perspective, part III

So I got this call from Jill this afternoon asking if I might be able to go with her to see the midwives. Seems she was leaking "fluid." She's just under three weeks from her due date, so if this was the beginning of labor, Dakota would be in the clear, so to speak. Jill had her husband's pickup truck, which meant I'd have to follow her, because with the baby seat for Dylan, there's no room for me. I didn't like that idea, so she got her neighbor to come over and get the baby seat in my car, as it didn't seem prudent for her to be driving anyway.

Well, no big deal for her. These are normal (though somewhat copious) vaginal secretions and not amniotic fluid. Her husband called and teased me about letting his "leaker" onto my car seat. "Leather, Brian," was my response, but he thought I should have made her sit on newspapers anyway. I think now I know why she wanted me to attend her birth - Brian would be, will be, cracking wise during the entire labor.

In related news, Dakota is in the pelvis now, and Jill's cervix is softening. (I don't know exactly what that means, but it is good news, I'm told.) So she's getting ready for her big debut. I hope to meet her before I leave, but we'll just have to see.

Another life is about to burst into the world. I'm excited for Jill and Brian and Dylan. And I guess I'm excited for me a little bit too. It's not every day I get to be a part of creation quite like this.