Ever tried relating to someone in a womb?

It’s not so easy for me. He’s supposedly covered in lanugo, a strange and temporary hair. His eerie pictures from the ultrasound resemble a creature from a low-budget sci fi film. And didn’t he have a tail? Last week, his size was compared to a fruit I’ve never even heard of.

But then it was casually reported to me that he had the hiccups.

If you’ve lived in an apartment designed like mine, you may have forgotten (or willfully ignored) that when you sit down in the bathroom, there could be someone in the apartment next door doing the same thing you are. Someone only about three feet away from you, separated by a couple panels of drywall. Someone you may have never spoken to, but who spends a great deal of time within a stone’s throw of you. Someone you could almost pretend is not there, except for the occasional toilet flush or loud coughing attack.

This was my realization: that often, within a few inches of me is a living, hiccuping person who, through the walls of a couple layers of tissue and fluid, can hear the muffled sounds of my life. And if I listen closely, I can hear his.

He and I may not share lanugo, appearance, language, or much else yet, but we share practically the same space.

And we both get the hiccups.

One week after my baby shower in Clearwater I am still feeling the love of friends and family who came from near and far! It began with my friend (and soon-to-be Godmother) Vanesa flying from Alabama to Fort Lauderdale to drive my pregnant booty across Alligator Alley and up to Clearwater, stopping three times in four hours along the way. Her mom, Carmen, is also awesome for enduring the road trip. When we arrived in Clearwater, the biggest surprise of the weekend awaited – my Aunt Jane from Arlington, Virginia flew down just for me! After saying hi to my parents and Keith’s parents, I noticed someone else peeking around the corner and couldn’t tell who it was since I only saw an eyeball and some blonde hair. She came out of hiding and I was nearly speechless, only able to stammer/scream “What?!” I love her and it was amazing that she was able to take time off work to visit.

Since none of my college friends live in Clearwater, we would have had to stay in a hotel for the weekend, but Margo’s cousin, Chuck, recently purchased a vacation home in town and was so generous in inviting seven of us to stay there. The house was spacious and beautiful, and the perfect space for my shower. It had been decorated with the biblical theme of the “Tree of Life,” which will be our nursery’s theme, too. Picture lighted palm trees decorated with baby socks and washcloths and other trees decorated with painted leaves and handwritten notes from family and friends. Baby Boy Walbolt and I were showered with so much love and affection (and gifts), it has taken me a week to process it. It’s incredibly nice to have people from various segments of your life all show up in one place to celebrate an upcoming birth. I felt extremely spoiled with all the love and attention.

And the food was amazing! I feel so lucky that I have been able to eat practically everything throughout my pregnancy (no weird cravings yet), and I definitely took advantage of that last Saturday. From homemade red velvet cupcakes with buttercream frosting to jumbo shrimp to veggie chips, I’m pretty sure I tried everything the spread had to offer. Including some pineapple, which according to the charts was our baby’s size at 31 weeks (continuing the cannibalism). To put that in perspective, as of last week Baby Boy measured 15.2 to 16.7 inches long and weighed 2.5 to 3.8 pounds, and he’s only getting fatter. All five of his senses are now working, his brain is going through major development, and he’s enjoying himself by dancing and kicking me like crazy. Especially if I’m wearing pants – he seems to not like them at all and wants to dance out of them. Or maybe it’s me projecting this onto him since pants are becoming increasingly uncomfortable. Either way, I’m probably going to stick with skirts and dresses for the remaining couple of months to be sure.