Snapshots from Snohomish

Waiting for Jaryth Aidan Kyrnin to arrive, his grandmother, Judy, wrote these short emails to her friends to describe what was happening.

March 26, 2008

Wednesday morning word pictures.....

Roosters crow softly outside my window. The sky is gray, but the predicted snow has not fallen. Still, it is colder than I am used to with my thin California blood. Shasta (the big white dog) comes up to see if I am still here, and if I am still able to scratch that special place on his back. His fur is cold and slightly wet from his morning patrol of the property. Jenn is still sleeping, and Jaryth is one day closer to his birth.

6:47pm

Sitting by the window watching the temperature drop on the outdoor thermometer attached to my window.....Phone call from my brother in Lakewood, south of Tacoma, describing the snow flurries on his deck.....Another walk up the hill to exercise the dogs and to gently suggest to Jaryth that his mother would like to hold him in her arms for a change.....Light rain as the horses and goats are coaxed back to the barn for the night.....

Tomorrow starts the all out push to get labor started..... Val, the midwife, is pulling out all the stops, and using all the techniques in her bag of tricks....... Lets hope Jaryth pays attention.

March 28, 2008

And still we wait. The very air seems thick with waiting.

Contractions increase with walking,so Jennifer dutifully struggles up the steep hill twice a day, walking past the starting spring that fights with winter for dominance over the land. She leaves for acupuncture every day now, and sees her midwife for encouragement. And we wait.

I spend my days pulling out the invasive bluebells that choke the flower beds.I trim the bushes and turn the soil. There is much to be done, and I wish for more energy.... but I always wish for more energy.

Afternoons are spent with my drawing. And I cook.... fixing meals that we all share at night, and trying to fill up the freezer so they'll have a little less to do after the baby comes.

12:55pm

The bad news is: winter won. It's snowing.
The good news is: Jenn's water broke. Jaryth cometh.

7:55pm

As the contractions strengthen, the storm weakens, although it is still snowing. The dula, Megan, is on her way to the house. Soon we will begin the drive to the Birthing Center. The next time you hear from me, I will be a grandmother!

March 29, 2008

Jaryth Aidan Kyrnin born March 29, 2008 at 9:05AM..... 11pounds, 22 inches. Mother and baby are doing well. Grandmother is exhausted (I ended up being a birthing coach all night long and haven't slept for 36 hours..... Jenn had natural childbirth which was difficult and long). More later.

March 30, 2008

Winter has returned in full force. Snowflakes decorate the soft rain falling past my window. It's nice to be in a cozy warm house.

Jaryth: tiny, but huge..... he already dominates the household. He looks like his dad, having blond hair and pale skin.....which turns an all-body red when he gets upset. Jenn says he woke up every 2-3 hours. Mark only heard him once, when he cried.

The animals are adjusting well, although Shasta (the big white dog) spends a lot more time at my feet. McKinley (the border collie) has been much more calm than expected, and seems content with just smelling the baby. The cats are aloofly interested: Otto (the big orange cat) was somewhat freaked at first, but settled down as soon as he realized his food supply was not going to be interrupted. Sunni (the Uzbek refugee) gave her matronly approval and crawled back into the baby swing which she has claimed as her own. The horses and goats don't know about him yet.

March 31, 2008

The snow has melted from the branch outside my window. A robin lands to use it as his watch tower. Shafts of sunlight peek tentatively through the puffy clouds. Has spring arrived again?

Brendan comes in from the library/storage shed where he sleeps now that I have taken his space in the house. It's cold and he welcomes the warmth inside with the rest of the family. He has been here over 2 weeks: waiting for Jaryth, helping with the animals, and now, learning to be an uncle.

We made plans last night. Patti and Rich, Mark's parents, will fly up on Thursday for 4 days to meet their new grandson. Layard will fly up the following weekend to be with us, and then fly back home with me. I have 2 more weeks to do the shopping and the cooking and the cleaning so that the new little family can get acquainted and learn some routines together without the bother of some of the ordinary chores that take up our days.

Jaryth and his mom are sleeping peacefully.

April 10, 2008

Early morning symphony..... rhythmic croaking of frogs, sharp stacato cries of crows, gentle chattering of waking birds, proud crowing of roosters, even the distant hum of traffic for the morning commute all blend and merge in harmony for the ascending day.

Jaryth is 12 days old. Already established as the center of this small universe, he stares adoringly at his attentive mother, and snuggles cozily as his dad carries him proudly on the morning walk. He is amazingly alert as he tries to focus on the sounds of voices around him, turning his head so he can see a new face. He struggles to pick up his head and turn it when he has "tummy time" on the floor, and pushes off strongly to scoot himself across his blanket as he exercises his leg power. He continues to be a very mellow baby.

April 11, 2008

It's early morning in Snohomish and, what's this? It's sunny! The sun does make it to Washington, despite what you've heard!

Jaryth..... resting against his mom's knees for support, learning the silly songs that only moms can sing, looking around alertly (focusing first on books, of course..... he does have a tradition to uphold, after all)... and then dancing to more silly songs with his grandmother. I guess it just takes the right partner for me to dance! What could be more special than a soft new baby nestled in your arms...

The buttercup and the invasive bluebells (whoever heard of bluebells being invasive?) had better watch out. If my gardening was intensive yesterday, wait 'til today..... the sun is out and Mark brought home new clippers and thorn strippers from Molbaks. I guess I can forgive him for going to my favorite nursery and gardening store without me.

April 12, 2008

The quiet coterie of horses and goats munch happily together in the green pasture outside my window. The swallows have returned to the barn. Soon, the newest batch of babies will incubate warmly, snuggled in among the bales of hay in the loft. Mark mucks out the stalls while the dogs supervise. The cats stay in the house to beg for treats.

Layard arrived last nite to meet his new grandson. It's good to see him. I missed him.

April 13, 2008

It's the final day. The sun is just starting to stain the horizon a golden orange, silhouetting the tall trees in the distance. The day promises to be clear and sunny as a gesture to the departing Californians. We will spend this day on last minute activities: walking the hill one more time, reviewing the animals, exhulting over the open fields, family pictures, chatting, planning, and, most of all, holding and watching and cuddling and memorizing Jaryth.

I hope you have enjoyed these verbal snapshots as I tried to describe my immersion into my new role as Grandmother.
Judy