Counting the Days

These last few weeks before our little one comes, I've been cherishing weekends full of friends and exploring Chicago. The weekend picture here was no different. "One for the books," they would say. The kind of weekend and freedom that wouldn't be possible with a plus one. 

On Friday after work, we walked to one of our favorite neighborhood spots for Indian inspired pub food. After eating spicy wings and lamb dumplings, we went home and watched a movie. A little date night in the around the corner and in the comforts of home. We've been knocking out all of the Oscar nominated films. So far, Call Me By Your Name has been my favorite one. I'm at a time in my life when I can relate both to the main character Elio, and his parents too. The feelings of falling in love for the first time don't feel that long ago, and the feeling of bonding with your child through the years feel so close. 

On Saturday, I lounged in bed as long as possible knowing that I would be working an event that night. For sustenance to last through the long night ahead, we grabbed lunch with our good friends. We went to a Cuban/Mexican cafe and were greeted by the nicest man, the owner's son. He took pride in telling us about their business, and the menu. 

The next day, I had my somewhat weekly brunch date with some of my closest friends. We had a Vietnamese meal; a rice dish with chicken and a pork bahn mi. It wouldn't be brunch without coffee, so I ordered a coffee with vanilla egg custard - which was as decadent as it sounds. It was like having dessert first.  

We explored a neighborhood that I haven't been to before, and found ourselves at The Plant, a food production space designed to be a net-zero, closed loop system in Chicago's Back of the Yards. There's a brewery onsite where you can try their beers, and in that space you can watch the aquaponics system at work. There's an enclosed rooftop garden that allows you to have some sun and greenery in winter. I would love to revisit in summer, when their outdoor garden is flourishing. 

As the time approaches for us to meet our baby, I worry about losing the excitement and curiosity of wondering what it's going to be like. Once she's here, there's no more wondering. I also worry about missing this time, right now. This time of just me, Steven, and Mort. Just us. The quiet. I know I'll be nostalgic for it from time to time. I already am. Our freedom to explore the city around us on a whim, our freedom to sleep in, our spontaneous date nights, etc. But I do know that all of the perks of finally meeting our daughter will outweigh all of the perks of not having children. So there, I'm anxious to meet you, and I can't wait to tell you about what this time was like.