It’s near 8pm on Monday night, July 12, 2010.
It’s strange to say, but tomorrow this time we will probably be 2nd-time parents. Sharaun’s scheduled to show up at the hospital bright and early at 7am to be induced into labor. The doctors suggested induction because of the mild shoulder dystocia and third-degree “tearing” she experienced last time around when Keaton was born. Unlike most of our granola generation, neither Sharaun nor I seem to have a deep-seated mistrust of the role medicine plays in the life of our children. And while it does strike both of us as odd that this birth is, to a degree, “scheduled,” neither of us minds much that it’ll be kicked off “unnaturally.”
No, really… I say that only because for folks our age having babies ala cavemen is like a badge of honor: one’s baby-having cred going up with each bit of modern medicine one eschews. The shame of a penciled-in delivery ushered in at the local hospital and eased with painkillers is enough to send some REI card-holding, Whole Foods shopping, 30-somethings running from their Seventh Generation peer groups. But us, we’re fleeced and happy. Silver nitrate on the eyes; vaccinations on-schedule; disposable diapers and flush the placenta and cord-blood for all we care.
Anyway… both Sharaun and I are sitting here somewhat at a loss. Feeling like we should be doing something but not sure what. Today I setup the Pack-n-Play in the bedroom, complete with the little bassinet and changing table attachments we’ve not used since Keaton was in her first months on earth. I outfitted it with wipes, baby powder, ointments, and these teeny-tiny little diapers I can hardly believe any human could wear. We took apart, washed, and reassembled the carseat/carrier, and I’ve hooked the base into the car all snug and tight. The house is clean and tidy and ready to receive a new part of our family. So maybe we’ve already done everything and this marking this time is just as odd as you might imagine… simply waiting for the appointed time. It does take away some of the “surprise” and spontaneity, in my opinion… but I’m no less excited about Cohen’s arrival.
So friends… I’ll be posting tomorrow from the Evo beginning pre-7am. As often as I can I’ll update the blog in real-time until Cohen makes his appearance, much like I did with Keaton. Watch here tomorrow for the play-by-play and, with luck, I’ll only have a chance to post one or two updates instead of the long drawn-out novella I scribed last time.
Goodnight.
Also written on this day...
- a heavyset saint - 2011
- no cohen yet - 2010
- better in the cubicle than on the road - 2007
- no shirts, no shoes, no problem - 2006
- the ghost of blogging future - 2005
- the boob bible - 2004