how there's many great things about sports

and i know that sports doesn't just build character, it also reveals it. and that just gets proven over and over again, such as these past 24 hours, where it became impossible not to be impressed by and appreciative of what both youth (tampa bay rays) and experience (bernard hopkins) can pull off.

i heart sports.

how in one week's time, i've narrowed down my worldview into one simple equation

wyatt > everything else

how they say it's the best day of your life

and they are correct.

it is.

wow.

hello, wyatt.

how i'm typing this for posterity's sake

this is the last moment in my life that i am living for myself. from here on out, everything i do will be done for my child's benefit. every thought, every emotion, every action, every word is dedicated to make my child's life better.

these last 34 years, in which i was the most important person in my life, is coming to a dramatic end in a couple of moments.

it was a damn good run.

but i can't wait to give it all up for someone even more special.

how we have a fever for a baby

in the past hour, i've seen my wife go through shakes, raised blood pressure and a fever - all at the same time. it was one of the worst hours i've ever been through, and it didn't affect me physically. never had i felt so helpless, despite the countless cold towels we continuously put on her.

but she got through it, the latest intense challenge in her pregnancy.

and, as the doctor checked her out, we found out that the first lady passed her physical challenge with flying colors - she progressed 6 centimeters in three hours, an absolutely amazing achievement.

now we're just one centimeter away.

we're in the home stretch, and i wouldn't bet against her.

how we're getting close

the first lady of steveohville has had the most visceral, gutteral and intense contractions ever known to shake this planet. but she's got the most loving, giving and proactive nurses and support team around her. as she cries, we cry. if we can only capture her pain for her.

and let's be honest here: if men had to deliver babies, this civilization would have ended centuries ago.

but now we're in the wonderful world of the epidural, and hopefully the worst has passed. she's relaxed and dilating, and we're relaxed and prepping, and the baby is relaxed and getting ready for his or her's debut appearance in our lives.

we can't wait.

how they really meant it

they don't call it vacation. they don't call it paradise. they don't call it easy street.

they call it labor - for a damn good reason.

the first lady's had a rough time tonight. the cervix checks are very painful, and that's when and where they also inject the misoprostil pill into her. it breaks my heart to see her break down in pain like that, but it's a necessary evil.

anyways, between the all-body rash and the contractions and the painful checks and suppositories, she's had probably the roughest night of her pregnancy (and trust me, we've had our share of very rough nights).

but at 6AM, everything we've been working for came to fruition: her water broke.

i'm so unbelievably proud of her. i wish you all can witness how proud and strong she's been through all of this.

now we're at the starting gate - finally. and the finish line isn't that far away.

how we get there will be interesting.

how hopefully our son will come out tomorrow (or daughter)

the pitosin actually has a higher level. i mean, 60 is great. but we got that sucka up to 66. and afterwards, after a run through and a cervix test, our doctor decided that this pitosin ain't really workin'. or, rather, has worked as much as it can.

so we're switching tactics to misoprostal (otherwise known as cytotec), which will soften the cervix even further, hopefully allowing the first lady of steveohville to begin to dilate, which will cause the spawn of steveohville to begin dropping, which will cause intense labor to begin, and will hopefully...fingers crossed...

but that's gonna take time. so we're looking at a sunday estimated date of arrival.

which is just as good as any.

how we're hoping that with her contractions come an addition

the first lady of steveohville has still been utterly amazing. we've been having a great time with her mom, aunt, sister-in-law and friend, a huge estrogen meeting with me on the outside, looking in. and it's been wonderful. the ladies have taken her mind off of her full body rash, the contractions and the edema.

now the pitusin is at level 60 (the highest), and suddenly her walks to the nursery have become marathons. each step has made her contractions heavier and stronger with bigger waves for her to surf over.

that's a great thing, a major first step.

so it seems although we're not at the home stretch, we've just entered the starting gate. and when they open, there's nothing that's gonna get in her way.

i'm so proud and honored just to be along for the ride.

how i am so proud of the first lady of steveohville

she's been so strong since we've been admitted to the hospital. this hasn't been the best pregnancy, and the whole body rash she's just gotten is pretty damn mean, but through it all, she's been the most courageous and inspiring person i've ever been around. i'm so damn lucky to spend the rest of my life with her, and to have her be the mother of my child.

we've got a couple of hours to go. the pitosin is being amped up, and so are the contractions - and so are her moans.

we're gonna get there, baby. we're gonna get there real soon.

how i'd be willing to take it too

once, when i was in college, i went to a club in long island and wound up peeing in a stall directly opposite from dee snider. our eyes caught, and all i could muster out to say was "you're dee snider".

it was 1995, and he wasn't willing to take it then.

but now? maybe.