6: Enjoy the Moment (On Our Way, Chapter 1 - Saving the Best for Last)
After our nap and dinner, I reminded Darren I had left the baby shower gifts in the car, and he pretended to faint since I had never NOT unloaded a vehicle immediately upon arriving home.
"Very funny, Mr. Criss. As you pointed out yourself, it was a long day, I was tired, and it's getting harder and harder for me to carry myself and LG around, let alone all the loot from the shower."
"Kidding, love, kidding! I'm glad you held back for once. The doctor said no more strenuous activity for you and it sounds like quite the haul. Let me finish cleaning up the dishes, then I'll bring everything up to the nursery for you to sort out."
I tilted my head back to smile at my thoughtful husband and he leaned down to give me a quick kiss. "I could get used to this, Dare," I observed.
"But you won't, will you, Rhi?" he replied with a sly grin.
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The shower had a book theme, so I could have started my own library with the contents of the overflowing bags. Classics like Pat the Bunny and Goodnight Moon were mixed in with more contemporary titles such as If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and Olivia. While Darren unpacked the bags, I arranged the books in the bookcase - in alphabetical order, of course. My husband's love of music apparently inspired some of the presents as we also received at half a dozen CDs including recordings by Laurie Berkner and Sandra Boynton.
Next came the clothes - why is everything so much cuter when it's tiny? The baby's gender had been revealed several months before, so we unfolded one miniature blue outfit after another. Shirts printed with cars and fire trucks competed with those decorated by dinosaurs and tigers. Unbelievably adorable sneakers and hiking boots that fit in the palms of our hands struck us dumb. Tiny diapers, soft blankets, and a baby bag with a million pockets rounded out the collection of infant paraphernalia. I carefully stowed everything in the dresser that Darren's brother had refurbished to match the other furniture in the nursery.
Finally leaning into each other on the oversized chaise lounge we had purchased so that we could cuddle the baby together, Darren said, "LG is going to be one of the best-dressed kids around, Rhi. Too bad this stuff will only fit him for a few months."
"He's not even born yet and you've already got him outgrowing everything, Dare."
"You're the planner, Rhi," Darren reminded me with a grin. "I figured you'd be thinking ahead to the next batch of stuff he'll need."
"Sometimes even I don't want to think about the future, love. Sometimes you just have to enjoy the moment."
My husband gently rubbed his hand over my belly. "Rhiannon, I couldn't possibly enjoy this moment any more than I already am." Then he pressed his lips gently to mine.