Chicken

I told myself I was going to really enjoy myself this time. When I left the hospital after giving birth and had people ask me things like, "When are you due?" or "When are you having that baby?" I was going to dead pan and say, "Due for what?" or "What baby?" Alas, I have been too chicken.

First of all, most of the people saying things like that have been children. I was discharged from the hospital on a Wednesday evening, so I went to pick the big kids up from church activities that night. I had to smile at other kids a lot and say, "Yep. I had her on Monday," and then pretend I didn't hear when they asked, "Then why do you still look pregnant?" I left it to their mortified mothers to explain that one.

The only person I made feel truly horrible was the woman who said, "I thought you had your baby!" I, again, cheerfully replied, "I did!" And then it happened. I didn't mean to cry, but surely I get a free pass since I'd given birth two days before this conversation, because when she said, "Well, where is she?" and I had to say, "She's still in the hospital," we both would have liked to have been anywhere but there.

That first group of people was made up of friends from church. So, I told myself, the next time a stranger said something, I'd take my chance. Turns out, I'm nothing but a chicken when it comes to trying to make people feel bad. When we finally took Bristol home, we stopped at the gas station so I could grab a Cherry Coke. I'm sure the kid working at the counter was just trying to be friendly when he said, "For baby?" so I didn't have the heart to make the whole thing uncomfortable and act like I didn't know what he was talking about. I smiled and said, "Yep!" as I walked out the door.

Maybe I need to just focus my efforts on not looking pregnant anymore...