The one where I turn 30.

Thirty, flirty and thriving? Well, as much as any pregnant girl can be flirty- I suppose I’m doing my best to capture all of the above.  Thriving? Absolutely.  How could I not consider myself thriving?  I have everything I could ask for.  My husband loves me, appreciates me and supports me.  My son inspires me and basically makes my heart beat.  I’m growing and learning and striving every day- my life is not stale.  I have life growing in my belly that I can day-dream about and nurture.  Being a mom gives me purpose. 

Now for the thirty part.  I have dreaded that number for quite a few years. I would say that I’ve dreaded it my whole life, but to be honest- I didn’t start thinking about it until I was about 5 years out.  It wasn’t a very real threat until then.  Mike turned 30 about 2 and a half years ago, and I took that pretty hard.  My stomach did a flippy flop when I told myself, “My husband is 30. Ugh.”  I thought it was a pretty bad sign of how I was going to handle it myself.  I never understood young Jenna’s wish in 13 going on 30.  Who (under 30) would ever wish to be 30? Especially at 13?! Get real!

Luckily, I have the best husband in the whole world.  No offense to all you wives or husbands out there.  It’s true though. I don’t even feel like I’m exaggerating when I say it.  To make my 30^th birthday special, Mike arranged a pretty big surprise and took me to New York City to watch my Giants play their home opener for Monday Night Football.  He had warned me that I wouldn’t be going to school Monday night so I was aware that something was planned, but I had been imagining a party with all my friends, decorations, a cake and all that.

Never would I have imagined I’d be sitting under the stadium lights in the crisp evening air, the cheers of the fans vibrating in my body, knowing I was close enough to hit turf if I wanted to spit on it, but not wanting to inadvertently hit anyone.

I found out about a week early because Mike used my ebay account to purchase the football tickets and I received the push notification to my phone that we had won.  The notification said, “Congratulations! You have won ebay item ‘GIANTS vs RAMS 9/19” I was actually in the bath tub with Reed when I got it and couldn’t help the splashing that resulted from my excitement. We were going to the Giants game!! I started thinking about the logistics… “it’s probably in St Louis, we’re probably driving, staying with the Fousts, taking Reed and leaving him with the Fousts, how kind of them, we will probably leave Saturday and come back Tuesday. Oh what a long drive…”

I called my mom. I had to tell her that I found out about my birthday surprise and I was in a predicament. Do I tell Mike that I know? Do I hide it and let him present the surprise in his own way?? Mom’s response, “I know you’re a good actress, honey, but honesty is always the best policy.” So, when Mike got home, I told him that I loved him very much (as I bounced up and down on the couch) and he said he loved me, too. I said, “I KNOW you do!” Then I told him about the ebay notification.  He was disappointed that he didn’t get to surprise me, but he was relieved that he didn’t have to keep a secret anymore and was ready to share all the plans with me.  I asked him about St Louis and he said, “No, babe. We’re going to NEW YORK.” I peed my pants a little.  He filled me in on our flight and hotel arrangements and said his mom was coming to stay with Reed (oh the conspiracy of it all!)

I began to wonder if I would be okay while away from Reed. I’ve never spent a night away from him and I had to consider that while I thought I would be fine emotionally and mentally- I might actually not be fine.  You never know about these things until you’re actually in the sticky of it.  Add on top of that, the fact that I’m pregnant and you have to consider the effect of pregnancy hormones. I pictured myself breaking down and sobbing in the middle of Times Square, crying, “I need my baby!”  I’m happy to report I was fine.  I missed him in a healthy happy way and just the perfect amount, too.  I thought about him a lot and had to hold back from buying him everything under a neon light. I have to remind myself that he’s growing so quickly that he doesn’t keep clothes around very long.  Then there’s me and my swelling uterus. I’m even less fun to shop for! I want to buy something I can wear now, but it’s such a waste of money!

We stayed up late every night- never making it back to the hotel anywhere near midnight. Date night was a scrumptious steak dinner at Rothman’s Steakhouse, but most meals were “pizza by the slice” whenever we passed one. Fluffy’s Café was our regular breakfast spot where we enjoyed New York breakfast bagels. By the way, a bagel is not a bagel unless it’s New York bagel. (Luckily we have such a place in OKC.)

We rented bikes and rode around Central Park on the beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon. We rode over to the “Seinfeld Diner” which is the store front they used for the sitcom. A peek inside confirmed that they didn’t use the inside for filming ;o) A disappointing comedy club for entertainment that night rounded out the day.

Monday was shopping on 5^th avenue, where I also got my hair cut. I regret not taking a picture of my view from where I sat and got my tresses maimed. It was an incredible view! 

What can I say about the football game so not to bore my readers? I’ve just glanced up at the length of this post and realized I might not have your attention much longer- your watch is ticking away precious minutes of your day!  Emails to answer, online bills to pay, laundry to fold… yet here you are. Maybe.

We took the train to New Jersey, which dropped us off practically at the front doors to the stadium. Security searches and pat downs were in order for all fans and being a lady, I got to stand in a ridiculously short line so I was in way before Mike was. 

The atmosphere of a live NFL game will make your pulse race. My heart felt huge in my otherwise hollow chest, my ears filled with the roar of fans and my eyes sparkled with reflections from the bright stadium lights and animated screens.  Hixon’s TD catch was my favorite catch ever. It was so very exciting and yet I had an empty seat next to me when I turned to celebrate with high fives! I had to catch one from the row below us.  Mike was on a popcorn and mt dew run. 

The Giants won- a surprise to many.  I would have been happy with a loss but only because of the history I have with the Giants and being at their home openers.  In 2007 Mike and I went to NYC for the Giants home opener against Brett Favre and the Packers. They lost the game but went on to win the Super Bowl against the previously undefeated Patriots. So you can see how either way, I would have been happy.  Now, I can’t have a whole lot of hope for the Super Bowl this February.

Reed did great staying home with Grandma. He happily played, learned new words and let himself be spoiled to his core.  We sent him a couple of videos that Grandma played for him on her phone. I wondered if it would upset him by making him realize we weren’t around, but she said he just smiled and went about his activities. Great. I’m glad we’re such important pieces of his life. Of course, I much prefer him to be happy while we’re gone and not sad.  Maybe he needed the break, too!

When they picked us up at the airport, I slid my fingers into the curls at the back of his head, kissed the bridge of his nose and ran my finger along the baby soft skin under his chin- just as I had imagined I would.  Then I proceeded to pretend to eat his face from one side and then the other. He was laughing and smiling until he realized I wasn’t unbuckling him from the car seat. He wanted to be held, so he wasn’t satisfied with me merely getting into the back seat with him.

As I began to recover from my sinus infection that I suffered from over the weekend I was falling prey to the consequences of an hour and a half of sleep. My actual birthday was a tough pill to swallow. Mike and I spend the day sprawled on the living room floor watching Reed play until finally, mercifully, it was bedtime.

New York- wait for me. I will return!