Life's great miracle (and justice may prevail)
Monday, February 22

I'm with Fia down in the basement of our shared house and it's finally almost time for her to give birth to our children. Considering there are two of them, she's really fat and can't move around much. I have recently filled the basement with very lukewarm water and she is floating on it. I haven't added any salt because I don't know how the kids will react to it.

Sometimes she wails softly and I see how the babies move inside her. During the night from 4 o'clock in the morning until now at 8 o'clock she has felt cramps which she first thought were pains but which were false alarms.

I feel her two teats which are just above the larger hole where the babies will be born. The teats are milky and a little thick milk drips from them when I touch them. Soon enough, the kids will come.

I've been by her side since she moaned the first time. I have chosen not to be transformed right now. There are things that have to be done in the house and also shopping for food and other things. Since I also chose to work at home instead of at work at the moment, I also have that to think about and do.

On a steel bench nearby, I have placed a video camera that can also be used underwater. I have planned to film the birth so that the children can later see how they came to be. In addition, I know that some parents film their children's births so it feels natural. It may be difficult to convince Fia that it's a good idea, but I'll give it a try anyway.

Fia moans louder than she did before and I see how the fin at the big hole where the cubs will be born lifts up and then lays almost flat against the cloaca. She moans again. I turn on the lamp in the room and the bright light shines on Fia.

She hums but I say it's okay. I pick up the video camera that is on the table and turn it on. I zoom in on the picture so you can see the hole well and then I press record and walk up to her rear.

Her water breaks and I'm standing almost right over the hole when it happens. It's like an explosion. Most of it ends up on my hands and arms. It also ends up on the chest, although not as much. I even get a few drops of it on my face. The water has roughly the same consistency as syrup but at the same temperature as the body. It looks like clear water. Since I have the video camera in my hand, it splashes up quite a bit in the lens.

Hands still dripping with her water, I grab a cotton pad and gently wipe the lens of the camera. It doesn't matter that I'm still a mess myself, but I want to document this in the best possible way.

I can't help but laugh at the fact that she has now involuntarily spilled me now that she is about to give birth. This considering how I involuntarily spoiled her when we mated. Somehow it only feels fair. Fia makes a questioning sound. I think I'll have to explain it later. Right now I want her to concentrate on giving birth.

- I'll explain later what I laughed at, Darling.

Fia hums low. She probably also wants to concentrate right now on giving birth.

It looks like the hole the cubs are coming out of is widening slightly. A few seconds pass but then she makes a sound reminiscent of a pig screaming. I see the hole widen a little more. A kid is on his way out. I document everything with the camera.

You can see that she involves her whole body when she crouches. After a short while, I see the top of the amniotic sac. It is pushed out further and further with small pauses as Fia catches her breath. I can see that the baby is born head first. Soon the entire amniotic sac with young and everything pops into the water.

That went as easily as possible.

It doesn't take long for the kid to get out of his sack. Fia bites off the umbilical cord and eats the amniotic sac. It quickly disappears into her gap. I can see that the baby just born is a girl. She looks a lot like Fia. There is no doubt who the mother is in this case. I can't help but grin at how similar they are.

The kid's eyes are closed. From what I understand they will open in a day or two. I pause the video camera and place it on the steel bench.

Fia hasn't even looked up at me so she probably doesn't know that I documented the birth of the first child. Maybe better to explain when both are out.

Fia seems to be thinking about whether to give her newborn milk first or wait until the next one comes out. She decides to wait so she can give them milk at the same time.

Fia moans loudly again. Time for the next kid. I can see she's starting to cringe. So far the hole has not moved and nothing is visible inside. I take out the video camera and start recording again.

Fia makes the pig-like scream again and squeals on. The hole has started to widen considerably more than it did when the last kid came. This kid is big! I already saw that on the ultrasound examination, but it is difficult to estimate the exact size of the monitor.

Fia roars right out and it echoes throughout the basement. I didn't know she had such vocal resources. Now I can see the top of the amniotic sac anyway.

Her forehead is really sweaty and I take out a wet towel and wipe the sweat off her forehead while saying soothing words.

