I'm going to be an uncle!
I was originally going to write this earlier. In keeping with annanov's wishes, I was going to put it under friends lock until today, but I would have written about it. Which Anna might not have been happy with, so it may be for the best that, between work and other stuff, I never got around to writing this.
Anna, that обормотка, knew since October, but didn't see fit to tell any of us until Christmas (and yes, tweelore - I maintain that this makes her an обормотка, because Randirogue knew for almost as long, and she told me way earlier. And I wasn't even family). But I suppose, now that she did tell us, the timing is kind of beside the point. The important part is that my sister is going to have a baby.
It wasn't exactly shocking. Ever since she got married, it was the matter of "when" rather than "if." And chances were pretty good that she was going to be the first of us three siblings to have a baby. With vladiatorr, even if he did settle down, his orientation means that he'd need to jump through a few more hoops than Anna and I would. As for me... Well, never say never, but for now, lets just say it's not like there's anyone I want to start a family with on the horizon.
And say what you will about timing of my sister's announcement, but I liked the way it was presented. Each of us got a gift hinting at it. Vlad opened his first and saw got a tiny bottle. I opened my second and saw a picture frame, with a posted note saying "redeem for a picture of niece or nephew in six months." (Anna was originally going to just give me a picture frame, but she figured that might not be obvious enough, and, honestly, she was probably right). My mom opened hers last, and it was this lovely Christmas tree ornament.
She and John did the same kind of thing when they were visiting John's family on Christmas.
Vlad, not surprisingly, figured things out before the presents came out, because twins. He didn't realize how long Anna knew, and figured it was recent, and that John didn't know either. So he was kind of surprised when the presents came out. Just not as surprised as the rest of us.
Part of me can't help but remember when Anna and Vlad were first brought home from the hospital, and how tiny they were. And how, now, one of those tiny things grew up to co-create a new tiny thing. But a bigger part of me is excited. I'm going to have a niece or a nephew! one that, when they get old enough, I can bombard with Russian cartoons, movies and novels, and try to pass on my love of public transit to, and take on long hikes, and try to teach them Russian. Or at least Russian expressions.
What? Anna and John know that this will happen.
It would be interesting to think of my mom becoming a grandmother. I have no doubt she'd be a great grandmother - she raised three kids, and just watching her handle gabryel's son tells me that she learned from her mistakes raising us ;) But it would still be an interesting mental adjustment.
(During our Christmas get-together, we briefly touched about what my sister's child would call their grandmother. I'm personally in favor of Baba Grunya, but it's probably going to be Grandma Hettie.)
And there is John's family. A day before the wedding, his parents organized a get-together so that our respective families would get to know each other a little better. There was some talk about how we were going to become part of one big family. And while part of me recoiled (they can't be family - they aren't blood) another part of me thought that, hey, Anna and John were going to have a child sooner or later. For that child, their father's parents and sister are going to be as much of a family as their mother's parents and brothers. I might as well start getting used to the idea now.
Well, now, this is definitely a reality. And I'm still not sure I'm quite there yet. But I suppose I will have to, one way or another.
Oh, and almost forgot to mention - the baby is due in late June, so... stay tuned.
Anna, that обормотка, knew since October, but didn't see fit to tell any of us until Christmas (and yes, tweelore - I maintain that this makes her an обормотка, because Randirogue knew for almost as long, and she told me way earlier. And I wasn't even family). But I suppose, now that she did tell us, the timing is kind of beside the point. The important part is that my sister is going to have a baby.
It wasn't exactly shocking. Ever since she got married, it was the matter of "when" rather than "if." And chances were pretty good that she was going to be the first of us three siblings to have a baby. With vladiatorr, even if he did settle down, his orientation means that he'd need to jump through a few more hoops than Anna and I would. As for me... Well, never say never, but for now, lets just say it's not like there's anyone I want to start a family with on the horizon.
And say what you will about timing of my sister's announcement, but I liked the way it was presented. Each of us got a gift hinting at it. Vlad opened his first and saw got a tiny bottle. I opened my second and saw a picture frame, with a posted note saying "redeem for a picture of niece or nephew in six months." (Anna was originally going to just give me a picture frame, but she figured that might not be obvious enough, and, honestly, she was probably right). My mom opened hers last, and it was this lovely Christmas tree ornament.
She and John did the same kind of thing when they were visiting John's family on Christmas.
Vlad, not surprisingly, figured things out before the presents came out, because twins. He didn't realize how long Anna knew, and figured it was recent, and that John didn't know either. So he was kind of surprised when the presents came out. Just not as surprised as the rest of us.
Part of me can't help but remember when Anna and Vlad were first brought home from the hospital, and how tiny they were. And how, now, one of those tiny things grew up to co-create a new tiny thing. But a bigger part of me is excited. I'm going to have a niece or a nephew! one that, when they get old enough, I can bombard with Russian cartoons, movies and novels, and try to pass on my love of public transit to, and take on long hikes, and try to teach them Russian. Or at least Russian expressions.
What? Anna and John know that this will happen.
It would be interesting to think of my mom becoming a grandmother. I have no doubt she'd be a great grandmother - she raised three kids, and just watching her handle gabryel's son tells me that she learned from her mistakes raising us ;) But it would still be an interesting mental adjustment.
(During our Christmas get-together, we briefly touched about what my sister's child would call their grandmother. I'm personally in favor of Baba Grunya, but it's probably going to be Grandma Hettie.)
And there is John's family. A day before the wedding, his parents organized a get-together so that our respective families would get to know each other a little better. There was some talk about how we were going to become part of one big family. And while part of me recoiled (they can't be family - they aren't blood) another part of me thought that, hey, Anna and John were going to have a child sooner or later. For that child, their father's parents and sister are going to be as much of a family as their mother's parents and brothers. I might as well start getting used to the idea now.
Well, now, this is definitely a reality. And I'm still not sure I'm quite there yet. But I suppose I will have to, one way or another.
Oh, and almost forgot to mention - the baby is due in late June, so... stay tuned.