Birthday boys

Steve and Oliver together last month

Steve as an infant

Oliver on Jan 26, 2008

Today is both Oliver and Steve's birthdays. It seems like yesterday that Shanna called very early in the morning thinking she was in labor 2 weeks early. Fortunately the car was all loaded with baby furniture. I sent out Steve to get gas and money, hastily packed and loaded up addresses in the Tom-Tom and was out the door within 30 minutes. To keep myself awake, I played my sing-along Italian CDs hoping something will stick. I tried to keep my stops to a minimum-thwarted by NY State's disabling of the autofill feature of their gas pumps making it uncomfortable to touch 0 degree metal with no gloves. My left arm still hadn't completely recovered so dealing with tolls was very painful as I could barely extend my left arm. I had a bag full of quarters and a bag full of Canadian money on the seat next to me. I had made the 755 mile trip in 12 hours flat, good considering I had to go through customs twice and go through Detroit during rush hour. Shanna still wasn't quite sure she was in labor when I got there. Her 6th floor apartment faces south so we could view the Boston skyline. That night they had fireworks. At midnight, we made the trip to Mt. Auburn in Cambridge circling the hospital several times trying to figure out how to enter despite the many No Left Turn signs saying we couldn't. She was 5 cm at check in. She fairly quickly progressed to 8 cm dealing with the contractions very well but the last hour to 10 cm was very rough. As the midwife was checking her right before she planned to push, she said she didn't know exactly what she was feeling but she did know it wasn't the top of a head. Baby Oliver was soon found to be in a pike position-feet up next to his ears. A C-section was arranged over the next hellish hour. I could watch only through a series of windowed doors but at 5:30 am, beautiful Oliver was yanked out screaming, pink, and perfect.

Aside from Steve and Oliver entering their next years, I am beginning the 2nd half of chemo and Naomi begins her new semester. I can only hope it will be better for all of us.

Ran more yesterday despite the cold and it was not any easier.