Welcome to Miami...Bienvenidos a Miami

So not exactly what I'd expected for my first pregnancy...though maybe I should have known.

By now, many of you have heard that less than 24 hours after landing in Miami for vacation on Monday 10/12, my water broke at the News Cafe on South Beach - at 29 weeks pregnant. For the less pregnancy informed, that's a good 11 weeks shy of an actual full term.

After dropping it like it was hot on the ground of the sidewalk cafe, Brad helped me amble to the men's bathroom (a line for the ladies - of course), call the doctor, walk back to our hotel, and high-tail it to the emergency room at my new home, Mount Sinai. Here, I've been laid up on bed rest, learning just how much to appreciate technology such as my Blackberry and (Brad's) laptop.

Thankfully, as Brad is from Miami, we have had lots of visitors come by - family and friends alike - and my mom is in town from LA for the forseeable future. I also look lovingly at a beautiful floral arrangement from my Google Retail colleagues every day, and am getting terrific treatment from the friendly staff here. The outpourings from strangers...courtesy of many of you...have also been incredible. From TP's uncle, a Neo-Natalogist at a nearby hospital...to Aaron's amazing connections that have helped get us a bit more notice around here...and the 14 parties who all volunteered to take care of Moby for us...it's been truly unreal. Suffice it to say, the little boy on the way is already building quite the story for himself, not the least of which is the fact that he is going to be a native...Floridian.

To give you a clearer view of the medical side of things, what has happened here is stressful, but not doomsday by any means. I hit 30 weeks tomorrow, which is a great milestone. The last few days have been really strong (I was freed from the constraints of the catheter today!), and frankly, I think the hospital staff expected to be delivering me by now. But the baby and I have fought hard with Magnesium supplements to keep contractions at bay. Combined with antibiotics to prevent infection in either of us, this has been a great cocktail. Today, we were both deemed strong enough to come off the Magnesium and see how we continue to fight naturally - and it's working. Should contractions start up (I am being monitored very closely by lots of machines), they will immediately administer more Magnesium. As long as there is no infection, this is the game we'll play - sit and wait. So this little boy could come in a day or 30 days...we just don't know!

There is the most remote possibility that the ruptured membrane (officially what broken water is - and btw, this experience is felt by only about 15% of pregnant women naturally) could seal itself. But we are not counting on that, as it is extremely rare in these cases. If that were to happen, I could be discharged, though hell if I'd be getting on another plane. All of that said, Miami is home for now.

In spite of the initial shock and fear, our spirits are high, and we're all looking at this experience as a moment that truly defines what our baby's entrance into the world would have to be, after all - full of drama. You didn't really think I'd just go have a baby like a normal person, now did you? He needs a podium story - now he has one.

On that final note, if you've still yet to see the movie "Knocked Up," it is on E right now - a lot. Naturally.