Max and I had another crazy, epic weekend day so that Karolina could do her own thing before Newey is born tomorrow.
As I write this, it’s 10 PM. Newey is due in 9 1/2 hours. This is my last evening before him. I had a moment of giddiness this afternoon, butterflies in the stomach. Everyone tells me that my life is about to change completely and irrevocably. I think Tim and Margaret Coutts’ phrasing of it yesterday at Barnes and Noble really hit it home for me.
But what will it be like? Will I be so stricken with love that I won’t care about anything else? Will I gaze into his eyes and see my parents and my grandparents? Will I cry uncontrollably for Mom and Dad not being here to see him? There are some many other possibilities. What is it like to feel like I’d do anything for this person? Will he be healthy? Will he come down with mental illness later in life? Will I smile just by looking at him? Will I see myself when I look at him? Will he have Karolina’s beautiful blue eyes or my family’s hazel? Will he laugh easily and be a happy-go-lucky child like I was? Will he be lean and long, like Karolina, and have her insight and wisdom?
Although we’ve already decided to name him Elliot with the Hebrew name Melech, after my father, we haven’t firmly decided on one or several middle names:
- Elliot Wolf Jung — Wolf is the maiden name of my grandmother and Karolina and I have a soft spot for wolves. I had posters of wolves in my room even when I was a child.
- Elliot Emet Wolf Jung (Emet, or truth, is the word written on the Golem’s forehead)
- Elliot Max Wolf Jung — for my beloved Uncle Max and, of course, his half-brother
- Elliot Martin Wolf Jung — Martin for my father
- Elliot Abe/Abraham Wolf Jung — I only mentioned this once to Karolina. I don’t think she liked it. Uncle Abe was another beloved uncle of mine, different side of the family, who I was very close to as an adult in my 20s. He lived in Toronto then, after a lifetime in Brooklyn with his Canadian Jewish wife, Ethel
I’m not a big fan of two middle names, but we’ll see. Naming ceremony isn’t for a week. I hope we do not have to name him in the hospital 9 hours.
Here’s what Max and I did today. I’m exhausted.
Botanical Gardens Chatfield Farms, not far from the house
Clue Room in Centennial (alice in wonderland theme)
Lunch at Tokyo Joe’s — Max’s new favorite place
Dart Mania in Englewood! (his favorite part of the day)
Mt Falcon Park Hike in Morrison
2-hour hike. We didn’t make it to the abandoned castle because we left from the wrong parking lot; it was just too far.
It was a very strenuous hike at times, and this guy was hiking up without footwear, no shirt, and carrying what I guessed to be a 30-pound rock on shoulders. There was another man following him recording the entire event. It was quite impressive.
Then dinner at Whole Foods and Dunkin’ Donuts afterwards — strawberry frosted donut for Max, as usual. And finally, Hyperspace. I don’t have any photos from that night, but here’s one from our first time there.
The Narrative
And throughout the day, we listened to disc after disc of Star Wars Death Troopers on audio book, which we rented a couple of weeks ago from Talking Books Plus in Englewood. Max’s choice.
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