Punchy,
I know I have missed a lot of days of in writing. Today was another baby shower for you, but this time it was my sword class' turn. We are a week from my next sword competition. What has struck me over all of the baby showers is how excited everyone is to have you get here. Yesterday your stroller and car seat arrived. As far as many things go, we have everything we really need for you to get here, so now we wait.
The Doctors say you can be born any time between 38 and 42 weeks as I understand it. You will be at 38 weeks on Thursday. At this point, if it was time for you to get here and your mom started to go into labor, they would not stop it.
For your birth plan, we are planning on a natural birth. We are going to do all we can unassisted. When you are born, our midwife is going to help ease you out then I am going to catch you. I will be putting you on your moms chest. and when the umbilical cord stops giving you the extra blood, I will clamp and cut it. The hospital has a suggestion that we have what they call the golden hour, so for the first hour we will be with you alone. Then we will tell everyone else you have been born. They are excited, and we are too. As much as possible we will do what we can to bring you into the world in a way that we feel makes the most sense and that your mom feels the most comfortable with.
I am not sure when you will be born, but I am excited for you to be here, and from those who have been showing up at the showers we are all happy for you to be with us soon out here. It is not going to be easy. Truth be told, it will be the hardest thing you will deal with in your life. But you have to go through it to be able to move on to the next step. That is a part of life. I am now at just under 2 months since I lost my job. It has not been easy, but sometimes life will hand you something and test your meddle. Next weekend is our next competition, nothing by far compared to you being born, but it will be a test of how I have been progressing. It is, as much as anything else a test, one I have chosen but one that the only way to the other side being through.
Tests are necessary, they show us what we are made of, and how much we have grown, what we have learned. You will be facing some big ones in the next few weeks and months and years. You will try, and fail at some things but you will get up and try them again. When you start walking, you will fall down at first, even several times, but you will have to pick yourself up and keep going. Life is not always easy, I can only imagine that Birth is going to be hard on you, but you will get through you.
You are strong, and I am excited for you to have the chance to prove it to yourself, and the rest of us waiting to meet you.
Love you Kiddo.
-Dad