- This is going well.

I figure Fia might need a piece of wood to bite on. I've heard it can help when it's hard to get the kid out. I find a piece of wood lying on the steel bench. I give it to Fia.

- Bite this while you crunch. It might help you a little.

She accepts the piece of wood in her mouth and soon closes her mouth and lies in the water breathing.

- Great. Breathe Breathe.

Fia cringes again and the hole widens even more. My eyes widen. Wondering how wide the hole can actually be. A little more of the kid comes out but not much at all.

Crikey.

Fia cringes again. The amniotic sac is still a little further out, but I can't see the baby's head properly yet. It is hidden so far.

How big is the kid really?

I walk forward so I'm standing directly over the hole. I'm thinking about whether I should help and pull the kid, but the problem is that then I might open the amniotic sac and the kid doesn't have to tear it apart himself. It won't be good either. If I can help, the kid needs to come up more and open the sack to get air.

Fia crinkles again and makes a loud noise. It sprays up more of her water in my face and the video camera but at the same time I also see how the whole head is now visible. The amniotic sac around the head breaks and the kid takes a shuddering breath.

Smudge smudge. Here it was messy.

Fia cringes again. The hole widens further and more of the cub comes out. The hole will not be able to widen more than this. Fia takes a short break and breathes deeply. A little blood pushes out from the edge of the hole.

Isn't the hole too big? Is this normal?

More of the baby is soon squeezed out as Fia squeezes again and at the same time I also see how milk with great force spurts from Fia's teats. It ends up on me, on the video camera, on the kid's face and even a little in the water. The milk has almost the same consistency as lightly whipped cream.

That was unexpected

This is going to be a messy birth but it doesn't matter. It's like that when a new life is born, no more, no less. I haven't even bothered to wipe the camera lens. I see that it is smudged there but that you can still see the essentials well.

The cub is breathing and getting fresh air while it waits to come out completely. The cub has licked off the milk that got on its face. Good that it got some nutrition in it, even if it wasn't that much.

I can see the kid is a male. It looks a lot like me and that makes me happy. As with the girl, there is no doubt who the father is. I feel really proud to be the father of this child, even if the birth is a little more difficult for Fia, but it will come out in the end. It's just a matter of persistence in this case.

- If you want me to help and pull the kid while you squirm, then nod. I promise to be as careful as possible.

Fia nods. I understand that she is starting to feel tired. This kid is not easy to feed.

- I count to five. When I say five you squirm as hard as you can and I pull the kid lightly. After you crunch, it's okay to take a short break. Is that okay with you?
Fia nods again. Good.

- 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Fia cringes for all she's worth. I pull the kid at the same time and it comes out a little further. We're taking a break.

- Then we try again. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Fia wiggles and with my and Fia's help, the kid comes out a little more, but so far part of it is still in there. We're taking a break.

- And then we try again. Only a little left. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Fia cringes again while I pull as carefully as I can and this time we succeed. The whole kid is finally out and Fia can relax. There is blood dripping from the edge by the hole but not so much that it will be serious.

- Well done darling. That went perfectly.

When I now see the whole kid out, I don't think it's strange that she had a little difficulty getting it out. Compared to the girl, this kid is huge. I suspect the amniotic sac ended up in her birth canal somewhat crookedly and that's why she had problems.

Fia bites off the umbilical cord and eats the amniotic sac. She deserves it considering the work she just did. I turn off the video camera and take it upstairs.

Once upstairs, I hear someone knocking on the front door. I quickly dry myself with a towel in the bathroom and go to open it.

Tony is standing out there. He grins at me and has some flowers in one hand. I'm not sure if I want to let him in right now but after a while I invite him in and he goes in.

- Congratulations on the newborns. I heard her out as I passed by. I think the neighbors heard her too. Oh, what you look like. Is it her water that went like you have there on your upper body and in your hair?
- Yes, and some milk too.
- That's right. Interesting.
- It got very messy, but that can be the case sometimes.

Tony laughs at my answer. He can probably imagine what it was like.

There is a knock on the door again. I open it and it's the nearest neighbor and two other people who live nearby. They look at me curiously.

