Chandelier, Illuminated
My baby SUCKS. Really well. That’s important. It took her a few days to get the hang of it. But now: awesome at sucking. I’m so proud of her.
It started like this: at 2am Tuesday Jen woke me to say her waters had broken. I was confused, because we were scheduled for a Caesarean delivery at 9am, had Jen forgotten? She wasn’t supposed to labor. This must be some kind of miscommunication. But no. The baby was coming. She’d heard she was to be born today and decided to take charge.
Off to the hospital we went. Fifty-two minutes before the time we had booked four months ago, she arrived: Matilda Margrett Barry, weighing 8lb 11oz, dazzling onlookers with her rich thatch of red hair.
The smell. The smell! I had forgotten how good this was. She smells like distilled contentment.
Matilda is strong and likes to have her hands near her face. Because of this, sometimes she facepalms. I have to get a photo of that and release it on the internet. She had a restless first few days, but now the sucking is under control, has been happy and very snuggly. She snuffles and snorts. Her big sister Finlay, who turned five yesterday by the way, can you believe that? Her big sister is super-super excited. Look at that smile. There’s ownership.
Today we arrived home. It’s been a great day. I wish you all this kind of happiness.
P.S. I once wrote a blog about how before I named my next child, I would make sure the domain name was available. Well, I completely forgot about this until Day 3 in the hospital, long after tweeting her arrival. The five panicked minutes between realizing this and securing matildabarry.com were the most nerve-wracking part of the entire experience.
Comments
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Kathleen (#3901)
Posted: 4840 days ago
John (#4508)
Location: Austin, Texas
Posted: 4840 days ago
Location: England
Quote: "Eagerly awaiting the European Tour."
Posted: 4840 days ago
Location: Iowa
Quote: "Never judge a book by its movie."
Posted: 4840 days ago
Location: 127.0.0.1
Quote: "That's not change! That's more of the same!"
Posted: 4840 days ago
Do you ever stop and think about the fact that some of us have been following your blog and reading your books for longer than Finlay has been alive?
(I've been following you since sometime in 2004)
Location: Ravena, NY
Quote: "I could write a book about being lazy. I just don't feel like it."
Posted: 4840 days ago
Location: Heist, Belgium
Quote: "he reads things"
Posted: 4840 days ago
Location: the Stygian Empire
Quote: "Flesh is a design flaw."
Posted: 4840 days ago
Melissa (#888)
Location: WI
Quote: "When you can't run anymore, you crawl, and when you can't do that, you find someone to carry you."
Posted: 4840 days ago
ryandake (#2199)
Location: scenic monterey, ca
Quote: ""The rest is not our business.""
Posted: 4840 days ago
towr (#1914)
Location: Netherlands
Posted: 4840 days ago
Ryan May (#200)
Location: Kelowna, B.C. Canada
Quote: "If I wrote something so deep, so amazing, and only one person bought - well none of MY relatives would be getting a present for Christmas!"
Posted: 4840 days ago
I have to thank you for something. I was in Victoria, B.C. all by myself for the first time and went into a bookstore. I really wanted to pick up something 'different' and 'interesting' to read while sitting in the coffee shop (you know, blending into the city and all) and since I have read all of your books that left me with little hope. Then I found a book that had you quoting its amazingness on the back so I'm reading The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep and Never Had To.
So far it's both interesting and different. Thank you.
Simon (#3192)
Location: Melbourne
Quote: "I'd rather be arrogant than wrong"
Posted: 4840 days ago
Zwangzug (#3872)
Location: GMT -6
Quote: "It ain't over till it's over"
Posted: 4839 days ago
Jane (#321)
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Quote: "Which is worse: Ignorance or apathy? Who knows? Who cares?"
Posted: 4839 days ago
Location: Brisbane
Quote: "Now, I don't know Max, I've never met Max, or know anything about him, but I have it on good authority, that he is, in fact, a werewolf."
Posted: 4839 days ago
Tommy Mandel (#2554)
Location: nYc
Quote: ""Hah," she said."
Posted: 4839 days ago
What if she grows up and decides she wants to work for a Lawnmower Corporation... ? And her old man (that's you) has other ideas?
I sense a story coming on ;)
Ryan (#2690)
Location: Mississauga
Posted: 4839 days ago
Location: New York
Quote: "It's fun to have fun but you have to know how."
Posted: 4839 days ago
Location: Toronto
Posted: 4839 days ago
Posted: 4839 days ago
Mats (#1057)
Location: Turku, Finland, Europe, Earth
Quote: ""The optimist thinks this is the best of all possible worlds, and the pessimist knows it." James Branch Cabell via Robert Oppenheimer"
Posted: 4839 days ago
Location: Sydney, Australia
Quote: "Why are the pretty ones always insane?"
Posted: 4838 days ago
You realise now that you are completely screwed? Three women to keep happy under one roof, for decades to come. Good luck with that.
Mary Rose (#2854)
Location: San Francisco, CA
Quote: "go big or stay home"
Posted: 4838 days ago
Location: Alberta, Canada
Quote: "I don't wanna ride the elevator."
Posted: 4836 days ago
rohandas (#4985)
Posted: 4814 days ago
S (#5003)
Location: Indonesia
Quote: "just search what you want"
Posted: 4787 days ago
Thank you for you and your wife to take care of you lovely daughter .... Congrats !!! <): o)
The real purpose, I left the comment is to say, T.H.a.N.K y.O.uU for the comment about overseas publishing.
Happy for you family.
o^O_o^o
maryawrites (#5010)
Location: Melbourne
Posted: 4780 days ago
maryawrites.wordpress.com/
permanent signature.
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