, but it is still nevertheless surprising.
If I am honest, I will admit that I have not been fully on board with the notion of having kids*. I am a selfish person, and I like having my time be just that - my time. So even though I signed off on the decision to have them, I still wasn't sure how I'd react to hearing the official news for the first time.
*Sorry future kids. Daddy does love you though.
I am happy to say that my initial thought was one of happiness and excitement. In fact, the terror and anxiety I thought I would have weren't (and aren't) present at all, at least not yet. I'm sure I'll freak out somewhere down the line, but I felt at peace with the news as soon as Hilary gave it to me.
Speaking of which: As you may know, I love making a production out of big news. Maybe I was suckered into it by movies and TV growing up, but I have always been under the impression that big news would be a momentous occasion in my life.
I pictured us sitting on the bed, anxiously awaiting the results of a pregnancy test, or of us eating dinner one night by candlelight and her confessing the big news. But alas, we live in a world of technology, and in this day and age, with so many ways of communicating with each other, this kind of romantic delusion was probably never going to happen.
So how did I find out? Where was I and what was I doing when I found out this most momentous of news?
I was sitting at work on a Saturday afternoon, alone in my office, talking to Hilary on instant messenger, when I accidentally asked the wrong question, and just like that, the cat was out of the bag.
The conversation went something like this:
Me: So, still no news? (Referring to her period)
Her: Still nothing...
Me: Did you miscount again? (She had miscalculated when she was supposed to get it twice already this week)
Her: Maybe...
Me: Well, I guess we should get you a pregnancy test. Maybe we can get one tonight.
Her: I got one this morning... (Kids, remember this: Ellipses always mean something is up)
Me: Oh ok. (Thinks for a minute, wheels start turning) Did you already take one?
Her: Maybe...
Me: And?
Her: :-)
Me: Oh.
And...scene. End of story. Pretty riveting stuff no? Shakespeare in his prime couldn't have come up with a climax of this magnitude.
Technology is a wonderful thing in this day and age, but it does have its flaws.
(UPDATE) Thanks to g-chat archives, here is the actual transcript from the conversation, complete with emoticons:
micahbhart: still nothing?
hilary: nope
but
we'll see
micahbhart: you miscounted again? :-)
hilary: no
haha
4:20 PM micahbhart: how long are you supposed to wait before you begin to wonder
hilary: not long
I can take a test right now and it should tell me.....
4:21 PM micahbhart: ha
i'd give it a few days
4:22 PM hilary: :)
micahbhart: but its up to you
hilary: yeah
4:23 PM :)
micahbhart: did you already do it?
hilary: maybe?
micahbhart: ha ha
hilary: i wanted to tell you tonight!
4:24 PM micahbhart: tell me what?
:-)
hilary: nothing
the test I took today says positive!
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