Seven years ago today, on a bizarre, pre-Facebook social site for writers called Everything2, I began an endeavor to filibuster our second baby out of my wife’s body, writing a minimum of 500 words every day. Had I known that it would actually be another 18 days before Kiwi would come into the world I might have thought better of the effort. But that’s one of the highest glories of parenthood: even when you think you know what’s coming, you actually have not even the rawest idea. Heck, had I known then what I know now about the restlessly wriggling energy ball of fierceness and joy that was hurtling his way toward our family, every night up until his birth would have been a sleepless Christmas Eve (and since every night for a year and a half after was semi-sleepless, I’m glad I got that rest instead.)
So I’m going to share some of these filibuster “Day Logs” over the next week or so because sometimes, when you force yourself to write in circumstances you don’t normally, you dig out some jewels you might not otherwise ever know were hiding.
Sat May 21 2005 at 23:28:15 UTC
Heather lost her mucus plug yesterday.
Oh, you don't know what that is? Isn't that funny? How many countless scenes of birth have been brought to us by Hollywood and yet not one of them employs the words "mucus plug". No, we have to wait until we prepare to experience the real thing before we learn about that little friend. The mucus plug is about what it sounds: a snotty bung for a barrel designed to keep things where they're supposed to be until, well, they're not supposed to be there any more. In any case, what you need to know is that its demise signals that labor's a pretty safe bet in the next couple weeks.
An even stronger signal is the fact that Heather was up from 4 to 7 am this morning suffering contractions, back pain and cramps. She quietly took herself into the living room couch, deciding not to wake me until she was sure this was the real thing. It wasn't. The contractions subsided. We had a normal breakfast of french toast. Then we took Declan to the Pacific Science Center and had a good time poking around there, though the boy was a bit scared of the animatronic dinosaurs and super-sized insects. He was even a little freaked out by actual fly-bys in the butterfly room, but on the other hand his dad reckons this is the coolest thing I've experienced in a long time. Living gossamer leaves of color flittering right past your face in all directions. It's enough to make you glad you're bringing another life into the world to share it with.
Then we went to the Red Mill, the best "fast" burgers in Seattle. Heather and I each had one. Declan, per usual, happy to merely poach our fries and some of our shakes. The boy would rather eat dirt than burger. Go figure.
Anyway, I got this nifty laptop that my work has loaned me because my boss wants me to spend as much time at home with the baby as I can. (Sometimes even corporate America can be cool.) I'm thinking I may take it with us to the hospital and tell y'all as much as I can during the process.
Or that might not happen at all. You parents out there know how these things can go.
In any case, wish us luck. It won't be long now.
Comments