Baby Books

Whenever a mom-to-be sets up her baby registry or is thrown a baby shower, there is always a baby book - the cute book in pink or blue with lots and lots of pages for footprints, pictures and the recordation of every milestone imaginable.  First smile, first tooth, first time the bundle of joy let Mommy sleep through the night ... You know what I'm talking about.   The book that has a few completed pages for child #1 and maybe a couple of blanks filled in for later siblings.  (After all, you don't want the younger kids to feel like their accomplishments didn't matter ... so you fill out vital statistics of birth and one or two things about the first month.  Those books really are such a waste of money.  But I digress ...)

Regardless of the inevitable declining dedication to keeping up with the baby book, I feel like there should be a book for the newly separated so that all the firsts and all the accomplishments can be recorded and fondly recalled later - either with nostalgia or pride or mortification.  Right now, just over a week "A.S.," I would say that I have a few reached a few firsts.  First piece of prefab furniture assembled, first glass of wine with dinner for one, first bottle of wine shared with friends who are worried about you ... and to that list I would add the first bug.  Yes, the first bug.  No one likes killing bugs (well, maybe psychopaths but we don't have those here) but many of us (yep, me) have managed to avoid having to kill our own bugs.  Some Suddenly Separateds may avoid this first if they have sons big enough to do the nasty deed for them, but for the rest of us, the bug has to be killed, so we have to do it.  Between torrential rain and lots of discarded cardboard, a bug sighting was inevitable and, following my initial scream, I did it.  ...  And since then, I have kept a sturdy shoe on top of a table near the door so that I'm ready if it happens again.  I admit that one night I actually carried the shoe around the house with me - just in case - but usually having it out within arm's reach does the trick.

So, where's the Hallmark card celebrating this milestone?  Maybe I should contact them with some ideas.  ;)