Chapter 4, Bexcitment and Bexpectations
May 19, 2002
Wow! Can’t believe school is almost over. I just have over a week for the school year to be over and for the summer fun to begin! Anyhow, today is the day of the baby shower; I’ll finally get to know an estimate of my baby sister and what my baby sister’s name could be. A little bit of update on how she’s doing, either my mom is eating several tubs of ice cream when watching “Los Romanos” with my dad or my baby sister is growing. My funny bone says it’s the first one but I know it’s the second option. Anyhow, we rented a community center close to our house for this party; and this place is very big. Many of my family members from the gender reveal party made it to the baby shower, though the ones I care about are Alfredo and Giacchino. Luckily this community center has some board games and action figures so we weren’t entirely bored. Going through the action figures, some of them looked a little funky; some were missing a hand, or a foot, and others had a weird art style which I’ve never seen before. Either way we didn’t mind, it was fun playing as ninjas and fighting against Darth Vader. These snacks were also tasty, lots of good chips and cookies; as well as the normal boring fruit and celery sticks. It was a fun day, I loved talking to my aunts and uncles about school or how I’m doing. Ms. Hanna also managed to come and celebrate with us, which is nice of her. She’s been supporting mom and dad, and managed to sign me up for an after school program in case my parents arrive late. Oh! Did I tell you that this community center has a tv? Yeah, we also spent some time watching tv here as well; though the movies on the VCR were either pretty good or some random junk movie. The decorations in the center table are all pink, signs that say “It’s a Girl!” and what my parents say is an “ultrasound” though it doesn’t really look like anything. Though there’s something on the table, hidden under a pink cloth. I don’t know what that could be, but I don’t bother to ask why. While we’re watching a movie on the tv, I tell the group.
“Hey guys, what do you think our sister is going to be called?”
“I think Jamie,” Giacchino says.
“Maybe Britney?” I reply to Giacchino
“Well, we don’t have blonde hair!” Alfredo replies, in reference to something, but I don’t know what he means.
“Well guys we just have to wait and see!” Lorenzo shouts, before taking a sip of his soda.
We continued to watch this movie until my parents started to cling to the glass, meaning they’re going to make an announcement. Everyone, including the gang, started to huddle around the center table and where my parents are. It’s like a repeat of the gender reveal party, I can’t wait for what name my parents give her. I hope it’s a pretty cute name, and one I can easily pronounce.
“Alright everyone!” My mom shouts, which is about to begin the speech.
“Welcome back Pop and Parisi family and friends to the baby shower, we’re so glad you all could make it to the event!” My dad follows up with.
“In a couple months, we will be receiving our 4th and final child into this world. Before we continue this speech, I would like to give a special thanks to everyone who has helped us this time.” My mom says, in which both her and my dad start to clap. Soon everyone else in the room claps, I think I know who my parents are thinking. Most importantly, Ms. Hanna, as she was just as helpful to my parents as some of my aunts were! After several seconds of clapping, my parents return to their speech.
“Anyways, we would like to tell you what we will name our daughter” My dad says.
My heart is pounding, so is everyone else in the room. What will our new member of the family, who for me has the title of my sister, be called? In just a couple seconds we’ll find out. I finally now know what the cloth is hidden, the name of my baby sister.
“Everyone start the countdown!” My mom exclaims.
“10, 9, 8, 7!” Everyone in the room starts to shout, it really is a repeat of last time.
“6, 5, 4, 3!” This waiting time is killing me, just reveal the name now!
“2, 1!” Finally, my parents pull down the cloth; and the name is revealed. In a box, the name “Bex” is spelled out. There’s a series of books I read in school, and there’s a character named Bex; though that character’s full name is Rebecca.
“In around mid July, please expect our new daughter, Bex!” My mom says excitedly.
“Isn’t is Bex-citing?” My dad follows up with, causing the entire room and even me to laugh.
I really like that name, it has a good ring to it and it’s a pretty catchy word. I know that there’s a phrase my dad says called “Rolls off the tongue” which he uses for stuff like this. I really can’t wait for the summer, and now I’m twice as excited for finally meeting my own baby sister.
After a pretty tasty lunch of pasta and soda, we returned to watching the movie with my cousins, Lorenzo, and Brenden. It’s an interesting movie, it’s about a bunch of monsters and this girl. It came out in November last year and it was fun! Anyways, I turn to the group and I say.
“Hey guys, are you excited for Bex to be born?”
“Yeah, I’m excited!” Giacchino says.
“Another person I can bully around!” Brenden exclaims, being his normal self.
“It’s because you’re the only one without freckles!” Lorenzo tells Brenden.
“Hey Lorenzo, do freckles influence if you’re good or not?” I say, partially joking.
“Of course!” Lorenzo says before we all break down laughing.
We continued to watch the movie, after a bit it’s over and we returned to playing with the action figures. Some of the figurines the community center donated are a little weird, something I mentioned earlier. They had a completely different art style and the hairdos were crazy, they were unlike the army men or ninja turtle I’m used to. So I ask the smarty pants himself a question.
“Hey Lorenzo, can I ask you a question about these figurines?” I tell him
“Yeah! They come from the same place ninjas come from, you know.” Lorenzo replies
“Oh… Is that why those cartoons you and Brenden watch talk in a different language?” I replied, now I want to ask him a different question, “How come you don’t let me watch them!” I replied.
“To be honest little Kenny, I don’t think me or Brenden should be watching them either” Lorenzo tells me.
“Oh alright then.” I reply to him
Anyhow, this day was a fun day! I really enjoyed talking with Ms. Hanna, the only part I’ll miss going into the next grade. I sure hope little Bex could have her when she’s my age, I think she’ll like Ms. Hanna. Soon enough; me, my brothers, and my mom are driven home by my Aunt Patrica. My dad and some other relatives will stay behind to help clean the center. During these times, my dad says that mom is going to be drained and tired a lot; so if we want food we would have to make something simple like a PB&J. Once we get back home, thanking Auntie Patrica for bringing us home; mom says.
“Alright Ken, Lorenzo, and Brenden; I’m going to go to sleep, and I think you guys should get ready for bed as well” She says.
“Alright mom!” We all say.
We all start to prepare to sleep, I would have liked to stay up more but it’s sadly not the summer. Either way, I’m glad my baby sister is going to be born in July. I don’t have to worry about school and staying up too late! Though I do feel a little sad for mom, something dad told us is that carrying a baby for 9 months is something very tiring. I can imagine having one grow, it’s not like the tv connected to the wall where it gets all the power easily. But I know once Bex is finally born that my mom can rest. Just two more months, just two more months.