A Nine-Pounder

Sunday, April 22, 2007

Soon, Dr. Petrarch arrived. Collette discovered later that Dr. Brazil had been out of town. The gray-haired gentleman told her that he would be back soon. And he was; Collette found herself quite ready to have baby arrive.

“What’s his name?” Dr. Petrarch asked, methodically preparing all of his instruments.

“Octavian,” OLeif said proudly.

“Well…” Dr. Petrarch sat down on his stool. “I’ve never delivered a Roman emperor before.”

After a short bit longer and no pain, little Octavian came into the world at precisely 3:56 in the morning.

“Look, Collette,” Rachel called to her at the very end. “Do you see him?”

Suddenly, there he was, lying there on her stomach.

“Wow,” both nurses said.

“He’s huge!”

“How did he get in there?”

He gave one loud wail and was cleaned off at a table nearby with OLeif right beside him. But he became quiet as soon as he heard OLeif’s voice.

“Come on,” one of the nurses said. “Let’s go weigh him.”

“Yeah, I’m really wanting to find out how much that guy weighs,” Rachel said, helping Dr. Petrarch with the instruments.

Soon, OLeif returned with a bundle in his arms.

“Go ahead and share the news, Dad,” the nurse told him.

“Nine pounds,” OLeif said. “Nine pounds even.”