- Heard funny noises from here just now. Is everything okay.
- Yes. We have just received an addition.

None of them seem to understand what I mean.

- You know. Birthing. Have children.
- Yes, but congratulations then. You didn't go to the hospital?
- We didn't make it, but both the mother and the kids are fine. We will contact BB so that everything is okay.
- You have some... in your hair and a few other places.
- I know. But it can be washed off.
- Yes absolutely. Only got worried when we heard the noises.
- Yes. bye.

The neighbors go to theirs and I close the door. Me and Tony go down to Fia and the kids.

Fia has laid down on her side and the kids are buffing her teats. Tony and I watch as she forcefully squirts her milk into the two cubs' mouths from her teats. It splashes a bit but the kids drink and drink.

- Wow, then. How cool! Dolphins do the same but their teats are not visible like on Fia. They are hidden down at the bottom of the abdomen. Is her milk as thick as the dolphins?

Tony walks over and reaches his hand down, holding it at the same angle as the kids are. He soon manages to get Fia's milk right in his hand. Fia makes an annoyed noise when she notices what just happened. Tony feels the milk with his fingers.

- Yes. It seems almost the same as dolphins' milk.
- How do you know that?
- At Kolmården's dolphinarium, they showed this at some point if you chose Närkontakt dolphins. You could see when the dolphins squirted milk from their teats and if you wanted you could feel it. Fia's milk feels about the same as dolphins'.

The fin that was lifted before birth has folded over the hole again. I carefully lift the fin and take a look. It has stopped bleeding from the edge. Fia makes a sound that I know means she's getting annoyed. I myself have made the same sound at some point.

- I just wanted to check that you're not bleeding from the hole, Darling.

She seems to relax and makes a quiet cooing sound.

Fia has finished giving milk to the cubs and she turns completely around so that she has the cloaca down in the water instead. Then she gets up in an almost sitting position and looks curiously at Tony and me.

- You were so good, darling.
- Even if I wasn't here and saw what happened, you are guaranteed to be the best mother. And you, best father.

I look at Fia and feel that she probably wants to be in peace for a bit and just rest. The cubs also seem to be taking a little break.

- Do you want to be in peace for a while, honey? If so, nod.

She nods.

Tony and I go upstairs. He sees my video camera and looks at it questioningly. He understands that I filmed everything and he can't satisfy his curiosity very well.

- Did you film the birth?
- Yes. That's a bit private right now. Maybe we can look at it together with Fia later, but I want to look at it first in peace.
- Yes Yes. It's okay for me. It's quite sticky I see.
- It got a little messy when both babies were born, but mostly when the second one came out.
- Did you have the camera right over the hole or what?

I can't help but laugh because it was just like that on a few occasions.

- Yes, a few times it happened, but it was nothing I thought about.
- Huh. If nothing else, you can see more action then.
- Maybe it
- How much of the birth did you film?
- From start to finish pretty much. Does it matter?
- I just wondered.
- I had to help her a little when the second child was born.
- Why?
- Because the kid was so big and because the amniotic sac probably ended up slightly crooked.

Tony and I sit in the kitchen and have a cup each. As usual, I drink tea while Tony drinks coffee.

- Have you called your parents yet and told them that the birth went well?
- Haven't had time yet. You came right after the other kid came out and I was just up with the camera when you knocked on the door.
- But take care and do it now when you have nothing else to do. I would have done that anyway.

I agree with Tony. I go get my cell phone and call my parents. It's mom who answers.

- Hello Kenneth. Is everything okay?
- Yes. Fia just gave birth to the babies and they are great. Tony is here too.
- But what fun!. Did you call Tony when she was in pain?
- No no. He came here shortly after the children were born.
- Well, yes. We get to give a big freebie to Fia and you.

Tony also wants to say hello and I give him the phone.

- Kenneth filmed the birth with his video camera and it got a bit blurry. The entire video camera is smeared with amniotic fluid and milk. Can you imagine?

I get a little mad at Tony and glare at him angrily.

- Nah, but you hear me. Give me the phone again.

Tony grins at me and hands me the phone back.

