Final Preparations

Our pastor just left. He came by after dinner at our request to pray with us and administer the sacrament of annointing to me in preparation for Thursday’s surgery. (I’d never have asked him to make a house call; but when I inquired on Sunday about the possibility of receiving the sacrament, he volunteered to drop by.) It was very lovely to have him here in our home and to have my family around me joining in the prayers.

The girls were both a-quiver when he knocked at the door and Bella danced about at his feet as we chatted. When he pulled out his prayer book to begin the rites of blessing of an expectant mother and of the annointing of the sick, she ran to get one of her prayer books, a little rosary pamphlet. She knelt down and prayed along with us, saying the responses and joining in on the Our Father and Hail Mary. Appropriately, I noticed, she had the book turned to the mysteries of the Presentation in the Temple and the Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple. Sophie showed off too, picking up a small crucifix we have on the shelf and kissing it repeatedly. Father R., who comes from a large family and obviously loves children and is a wonderful teacher, was charmed.

The ritual was so beautiful, so comforting. I especially loved the reading from the book of Samuel, one of my favorites. I am so full of peace now. He has anointed my head with oil and I am overflowing with peace and joy, the wonderful gifts of the Spirit. Father anointed my hands too and after he left I held them up to my nose, smelling that wonderful holy smell. I hated to wash it off but of course there was a dirty diaper that needed to be changed, the wonderful calling of my vocation to serve Christ in my children.

In more mundane news, the bassinet arrived today and we’ve set it up next to the bed, waiting to be filled with the joyful bundle that is our son. I have baskets full of clean baby clothes waiting to clothe him. I’ve returned the library books so we won’t accrue fines, and sent off some books that needed to be mailed. My mother is here—Oh Joy!!!—and I feel that if everything isn’t perfectly as I’d like, it’s at least good enough. Tomorrow I have a trip to the hospital for the pre-op appointment. Then I’ll try to come home and spend one last relaxing evening with my family before heading back to the hospital early Thursday morning.

Because some people have asked…. The hospital does have free wifi in the rooms and I’ll be bringing my computer and plan to post some pictures. (i can’t go four days without internet access, I’d go crazy.) However, I don’t expect anything along the lines of the blogging I did while in labor with Sophie since this planned procedure will doubtless leave me much less time to fill with distractions.

If you want the quickest updates, Dom’s is probably the place to go. Subscribe to his Twitter feed or check on his blog. I he can get the nurses to let him bring his phone and camera into the OR, I’m sure he’ll post instant photos and updates. But if you aren’t in such a great hurry, then check here and I’m sure I won’t be too far behind with plenty of Benedict pictures.