Halloween Die-ary: October 22, 2018

We did it. The magic trick. Turned our family of four into a family of five. We admitted ourselves into the hospital at 7:00 am and, 11 hours later, our new baby was born—a girl. That’s three girls for us, three Fates, three Furies, three Graces, three Muses.

I spent most of the time today in the room with Lindsey, but every once in a while I wandered the hallways of the hospital on this or that errand, seeing fuzzy black spiders and witches hats on the doors of the admittance rooms. Small ceramic jack-o-lanterns on the reception desk and all over the cafeteria. Hay bales and pumpkins at the front entrance. Crucifixes and paintings of nuns on the hallway walls (it’s a Catholic hospital—but in my head they were references to The Exorcist and The Nun). We even turned the tiny TV on to be welcomed into our room by Vincent Price…except he wasn’t in horror movie, but a 1956 romance called Serenade.

But it was a Halloween enough day. However, right now it feels a bit like Christmas. And not because we got a gift. Give me a little credit, guys. Because of the family gathering element. We’ll have extended family here this week and next, so it feels a bit Yulish, and I have strong memories of each of our children’s first Christmases. Baby’s first Halloween is only a thing when they’re old enough to trick-or-treat.

We gave the baby a seasonal name that maybe I’ll go public with, maybe not. I’ve never drawn firm lines around that. It’s a good name, though. We’re all exhausted and will be forever. And we’re stuck in this hospital overnight and most of tomorrow. But I can’t wait to show her the giant glowing ghoul in our front yard.

Happy Birthday, Baby. Halloween is nine days away. Here’s to many bat-shaped birthday cakes in your future.