My pastor and I meet on Thursday evenings to talk ministry and get to know one another; eventually I will be more involved in the church's ministries, maybe even doing some preaching. The Thursday before Emma's birth I gave Holly a good-bye kiss and drove to my meeting. When I came home forty minutes later I looked at Holly and remarked that Emma had dropped. Holly tried to quietly dismiss it, but I insisted she had dropped, which I proved by feeling her belly and pointed out that the top was like pudding, and not a hard knot like it had been.

The full story of how Emma greeted the world and her first day of firsts will come later, when I get a chance to sleep, collect my thoughts, and stop letting Emma take naps on my chest. This is the Reader's Digest version of the event, but for an even shorter version I have one word to sum it all up: OUCH!

Holly went into labor this morning at 2:30AM. I won't argue with her when she says it's labor; I figure she's the better expert than I am, and she knows its different than a Braxton-Hicks. I had to get up around 4AM to answer the call of nature and she quietly told me, "I don't think you have to go to work today." It's funny how a few simple words barely whispered can shock a poor sleep-deprived man into sudden wakefulness; I couldn't go to sleep after that, and believe me, I tried.

Holly went to the doctor yesterday and found out she is already two centimeters dilated and 70% effaced. No labor yet, and if I understanding correctly she could still go a couple of weeks like this, but the doctor said she expected to see us by this weekend to deliver our baby. The poor thing is tired, very tired, but since she is on leave she is at home resting and napping. At least one of us is getting some sleep, as I'm having a hard time (as usual) getting to sleep at nights.

It's official and confirmed by the doctor's blood test: we are pregnant! Sometime in June we should bring home a little bundle of stress, worry, "innocence", and a tax-break. Am I excited? You bet! Am I nervous? You bet! Am I scared? You bet! Would I do it all over again? You bet!

More news to come as it develops. Eegads. I'm going to be a father!