Today is the feast of the Baptism of Our Lord, or Theophany, and Cyril's birthday. It's amazing to think it was 9 years ago, and I still remember all the details of that day. We had been waiting from him to arrive since Dec 28th, thinking maybe he'd be early and we'd have a Nativity baby. We didn't. Then we thought he might share my brother Kevin's birthday on the 30th. He didn't. We thought he at least might come in time to be a millenium baby and for a 2000 tax deduction.Nope. 
I finally gave up waiting and just carried on. And on. Shane brought home a new trick to try every day. So and so said his wife drank this tea. Mexican did the trick for so and so's wife. I tried them all. Actually, the Mexican might have done the trick. It was a Saturday and we had gone down to visit my parents and eat at the restaurant we frequented when we were dating. A Mexican restaurant called Maya's on Rainier. We ate and visited and my lower back started to ache. My mom gave me a hot wated bottle which felt great. So great she let me keep it for the ride home, or actually to Costco, and then home. Once we were home we debated going to Vespers that evening. But we decided to go in the morning instead. Finally at 8:30 the contractions started. Not a gradual warming up first. Serious 'you're in labor' contractions. Shane called the midwife and I went to take a shower. A little later we got a call from Heike saying she was paged but she was in Kentucky. They were supposed to have paged Allie. So we called again and requested they call Allie. Allie called and Shane filled her in on all the details. I said I wanted to push. Allie said go ahead, she was on her way.
I finally gave up waiting and just carried on. And on. Shane brought home a new trick to try every day. So and so said his wife drank this tea. Mexican did the trick for so and so's wife. I tried them all. Actually, the Mexican might have done the trick. It was a Saturday and we had gone down to visit my parents and eat at the restaurant we frequented when we were dating. A Mexican restaurant called Maya's on Rainier. We ate and visited and my lower back started to ache. My mom gave me a hot wated bottle which felt great. So great she let me keep it for the ride home, or actually to Costco, and then home. Once we were home we debated going to Vespers that evening. But we decided to go in the morning instead. Finally at 8:30 the contractions started. Not a gradual warming up first. Serious 'you're in labor' contractions. Shane called the midwife and I went to take a shower. A little later we got a call from Heike saying she was paged but she was in Kentucky. They were supposed to have paged Allie. So we called again and requested they call Allie. Allie called and Shane filled her in on all the details. I said I wanted to push. Allie said go ahead, she was on her way.It was so nice to be at home and not have the stupid belt to monitor contractions. Like you need a machine to tell you you just got hit by a Mack truck. With Audrey, Shane would watch the monitor and tell me 'ok here comes a contraction' until I made it very clear I already knew and didn't need/want to be told. It must be hard for the husbands to not really have anything to do. Shane has learned to just do what I ask him to- rub my lower back and catch the baby, then bring me something to eat. And I have learned to be more thoughtful of my words since then. And also to not have our babies in the hospital.
My water had still not broken by the time Allie arrived. Finally she offered to break it. I said sure. A few contractions later, at precisely 10:30 pm Cyril arrived, fist first like Superman. Our own little revelation from above. Allie said had it not been for his flying stance he probably would have arrived before she did. Audrey woke up just before he was born, and Grandma Trudy had come to help already and was there to meet him.
It was a sleepy time for everyone and after a tasty and necessary snack, we all cozied in the bed and went to sleep.
Cyril was a very good baby. Fat and happy. He never missed a meal or snack and soon earned himself the nick name "Chubbs". We sang about him being more chubby than the chububim and beyond comparison more squishy than the seraphim. Or something like that. Occasionally he still gets called Chubbs.
It is amazing to see him grow, to watch him learn about and pursue the things he is passionate about. And to facilitate in his maturing and growing experiences. Which lately has involved pets. Since losing our first gecko, we have acquired two leopard geckos and a Bearded Dragon. For his birthday he asked for an iguana. As his room already smells like a pet store we figured 'why not'. He doesn't know yet but after we get our school work done we are going to the pet store to get the habitat and iguana. Tonight he asked to go out for seafood so we will have dinner along with Grandma and Grandpa and one of Grandma's wonderful cakes. Because every feast day deserves a feast.
No comments:
Post a Comment