JulieLeung.com: a life told in tidepools

Walking on Winslow Way past this mosaic in front of Cafe Nola last week, I saw this glass ferry boat and suddenly remembered anecdotes I had heard years ago. When we moved to Bainbridge Island, I was already pregnant with Michaela, our second child. The logistics of delivering a baby can create creative situations for islanders. A new hospital has since opened in Silverdale, about 40 minutes from our home, but in 2000, the two hospital options were Bremerton, about an hour from here, or Seattle, a 35 minute ferry ride (and schedule-dependent!). Soon I heard a number of Bainbridge birth stories. I heard about a baby born in a truck while the parents were trying to make it to Bremerton. I’ve heard stories of women in labor transported by the emergency helicopter to Seattle. I also heard from someone close to my age, that babies born on the ride to Seattle years ago were often given the ferry’s name for a middle name. Ted and I joked that our kids would be nicknamed “Walla Walla” or “Wenatchee“. “Tacoma” might have been another option. Even though I have relatively short labors, I did not give birth to our second or third child on a boat. Both were born in Seattle safely although Michaela came with a little adventure. I woke just in time to make the last ferry of the night at 1:30 am and we had to call 911 so they would hold the boat for us. I’m happy my kids came healthy in a hospital. I don’t miss the stress of being pregnant on Bainbridge. But I still think it could have been fun to call my kids across the neighborhood… Wenatchee and Tacoma… it’s time for dinner…..