babski is the measure of all things

one of the most reassuring aspects of pregnancy is its constant progress. in fact, the birth, though always inevitable, takes on speed as we move through these 40 weeks. it reminds me of first beginning to pedal my bike in a high gear -- the first few revolutions can be tough going, but then you break into a rhythm and the speed comes naturally.

this constant progress coincides with a straightforward system of measurement. i love measuring everything. i love i-tunes because it tells me how many songs i have, how many albums, how many artists. it tells me what songs i've listened to the most, and when i've listened to them. i-tunes is a great tool for distilling the abstract (MUSIC) into the real (my favorite 25 songs). i do think my love of measurement and time stems from an interest in articulating the abstract. MUSIC -- what can i say about music? what can anyone say? however, i can talk your ear off about my favorite songs and singers. you all know that.

strangely, i have not obsessed on measuring jordan. i've been anxious to hear about his/her healthy progress at each of our midwife visits (the most recent was yesterday, and everything continues to be fine). erin and i both realized this weekend that we're beginning to lose track of the weeks (31 now, right?). part of this lies in jordan's acceleration. we can both tell that our child is thriving and happy (and funny). i think we both also sense an eagerness to enter the world. of course, that might be a displacement of my own emotion. i get all mushy just thinking about holding this baby.

so what is my point? i realized i'm not too worried about measuring the days and weeks, though it seems a natural situation in which to apply that model. no, i don't think i need to this time round. i think it's because there is nothing abstract about jordan. the kid is here. the kid is real. the kid is funny as hell.