I’m skipping work today.  Kelsey started having contractions at 11:45 last night.  They have progressed steadily and it will probably be any time, though they’re still relatively mild, they’re getting closer together.  We’ll go to the midwife when the contractions are 5 minutes apart and 1 minute long.

I’m installing Ubuntu on a desktop and working on getting an email server working for herculeangrp.org to fill the time — but I don’t think I’ve mentioned that yet.  I probably won’t get any of that done.

We’re having second breakfast now (hashbrown patties and juice.)  Kelsey said she’s going to make cookies, but I think we might run out of time before then.  We just need to occupy our time until she’s ready.  We’ll go for a walk later, and the ribs are thawing.

The baby’s officially 2 weeks late by Kelsey’s reckoning, but only 8 days over by my guess.  The doctor & ultrasound technician who inspected her yesterday estimated his weight at 9 1/2 pounds and head size at 10 cm.  That’s a pretty big baby.  Everything looked healthy, though.

It’s a pretty overwhelming thought that I’m about to be a dad.  I don’t know if I’ve ever given it that much real consideration (except over the last 9 months).  How good of a dad will I be?  Will I be able to provide for my family?  Will I be someone they’ll look up to?  Will I be able to teach them to play sports and fix cars, the types of things dad’s are supposed to be good at — which I’m not.

I’m sure Harmon will be a great kid, whatever his parents are like.  He’s got a pretty good mom, anyway.  I expect he’ll be bigger and stronger and smarter than me before I know it.  I can’t wait to take him swimming, and fishing, and sailing.  I can almost see how he’ll watch over his younger brothers and sisters, protecting Samantha, and keeping the younger boys in line.