The last of the 00s

It's difficult to believe that we are now in the last year of the first decade of this millennium. It seems strange that "Party like it's 1999" is antiquated, along with fears of Y2K and musings about entering the 2000s (what will we call them—the Os?). Even my college graduation in 2002 seems so far away. At the time, it was exciting to start my official adult life just as the millennium dawned.

I think of how our little boy will never remember this decade, or the last century. He's starting out afresh as a person of this millennium, who didn't see the entrance of personal computers into society and can't remember cell phones larger than land-line sets. The only absence of the Internet he'll ever know will be when our cable is down. The Gulf War and the Y2K scare and the horror of 9-11 will be history lessons.

But there's a bright future ahead—for him, for all of us. It's exciting to imagine what adventures life will take us on as we add him to our family in 2009. In addition to the gobs of baby gear that we have yet to entirely accumulate, the changes will be dramatic. As I feel him jostle and kick inside me, I imagine tickling his toes, rocking him to sleep (no matter what the experts may say), and kissing his tiny cheeks. Then I dream of watching him grow: sharing uproarious laughter, hearing "Are we there yet?!" on road trips, watching his dad play catch with him, and seeing delight dance in his eyes during holidays.

I just can't wait to see what life beyond the first decade of the Os will bring us. The adventure has barely begun.