| Dad's Diary |
| Archived Journal |
| Week 14 The Health Update Erika is "turning the corner" into the second trimester and seems to have renewed energy. She's feeling good and is enjoying shopping on-line for her new maternity wardrobe. One of the on-line guides to pregnancy I've been reading gives a day-by-day account of what is occurring during a pregnancy (written to a woman's perspective). Last Tuesday's entry was, "You may begin to feel something that feels like butterflies. You probably will not think this is the baby moving, but it is." Sure enough, that night Erika told her parents and me that she was feeling "flutterings." We realize that, soon, flutterings will probably become tiny baby elbows to the ribs. Telling the Boss As you know, Erika and I made no effort to keep our news a secret from almost anyone. However, Erika did decide to wait a few months before telling her boss. However, I think word managed to make it to her, because when Erika went into her office and said, "I'd like to talk to you," the boss' first words were, "You're pregnant." Her next words were "It's too soon for your career to be over." Not exactly the words you want to here from your boss, if you plan to return to work, like Erika does. Apparently, Erika's boss has had a lot of friends and family not return to work after becoming parents. So, she is suspect of Erika's promise to return to work after maternity leave. But, of course, we never know what will happen. Maybe I'll surprise everyone by becoming a stay-at-home dad--actually I think I'd really like that but it would definitely be the toughest job I ever had. Full disclosure: Erika really likes her boss, so this is not typical of their interaction. In fact, Erika had been very open with her boss and everyone at MacArthur when interviewing that she planned to have a family during her time there--granted, getting pregnant only 2 months after she started her job wasn't exactly the plan, but you can't be exact about these things. Next time: The benefits of having the in-laws next door. |