Tomorrow our lives will be changed forever- we will experience the birth of our second child.

We're to arrive at the hospital between six thirty and seven am. At some point during the morning, the process of inducing the birth will begin. The doctor estimates the child's size is already greater than Isaiah's was when he was born. That's why the birth is being induced. We like Ruth's current doctor much better than the one we had when Isaiah was born who induced Isaiah's birth to go on vacation.

I regret to this day, and probably will forever, the fact that my recordings for my own memory of the first few days of Isaiah's life are nonexistent. I have a few crisp images in my mind, one of Ruth and I sitting in our car just about to get out and go into the hospital, and several more brief glimpses of moments, but my recollection of how the days went, what actually happened, are very vague.

I intend to do much better this time in providing (for myself mostly) a transcription of this special time which will be, if not exact, at least evocative of the emotion of the days. I have taken this and next week off from work, so I should have time to be able to sit down and type a while each day. This will not only allow me to get back in the habit of daily writing, but will also serve to do the best I can to right my failure of such duties when Isaiah was born. I hope when he is grown and reads these dusty archives, he can forgive me for such an inexcusable lapse.

All kinds of plans and arrangements have been made. Rupie's picking up Isaiah tomorrow morning about 6. They are going to get McSoylent, er, McDonald's drive-through for breakfast and eat it at her house, then she's going to drop him off at preschool. If the child has been born by the time Isaiah's school lets out, I'm going to get him and bring him to the hospital to meet his new little brother, and if the birth has not yet occurred she'll pick him up and bring him up when we call her. Uncle John in coming to town from Dallas for a few days,too, so we're all going to have a big old blast.

One thing I do remember from last time is that I wanted to bring my laptop to the hospital but Ruth forbade such a thing. Then labor ended up taking over twelve hours and I regretted not bringing it anyway. This time I have little desire to bring it, but I'm going to be sure to have a nice assortment of books handy along with some snack items. In fact, I need to go through my bag to unload a bunch of junk I won't need at the hospital and load it up with the books I want to take, a can of Pringles, and my glasses and contact lenses and it's already hours after I meant to be in bed.

Ruth is ready for her epidural now and I'm ready for bed.