Today, 2010

It was actually a Saturday then.

84 days

today you have been living outside the womb for 12 weeks. you made it through the 4th trimester! it has been difficult and yet very enjoyable now that you're here. your smiles are worth everything. they show me the genius in you. i am looking forward to every additional day.

departure

i gazed at the dark, now empty rooms we'd spent the last year inhabiting.

it was about time to lock up for the last time. this was the place where so much good had occurred. the best year of my life, all memories grounded to this dwelling. my love's graduation ceremony, first super-cool science job... my cat disappearing for a day, and coming back home to me at nightfall. fun & affection with my best friend-- the celebration day of her first paycheck. the conception and birth of my beautiful gift of a child.

for the first time ever in my life, i was so happy i wept.

Layne's first video chat with dad from work

It's good to be born in the decade 2010

we start out as 2 cells and then we grow, grow, grow

i have waited so long for this. what was glimpsed in dreams is a daily reality now. soothing you, changing you, sitting near while you sleep, giving you to your mom for feeding. what i do matters to someone, finally.

you are really another me. as you are brand new, so also is my life made new again.

birthday at last

12/27/10 at 3:07pm. 6 pounds and 15 ounces. i have never felt birthdays were anything worthwhile until yours. you are the most beautiful creature imaginable.

Layne Karin out cold after a good feeding today:

this is it

i am sitting in the room you will be born in. just as we were about to get to sleep for the night, suddenly contractions began like clockwork every 90 seconds to 2 minutes. this was very confusing since we expected to have a long amount of time of consistent but short and well-spaced contractions. just about time that we needed sleep came the realization that this was real labor.

so, i just had a doze, soothed by your little 160 bpm heartbeat. everything is ready for you. heart.... keep it up. you can do it.