Making information work

OK - envision this: a paper producing company is thinking of a name for its new line of kitchen paper towels. They want it to be associated with smiling chefs, laughing children and good food. A true help in the kitchen. So they go with “Gourmet”.

Now, envision this: you are in the store, and you are going to buy some toilet paper. You look at the different brands, and their names & pitches. Soft, sensitive & tested. But it you let your eyes slip just one shelf up, you are confronted with “Gourmet”, when your mind is quite far from eating food.

Had that paper been placed alongside anything other than toilet paper, the name would have worked. Now … not so much.

David

I can not really grasp this situation - I am trying to come to grips with what has happened. But clearly, there are more of us here at home.

We had a rough couple of nights - not much sleep at all - but since six this morning Ella has done nothing but slept. She did well in clothes for the first time, and she did excellent riding in the car. Kristina and I have taken turns holding her here so the other person can get some sleep.

During the whole birth, Kristina was nothing short of a super hero. We had been told things like “the woman leaves her brain at home” and “it is daddy’s job to take charge and plan”. Non-sense. Kristina was completely present, much perhaps because of both the breathing techniques we learned, and the fact that she used no chemical pain killers at all.

I have never been so proud.

I was doing my best during the final rough phase to aid Kristina, to help her breathe, to help her focus. When Ella was out, my charade was called: I cried and I laughed.

Kristina needed no more than 5 minutes, and she was back: fully aware and breast feeding our 3.5 kg miracle.

I will try to gather more thoughts later. Meanwhile - here are some more photos.

David

I am guessing that only hours remain. Kristina’s contractions are relatively frequent now. (My guess is also that it will not happen within the coming 4 hours – which means that Kristina and my child will not share birthdays.)

When the first signs contractions showed up late last night, I started getting a bit scared for the first time. Not bad scared: good scared, but still. It is like I have been walking around my apartment navigating past a child’s car seat, a stroller, tons of magazines about pregnancy, changing table, a child’s bed (and so on) without really grasping why all the stuff was there.

It is becoming rather obvious now, but still quite abstract.

Crazy thoughts are flying through my head. I will not have time to finish painting the ceiling and walls of our country place. I will never sleep again. An 18-year-old daughter, dating. A wedding. Grandchildren.

Another contraction. I time them, and time-stamp them so that I have something to go by. They look like this:

19:35 – 40
19:49 – 35
20:05 – 25
20:18 – 25
20:27 – 25
20:34 – 80
20:47 – 50

That is time of onset, and length in seconds.

It is clear that Kristina got the raw end of this deal.

We are supposed to rest a lot. And eat. We tried resting around 16:00 – I fell asleep directly. Kristina didn’t. I bought lots of candy. I ate it. I will be prepared like nobody’s business, but that was probably not the point.

The hospital in which we are supposed to deliver is close by – not more than 15 minutes by car. We will be taking a cab there. They have been very careful in their instructions to let us know that we should arrive there as late as possible in the process. They believe that the best births are the births with as little hospital time as possible. I can buy that. They have done their best to disguise the whole floor as well – hardwood floors, no hospital clothing allowed. And lots of nice food.

The packing has not been ready particularly long. If the birth is “normal” (what does that mean, anyways? Is something amazing normal just because it is common?) we will stay 2 nights. I have no idea of what to bring. Somehow, packing matching outfits for myself seems somewhat irrelevant right now.

Kristina is sleeping. It sounds heavy.

My daughter is incredibly awaited. We are extremely ready to be a family of three (plus a cat).

I am planning for twin boys after this. I haven’t decided if I more like the idea of them being protectors of their big sister or the other way around. Knowing the females in my family, the big sister will be the protector long before being the protectee.

Sleeping seems to delay the contractions. Like her body is allowing her to take a break to gather strength.

Today I had a walk with a particularly pleasant colleague at lunch. We walked around one of the many islands Stockholm is built upon. She made it clear to me that my life is about to change in ways way larger than I perhaps am allowing myself to understand.

I will be trying to sleep now.

David

According to CNN.com, three of the official US Republican Presidential candidates “do not believe in evolution”.

This is scary. What do they “believe” in?

David