It's 10:15 pm. Natalia is just now settling into bed. Irini has been sleeping for a couple hours now, this time sharing her room with Idah, who brought her little suitcase with clothing. and personal items, enough for a couple days. We went shopping this afternoon to make sure that there was enough food to keep the family in order for a while. We took a shower at 8 pm or so, and filled the bathroom with the joys of sprinking water and giggling toddler talk. We brushed our teeth in our traditional family manner and made phone calls to grandparents on other continents to tell them the news.
This is the night. The last night of our lives as we know it. Tomorrow at 6:30 am (if not earlier) Laurence and Natalia will head out to the hospital and on to a new chapter of their lives. Irini knows this conceptually, of course, but she cannot know what this might mean for her life, her future competition for that commodity which is about to get more scarce: time with mommy and daddy. Laurence and Natalia look into each other's eyes, share a thought of two... a thought about missing what they now have, knowing it will never be the same... a thought about what is to come and how they cannot possibly know how wonderful it will be until it happens.
Irini rolls over in her crib. Natalia rolls over in her bed. Laurence sits thoughtfully on the computer writing to the world. The next time Natalia and Laurence roll into bed together things won't quite be the same. But tonight the dreams will be of safe arrivals, of getting to know new people, of building on an already happy family, of making the world worth while for two little beings who, by their mere presence, make ours so much more so.
We wait for the future to reach us. We sleep dreaming of beautiful laughter, of happy children, of family giggles multiplied. Tomorrow the world begins anew, and we can't wait!
This is the night. The last night of our lives as we know it. Tomorrow at 6:30 am (if not earlier) Laurence and Natalia will head out to the hospital and on to a new chapter of their lives. Irini knows this conceptually, of course, but she cannot know what this might mean for her life, her future competition for that commodity which is about to get more scarce: time with mommy and daddy. Laurence and Natalia look into each other's eyes, share a thought of two... a thought about missing what they now have, knowing it will never be the same... a thought about what is to come and how they cannot possibly know how wonderful it will be until it happens.
Irini rolls over in her crib. Natalia rolls over in her bed. Laurence sits thoughtfully on the computer writing to the world. The next time Natalia and Laurence roll into bed together things won't quite be the same. But tonight the dreams will be of safe arrivals, of getting to know new people, of building on an already happy family, of making the world worth while for two little beings who, by their mere presence, make ours so much more so.
We wait for the future to reach us. We sleep dreaming of beautiful laughter, of happy children, of family giggles multiplied. Tomorrow the world begins anew, and we can't wait!
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