She should know better...

As most of you know, Billy and I live together, very happily; we are the proud owners of 1 great dog and part-time owners of another; we love spending time with each other (when we have free time, which is never); and are 100% committed to each other in every possible way.  He is my best friend and I love nothing more than being with him.  We are also not married (oh, the horror!). 

Seriously, there were (are) several people who don't understand why we chose to have a baby before we got married.  All I can say is that we didn't want kids before we knew each other and, all of a sudden, I felt it deep, deep within me that I wanted to create a life with this amazing person.  The timing was right for us; getting pregnant now just fit into our life plan. 

We don't have anything against marriage; we completely intend to marry each other.  But having a baby was to us the best thing we could do.  And we're OK with it and all the jokes that come along: my uncle Angel affectionately refers to our Little Nacho as the Little Bastard, which is technically true :)  We genially put up with the questions of "Are you gonna get married eventually?" (asked in that sort of, "not that the fact that you're not married is a big deal or anything") and smile and answer as nicely as possible.  But what we don't understand is others' insistence on us getting married as quickly as possible or their state of discomfort about it all.  We are NOT embarrassed and we will not run to the altar in shame to try to hurry and get married before I start showing.  We are 100% committed to each other and, despite not having the signed certificate saying so, are pretty much married. 

Most people don't ask us at all about our current marital status (or lack thereof).  Maybe they don't feel like they should or maybe something about propriety keeps holding them back...so, when I heard this story I couldn't do anything to hold back my laughter about how tactless some people are. 

Billy's mother was at a get-together and she announced that she was going to be a grandmother.  Well, one of the other attendees asks her when her kids ended up getting married.  And she responded that he never did, that "he and his girlfriend plan to, but it's not one of their priorities right now."  After saying that, the woman goes on to say, "That girl's an idiot!  She should know better than to get pregnant before getting married!  What will she do if he leaves her?  She'll be jobless and penniless and have to take care of an infant all by herself!  All these young kids having babies and not getting married is worrisome" (or something to that effect).  To which my raging future mother-in-law responded, "That idiot happens to be a PhD student with a job.  And the baby's father, the one you say will leave her, happens to be my son!  He will never leave her...he's responsible, a business owner, a college graduate.  And they're almost 30!"

I couldn't believe it!  I laughed so hard I almost peed my pants.  Well, who are we kidding, I probably did.   It makes me realize that I am so happy that this baby was made out of deep, deep love for each other and that we didn't get married just so that I could have financial security and an elevated social status.