I'm breathing a big (although tentative) sigh of relief today--and remaining vigilant until the hearing.
My friend was able to serve the papers without incident. I think it helped that she was a familiar face, and they always got along well before things escalated. He did try to convince her that I'm crazy: "Don't you think she's being extreme?"
About an hour later, he called me. He seemed more annoyed than anything else, and calm, almost as if he has resigned himself to losing custody of our daughter. (Almost. I'm not letting my guard down.) Then, he tried to convince me that I'm crazy. I must be suffering from post-partum depression, don't ya know? I couldn't possible be suffering from post-partum idiotic alcohol-guzzling baby daddy syndrome. At least I know what story he'll be spinning for the judge. Bring on the psychological evaluations!
His mother agreed to store his belongings at her house, which is one less reason for him to come here and one less thing for me to worry about.
I didn't hear a peep from him last night or today. I hope that means he's respecting the restraining order.
And lastly, I spent a very lovely afternoon at the park with my daughter. She loves to lay on her back and watch the leaves dance in the wind. I still feel sad that he's missing it all--but that's his choice.