Difficult Pregnancy, Easy Delivery

I was going to post a few photos but are experiencing some kind of server proxy error. Oh well. You'll have to trust me that Lu-Yu is a beautiful and unique little soul. I'll try with the photos again later tonight.

Where to begin?

How about waking at 4:00 this morning and not being able to get back to sleep. So, I donned my runners, slipped out of the room without waking anyone, and headed to St. Lucy's. The lights weren't on (good sign), so I just hung out a while, and then ran the sweaty Tainan streets for an hour or so. For me, it was the perfect end to my pregnancy -- and I was ready to deliver.

Sheri's preparations were more pragmatic: woke, showered, ate, packed. (I'm quoting her verbatim, but let it be known that I was the one who did the packing.)

We arrived at St. Lucy's at around 9:30, got to meet the wonderful staff and some of the volunteers who have been with him for all these months, and took our place with our fellow waiting parents, Lynne and Timothy. Dave got ready to take some photos, and Olivia and Maya slouched on the couch bored. Suffice it to say, that was the last little bit of boredom I suspect that anyone will see for quite a while in our family.

Trumpets sounded, and out came Chien-Lu (13 months) and Lu-Yu. As a bit of comparison, Lynne and Timothy were handed their beautiful, quiet boy, and he settled comfortably into their arms. Lu-Yu? Holy smoke. When I say that he is energetic, I'm not using the right word. Frenetic maybe? Like a runaway locomotive on a steep downhill run? That's pretty close.

He marched down the hall, the nannies saying that he was going to see his baba and mama, and meanwhile he quickly sized up everyone -- caregivers, parents, children -- and without hesitating, he grabbed Olivia's hand and continued on towards the door to the outside. Maya quickly caught up and grabbed his hand too, and we all trailed after them. No snuggling on the sofa, no time for sentimental tears. It was play time! Within fifteen minutes my shirt was soaked with sweat, up and down the three flights of stairs, in and out of the chapel, through the parking lot, out to see the scooters on Shengli Road, into the nursery, climbing trees, balancing on walls, back flips off parked cars (okay, the final three were just visions of the future ahead of us).

I thought that the transition would be difficult. I imagined that he would cry and reach for his nannies, that he would have a fit in the taxi, and sob the whole plane ride. Umm, didn't happen. Until he passed out around 4:30, he was nonstop action, giggles, jumping, chasing, rolling on the floor, eating bananas on the fly, running the hotel hall with his sisters, pulling toys in and out of his backpack, flipping through his board book, driving his plastic truck, fitting the paper cups together, and on and on.

He's most definitely a boy, and most definitely a toddler, and I'm proud to say that he feels like both a Martin and a Spisak. Gosh, what a lot of work we've got ahead of us!

He's now out of the bath, kind of mellow, and looks like he could fall asleep again any minute. It's been a long day for him -- and he's got a whole new world to explore tomorrow...