Cambridge

This morning, after a long last night of rearranging my flight and last-minute packing, I got up early, went to work for an hour and a half, and then left to catch a 10:55 flight out to Boston. I got here at two, right as my niece came into the world, caught excellent train karma from the airport to the hospital. A kind midwife led me into the labor room and told another, somewhat more businesslike midwife that I was Jenn Rossi's brother (a minor omission of the in-law) and they asked if I could come in. I didn't even get my bags down before my brother tackled me (not tackled, exactly, but I can't remember anyone greeting me with such gusto), followed by my mother, followed by Jenn's father, until I finally had to tell everyone in the room that I'd very much like the next person I kissed to be my niece.

She's lovely. She's a week early, but she was right on time because she arrived almost exactly when I did. And she's very strong and curious like I was when I was newborn. And she's beautiful. And she has a smell about her that can only be described as new-human smell, as in she smells the way we smell uncorrupted. And have I mentioned how beautiful she is? Well she is. I hope Uncle Matt gets to be a big part of her life.

We waited around the hospital for a while, and finally Jenn was moved to the postnatal ward of the birthing center and we said our goodbyes for the evening. I was entrusted with my niece's placenta, which was given to me in a large plastic tub. The kind they put potato salad in at the deli. The plan is to bury the placenta tomorrow. I do not know where we're burying the placenta, but I think that I was voted into the task because a) I'm Mike's brother, b) I'm the least squeamish family member, and c) I wrote a story about a uterus that rises up against its owner, so it seemed only natural that I should be the one to help bury a placenta.

Now I should sleep. Because my computer says it is 9:55, but my computer lies because it is actually 10:55 here, and it's actually three in the morning, according to my body.

I have a niece!