My relationship with Harry Potter

I had such mixed feelings about the new HP movie coming out. I was of course so Excited to see it- but this one coming out meant it's over. THere won't be any new Harry adventures to look forward to. And yes, I realize this sounds lame, but I grew up with Harry.

Harry and I first met freshman year of high school during winter break. I was bored at home with strep throat and my mom picked up a bunch of random books from the library.

Confession time: I love to read. Love love. And here's the other confession. I'm really good at it. No seriously. For some strange reason, I can speed read books like no other. I can easily read a book or two a day (when I have the time that is) and really zip through them. In high school I was ashamed of this weird talent- we had ' reading time' every day for 20 min- and after I had read a book in 2 or 3 days during those 20 min- other kids would notice, and comment on that I was starting a new book already. I would lie. Seriously. I would convince them they wrong, really, I've been reading this book for weeks just like you have been reading yours. Sad huh? Only the librarian was in on my secret. She would introduce me to a new author and I would start w one of their books and make my way through all the books by that author and then find a new one.


So now you guys know. You guys, Drew ( who once took a speed reading college course to try to be able to read as fast as me) my mom and librarian.

Anyway, she one of the books she brought home was the first Harry Potter book. I saved it for last because honestly? It looked lame. But then I started it and couldn't put down. I've been hooked ever since. 10 years I've had a relationship with Harry. That's the longest relationship I've ever had with a boy. Even Drew and I have only been together 6.5 years.

Harry was even a part of Jasper's birth. Whaat??No seriously, it's true.

I was 2 weeks over due- in the ridiculous Iowa heat. The last book had just come out. It was the biggest book yet- 700 something pages I think? I read it in two days- but left the last 75 pages or so to read at the hospital the night I went in to be induced. I knew it would be a long night and I wanted something to read. Plus, I didn't want it to end!

I finished the book. Probably shed a few tears. Then the nurse came in to give me two very high dose sleeping pills that the doctor hard ordered. The plan was to get induced- get sleeping pills- wake up and push out a baby. Sounds great right? Yeah I thought so too. Which is why I agreed to the pills even though I don't usually handle meds very well.

The pills obviously knocked me out. For about 30 min. Then I woke up. And who had joined me in the room? Why none other than Harry Potter, Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape.

They were standing at the foot of my bed- whispering. Harry looked confused, Snape looked ready to kill someone as usual and Dumbledore was stroking his long beard.

Naturally I started freaking out and yelling at Drew. The conversation went something like this.

"Drew! Get them out of here!" 
"Uhmm...who?" Looks around
"Harry, Dumbledore and Snape! I'm getting ready to give birth, I Really don't want them and their wands in here"
Still looking around " Uhmm..."
"Seriously Drew. This is the Only thing I've asked you to do tonight. I obviously can't get up since I'm strapped to these machines, so PLEASE get them OUT!" At this point I was getting quite pissed that Drew wouldn't get them out. And why did Drew look so scared? Not like He was the one giving birth.

"Uhm..." Looking around the room. "Guys, please leave?" he said in the wimpiest voice.

Then I got Really mad- let's blame that on the meds too shall we? I might have started yelling loud enough that nurses came in. It took two of them and about 10 minutes to convince me that there were no wizards in my hospital room.

And then I started violently throwing up along with back labor.

After all that it shouldn't have been a surprise that Jasper Really took to Harry Potter. He's never been big into cartoons- in fact it wasn't until a year ago that he would even watch anything on TV at all. Before that if we turned the TV on- he would walk over and turn it right off. But Harry? Harry he quickly became obsessed with.

Last november we took a risk and took him to the new HP movie- thinking one of us would leave (me, since I'd seen it the week before) when, not if, he started getting bored since it was such a long movie.

Didn't happen. He didn't move an inch.

So we did it again. On Sunday morning we took him to see the conclusion of Harry, Wrung (what he calls Ron) and Miss Mighty (Hermione) he was again perfect, behaving better than the 10 year olds behind us. It seemed very fitting to have my soon to be four year old next to  me in the movie theater while we watched the last movie- when he was in my belly about to make his appearance the night I finished the last book.