today is the day

i talk about my love of being an aunt, rant about healthcare, maternity leave and the state of the world in general. k? k.

let's start this off nice. first off, i love being an aunt. yay!

i have one nephew (plus another on the bub's side, in Portugal), my brother's little guy who just turned three (see previous post!) and another little guy due today. today. TODAY! i'm not sure what's going on over at their house right now, so who knows when the little man will actually make his grand entrance. i'm just so excited! so naturally i'm feeling a bit reminiscent and sappy about my first nephew. 'cause i'm a total sap when it comes to him. i cannot say no. "auntie keeleeee come to da basement to play hockey wit' me puleaseeeee?" i mean, the fact that he knows me and wants to hang with me and can say my name like that is enough alone. forget the cuteness of his little face. forget the fun we have playing hockey in nanny's open unfinished basement. he brings me back to a place of comfort and ease. joy and happiness. we play with my old toys, my old puzzles, the thick wooden ones my own nanny bought me. we play with his new toys, his new favorites, that nany has bought him. it's nice. it's the sweetness of life. i love it.

which is why i'm increasingly bubbling over with anticipation over the impending arrival of newest member of the d. family. we know (or so the ultrasounds have shown) that it's a boy, and we know from the 1 hint we get that the name is associated with water. from what language, who knows. my nephew has a cool name, so i assume whatever they choose will be equally unique yet not freaky-bad. they are cool like that, my brother and SIL. they are having a birth in a childbirth unit at a great hospital close by, with a midwife and doula, and if all goes well they should be snuggled in at home within 6 hours of his arrival. (touch wood. do it!)

now THAT's great healthcare. free. shared care with a midwife and an obgyn. new hospital facilities available in a childbirth unit, the midwife comes home with you, and all except the doula (that may have changed, doula's might be covered under your employee benefits or the gov't) are covered by the gov't. you walk in, have your baby, you walk out. no bills. nothing. ok, some paperwork, but it's all covered. tell me our health care isn't pretty good here. i'll take it over the US system any day.

So, i read the blogs of so many awesome bloggers who are moms. and some amazing guy bloggers too. (sorry, the term mom & dad bloggers for some reason bugs me, no offense.) I read the struggles the ones in the US sometimes face to get untrasounds for their high-risk pregnancies covered. i read about the fights they have with their insurance over procedures for their premies. i read how they scrimp and save in a crappy economy to pay for a midwife, even though it is the last thing they should be worring about paying for. Yet, these are the same people who pay something like $1300 for insurance - per MONTH.

THAT is criminal. THAT's a nice mortgage payment, friends. And even if they have all that covered and an easy, happy birth, they only get what, 6 or 8 weeks maternity leave? OMG. THAT is ludicrous. How are you suppose to provide that bonding time, impress your values & love upon and teach your growing baby all it needs in that first important year when society your doesn't give you the time or value that enough to do so? So yes, I'll live here and take my year long maternity leave, thanks. I know, we all know, but i have to say that it is no wonder our neighbour friends are in debt up the ying-yang. I feel bad for them. We all deserve access to healthcare and it shouldn't bankrupt anyone.

can we go back to my being an aunt now?

here was the little man when he was only 10 days old. ca-ute or what?

i know i'll be tweeting when the new guy arrives. damn twitter, how i hate to love you so.