thesis vs. babies

While hauling about 75 lbs of books back to the library in a roller suit case, heaving and sweating the whole way, I was examining the similarities and differences of creating thesis and being pregnant. Here's the list:

• Both involve loss of sleep, anxiety, mood swings and frustration
• Both involve bodily fluids in different capacities; according to my prenatal class, giving birth and labor will produce a ridiculous amount of fluid coming in and out of my body, and thesis writing involves a certain level of sweat and more than needed tears.
• Both take a long time to complete, 2 years for a thesis, 9 months for a baby.
• Products are different: one is an 80-page, bound thesis which no one will read, and the other is NEW LIFE.
  
• One took two years of hard, long writing and researching, but has a definite conclusion. These babies will be my eternal project.
  
• The tools are different. Books, paper, pens, notebooks, articles, the internet, a typing apparatus. Very clean. Diapers, burp clothes, car seats, nursing, strollers, cribs. Messy.

I am happy my thesis is nearly done forever, kind of sad, but happy. The perinatologist had nothing but good things to tell us yesterday. The babies' health looks "fantastic." So relieving!