The beginning of the end

Induction day is looming. It's tomorrow, in fact, which came as a bit of a surprise to my wife and I. For some reason we had lulled ourselves into thinking that it was on Wednesday that we had to go back to the hospital. Bags have been checked and re-checked. Lists have been made. Coming home outfits have been decided upon and everything is ready.

It's scary, really. Tonight is the last night that my wife and I will spend together in our house as just the two of us. Depending on how successful (or unsuccessful) each method of induction is, she could be in for several nights before anything even happens. We spent the night apart a few weeks ago, which was strange, and it'll be even stranger if we have to spend several more.

She's incredibly brave. Hospitals, and being in them, essentially scare my wife. She has approached this sudden realisation of an imminent hospital visit with a little upset, as anyone would, but overall she's so strong, and I'm proud of her. She said earlier, "When I leave tomorrow, I won't be coming home without our baby," and hearing those words really made it hit home that, yeah, the two of us are on the cusp of becoming parents. Not just parents to the ever growing bump, but to a real, life, kicking and screaming and breathing and growing and smiling and crying child. Someone who we will raise and nurture and do our damn best to be the best parents ever to. We've been preparing for this for nine months, through all the hospital visits and monitorings and scans, and now that it's about to happen it doesn't feel real.

So, tomorrow, we'll leave the house and arrive at the hospital for half eight. I'll have to leave, because father visiting hours are between 10am and 8pm, but I already have a tentative mission of rounding up snacks. I'll be with her all day, until I'm thrown out by hospital staff. It could work within hours, and by this time tomorrow I'll be blogging about the birth of my son, or it could not, and I'll be blogging about how he's still not quite ready to say hello to the world.

Only time will tell, but for now I ask you, whether you know me or not, to think of my beautiful wife and my unborn son and to give them your best wishes. Hopefully soon I'll be able to tell you what it feels like to hold my baby boy.

Kael