We accidentally started a tradition the weekend I had Ocean. I actually don’t know if it was a weekend - I just know it lasted three days and ended in a c-section and some very lasting trauma for both Scott and I and actually, I now believe, Ocean.

Scott brought along a collection of Carl Banks’ (his fav) Donald Duck stories. He had bought it for Ocean once we got pregnant - always having had a love for comics he want to be sure to have something in our library that was a little less violent than Predator and Tales of the Zombie. 🧟‍♂️ We were super hopeful and excited when settling in at the hospital, even though my blood pressure was high enough to require an induction. Sitting there as they stared a Pitocin drip, we began talking about our little bug and what we wanted him to know about our pregnancy journey. I said, “let’s each write her (cuz I thought I was having a girl 🤣) a letter.” So, having no paper, we got out the beautiful new hardbound book and told him all about the first nine months of his life. Within a few hours I was out of my mind with labor - Pitocin contractions are no joke, yo. As the days passed Scott started to get scared and ya know what he did? He kept writing in that book. Probably mostly as a distraction but so began our tradition. Hundreds of books in our personal collection have letters to Ocean including things like our hopes and dreams for him, stories from our day to day life, memories from the years before him, thoughts about life and yes, even the pursuit of happiness. Scott writes almost daily. And with his permission I’ve decided I must share some of his wisdom with you. Although this turned out so long that you’ll have to wait till tomorrow.