Baby Sam and his grammy 

Ben and his new brother Sam. 

The new fam! 

He's Arrived!

Jen tried to make me promise not to post a blog. But . . . I never quite said I wouldn't. For those who stop by once in a while, Sam has arrived! He is 7 lbs 7 oz; 19 in. Doctors broke Jen's water around 7:30 and Sam was born at 9:42. More details to come.

Sam and Mommy! 

Alarm Bells

Sitting in Arnies. Contractions five minutes apart. Forty-five seconds long. Will the meal be interrupted by a trip to the hospital? No. Jen and I finished our "last-date-before-Sam-is-born" food and headed over to the mall for a stroll. Alarm bells are sounding but the car's still in the garage.

There was reason to believe "it" might be happening. I am dilated to 4 cm and 80% effaced. But I was glad to have the night out with my husband!

Baby Sam's Coming to Live with Us!

February 9, 2005
Sam is due tomorrow! Don’t cross your fingers, though. The “experienced” among us know such projections are sketchy at best. We will tell you this: Ben’s prognostication skills are up for trial. He woke up yesterday morning and said, “Baby Sam’s coming to live with us.”

Redefinition Afoot

Nine days till the due date. Amazing, God gives us nine months to choose names, prep the nest, and get used to the idea of a new baby, but a life we could never imagine has metamorphosed and is about to break open. The change . . . redefining. And life will not stop to take a breath. The hours will still pass by in minutes, the minutes in seconds. Each second will lay a new strand of meaning and purpose across our existence like a web under construction. The simple complexity of marriage, love and birth shuts my mouth in wonder.