News from the Home Front

You’ll note from the posting time that it’s currently around 1:00 AM early Saturday morning. Angela let me sleep for about four hours, thank goodness, so I’m up for the long haul. Oddly enough, we did envision it this way, that she would take the mornings and I would take the late nights; unfortunately, of course, Xan obviously couldn’t hear us planning in utero and just keeps us awake all day and night. At the moment, he’s nursing while Ange is actually asleep. After going over the 10% body weight loss at the hospital (which is why he stayed an extra day), he is back up to 6 lbs. 13 oz. as of the pediatrician visit today. (He met Dr. Vijay for the first time and she declared him doing fabulously.)

I know I’ve promised the full story of the birth. Be patient – it’s coming. Everyone told me that I would have a hard time finding some time to do anything and, what do you know? everyone is right. Even while Angela was at the hospital, I have been frantically doing errands and checking email when I got home, so that I already wasn’t getting enough sleep before they both came home. As luck would have it, Linda, who came down to help out, caught a virus over the last couple days and is now banished temporarily to the basement, after acquiring some major drugs which should set things right quickly. Although I had to cancel a presentation I was to make today at the Literature Colloquium (on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Dracula), I’m still planning on heading out to London for the SCMS conference. And at some point, I should finish the story on Xan’s birth. (It’s almost done, but Angela wants a look at it first, so we need some time, heh heh.)

Vega (our cat) is currently purring on top of my wrists at this very moment. Under normal circumstances, I would kick her off, but I’m glad right now since she’s been pretty much out of sorts since labor. She regards Xan VERY cautiously, although there was a great moment this morning when she and Xan eyed each other while he was in his car seat on the floor. She’s taking small steps and is otherwise staying in the basement with Linda where (a) things are more stable and (b) with a heater on downstairs running 24/7, it’s a tad warmer. Still, it’s nice to have her up here again.

I will say this, however: I’m totally smitten. Yes, he cries and I don’t know why. Yes, there is poo (although we’re at the stage where it still isn’t that bad yet). But he has the world’s biggest eyes and most adorable face. I love him so, I really do. I realize he’s probably hideously ugly or something and I really don’t care. I am incapable of seeing anything terribly wrong with him. Angela and I stare at him, making the most mysteriously intriguing sounds, or glaring at me while I’m reading to him from the Arabian Nights. We haven’t even watched the episode of 24 we taped the other day. It’s tough and we’re a little freaked out, but it really isn’t that bad. I{ve never seen anything cuter than my son's chin moving up and down while eating. There are some powerful emotions working these days around here and most of them are pretty good. I realize that I’ve been very blessed that I happen to be on sabbatical these days, that very few other dads get this experience these days.

More later…