Mom doesn't comment on what Tony just said.

- Both Fia and the kids are doing well.
- How nice. You can take care of yourself.
- Absolutely. I just wanted you to know that everything went well.
- How nice of you. By the way, Dad says hello.
- Well. Hello. We will hear from you another day.
- Yes. Hello to you.

We end the call and I put the mobile on the table. I look at Tony.

- Was it necessary to tell that?
- I thought it was a bit fun, so that's why I said it.
- Yes, but still.
- Oh never mind the same. Good coffee here.

Tony and I sit in silence for a while.

- Nah. Now I must go home. Congrats on the kids and everything. Hello!
- Hello, hello to you.

Tony walks out the front door and I close the door. I go down to Fia again.

The cubs are resting and Fia checks to make sure they are doing well. I walk up to them and pat the kids gently. I find myself explaining what I laughed at.

- Fia, When your water broke, I laughed at something.

Fia nods. She comes to mind.

- Well, I just thought it was only fair that you spoiled me now because I spoiled you at the mating. That's what I laughed at. I was almost standing right over the hole when your water broke.

Fia seems to be thinking about what I mean and looks at me closely. She hasn't even noticed how messy I am. But after a while she points to some places where I'm sticky from the water and milk and she raises her eyebrows.

She understands exactly what I mean and starts laughing about it. It's a very happy and clucking sound. After a while I start laughing too. We laugh so hard we start crying. It's nice that we both have such a good sense of humor.

When I'm down there with Fia, I feel really hungry. I haven't had breakfast yet. And not Fia either. I ask if she is hungry and she absolutely is.

Once in the kitchen, I think about what she wants. In the end, there are several sandwiches with herring and a large glass of water with enough salt in it. I put the sandwiches on a plate and place the glass on the plate. I go downstairs with the dish to Fia. I place it on the rolling cart that the ultrasound transducer is on and pull the cart over to Fia where she is lying in the water and resting. She gets up to reach the food and eats with good appetite. After a while I get up again.

I fix breakfast for myself but I don't take fish but have ham and other things on my sandwiches. It will be a good tea and a glass of water with a little salt in it too.

When I'm done with breakfast, I take a wet cotton pad and start wiping the video camera. When it's nice and clean, I take it to our study where Fia and I each have a computer. I put the footage from the video camera into a folder that I have named "Birth". I then check what I recorded. Even though there was both amniotic fluid and milk on the video camera towards the end, the picture is very good. I intend to burn the film to DVD later but not right now.

I have received an email from work and they want me to do a project about the impact of the fishing industry on fish in Karlskrona. I think it seems like a fairly appropriate project considering how many fish Fia and I caught last year. I wonder what the co-workers would have said if they knew I was a merman.

I am looking for information online about how the fishermen here in Karlskrona seem to be doing. There are two doctoral documents that I buy and will use when I present the project. There's no real rush to get it all done but I feel it's just as well to have it done as quickly and efficiently as possible. I've never been one to wait until the last minute when fixing things. Rather the opposite.

The day goes by and in the afternoon I make food for Fia and me. It will be a large salmon that I bought at Blomlöf's smokehouse in Fågelmara. They have very good prices. Both Fia and I love to eat salmon. I divide the salmon into portions large enough for me and Fia. It will be over until tomorrow as well.

I get the plate that Fia had her breakfast on and now put the salmon there and go downstairs with it along with my plate. I hear her sniffing the air already when I'm halfway down. Once I put the dish on the cart, she eats with great appetite. It doesn't take long for her salmon to be gone. I sit on the steel bench and eat my salmon in the meantime.

I take the opportunity to change the water now that I'm down here. It's both Fia's amniotic fluid mixed with milk and some feces and it doesn't look clean. I open the cellar door so the water flows out. I also rinse the floor with the water hose. Then I close the door and fill up with new water. It takes a while but it doesn't matter. The mother gives milk to her young in the meantime.

It's getting late and I don't go upstairs until 7pm. Then I also had fun with both Fia and the kids for a good while. I'm quite tired so I go to bed. I got up around 4 in the morning when I heard Fia moaning in the basement. It has been a long day