Monday, December 31, 2007

A date!

Yesterday, my mom came down and watched Roxanne while Justin and I went to Target (how romantic) and then La Fonda for brunch. It was really nice, and apparently Roxanne just slept the whole time. It was strange though, since Justin and I spent a large part of brunch talking about Roxanne and hoping that she was behaving herself. We are such suckers for her already.

We did go for our walk on Saturday, and it was very nice. Roxanne slept through most of it, but got fussy at the end because she was hungry. Justin pushed the stroller for most of it because he's such a gentleman, but also because the sidewalks in Lake Claire are sort of like something you would expect in a city that has recently experienced a serious earthquake. We agreed that for our next walk, I would put Roxanne in the baby sling, which I tried on yesterday. She looks very cute and cozy in it, and it's really pretty comfortable. I look at Roxanne, and how big she is, and think about how she wasn't too much smaller when she was in my belly, and that is just crazy. The sling sort of positions her over my belly, and it's sort of like being pregnant again. In an abstract way...

We're starting to get into a pattern of watching movies at night, so Roxanne has slept through several classics, including Dr. Strangelove and Miller's Crossing. Both of which we thoroughly enjoyed. However, I should probably be going to sleep earlier to get those precious couple of hours where she sleeps until about 10:30 or 11:00 before gearing up for at least two hours of wakefulness until around 1:00am. However, I have so much fun watching the movies with Justin that I just try to stay up and then sleep late in the morning. Trying to figure out a specific pattern is impossible, so I just try to sleep whenever I can. I'm just not good at naps during the day.

Oh, and we made Roxanne an appointment with the specialists (who are apparently at Scottish Rite and not Eggleston, oops) about Roxanne's shoulder. Her appointment is January 22, since they apparently only schedule these types of appointments once a month. Her pediatrician appointment is the day before. We decided that even though she seems to be completely normal with her arm, the specialists would be the best ones to decide that. Expert opinions are always best with a baby.

Happy New Year to everyone! We hope you do something very very fun!

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Nothing Much New...

Just more of the same from us. Roxanne is still doing really well, and eating a lot. She's still very very cute, too. I think she might be getting cuter every day. And I'm turning into a cheesy mom. Sorry.

We still haven't been able to have our walk, as accomplishing anything is a little tough these days. But we're going to try today. It's pretty warm out, so I think it would be good. We also need to fit in a sponge bath for Roxanne. She's only had one so far, and it was only vaguely traumatizing, so let's hope this one isn't too bad either. We're more scared of it than she is.

Daddy's making a hair appointment right now. He's actually going to get a real haircut. I'm pretty sure that hasn't happened since our wedding. It's going to be very exciting. He's going to be a cool Daddy-O.

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Triumph!

Well, Roxanne has started lifting her left arm all the way above her head now! Justin took a picture of her sleeping with both of her arms above her head, and I'll try to post it sometime today. It seems like she has pretty much full use of the arm, and I plan to call the pediatrician today to ask if she thinks we should go ahead and see the specialist anyways, just to make sure that there isn't anything we don't know about. Or maybe the specialist can double check on whether or not there are still any limitations to Roxanne's movement. As far as we can tell, it's pretty much normal!

In other news, Roxanne's belly button fell off today. This is particularly good news, since it was really stinky. The newest thing with pediatrics and the belly button is that you just leave it alone and don't clean it with rubbing alcohol, which made it really stinky. I did clean it this morning though, just to make sure that it heals well.

Also, Roxanne has truly outdone herself, and sometime around 5:30 this morning she pooped on me. My sister joked that we should get her some of those "pee pee cones" that they make for little boys to prevent sprays during diaper changes. If only they made one for girls... It seems like she just likes to wait until she's in between diapers to pee or poop, and then I get to drag myself out of bed and do clean up. I don't mind though. Knock on wood, I don't have to do any fussy floor pacing or even rocking at this point. She just wakes up, eats and then sleeps. She is usually awake for an hour around 11:00PM or 12:00AM and then again in the morning, usually around 8:00AM, but she usually doesn't fuss, just stares at me quietly. This morning we've been listening to NPR together, and I think she likes it. Last night I read her some of the Dave Sedaris book I'm reading. I've been doing a LOT of reading lately, as it's perfect for feeding times. My favorite is reading Justin's issues of The Atlantic, which is the best magazine ever.

Roxanne seems to be falling into a pattern of "cluster feeding," meaning that she eats four or five times in as many hours, and then sleep for close to four or five hours at a time. It's a little grueling, but definitely nice during the longer chunks, so that I can sleep for longer stretches. I've also been putting her in the bassinet once she's asleep, and so far, she doesn't really seem to mind. It's easier for me to sleep not thinking I'm going to roll over and squash her. Although I miss the snuggling. She's such a snuggly little thing...

Well, Justin is off at IKEA, looking at possibly getting another dresser for our bedroom, as we are really realizing just how much STUFF this baby has, and how much surface space we need. I hope to take Roxanne for a stroll later. The weather is pretty mild, as long as the rain holds off. I would love the fresh air, and I'm trying to work on getting some of this baby weight off (not that I'm in a rush, but still). We'll take lots of pictures if we do go!

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Happy Boxing Day!

Well, our little family had a really nice Christmas. We went over to Nana and Mike and Leah's house with Roxanne dressed in her Santa suit. I forgot to take pictures, but Kendree took some, so I'll beg some off of her to post. Roxanne got lots of fun new toys from Nana and Mike and Leah, and hopefully she'll be playing with some of them soon.

Roxanne is doing very very well, and getting sweeter every day. She's really an easy baby, and I feel so spoiled. I keep waiting for a turning point or something, thinking that one morning she'll just wake up fussy. Let's hope not. I looked at a chart in one of my baby books last night, and her birth weight (9 pounds 5 ounces) and height (21.5 inches) are both in the 95% or so for babies. And her feet are so huge! I put her in a very cute set of pajamas yesterday with aliens and space ships on them that a co-worker gave us, and her feet were really too big for the footies. I think I'll just cut off the footie part, as Justin and I agree that she looks adorable in the pajamas.

She is also using her left arm more and more, although it still seems like she is sort of testing it out. She can lift it almost as high as she lifts the right one, and has started moving it in circles a little, too, in a sort of flailing motion when she's upset. I was feeding her last night in the football hold, and as it was 4:30 in the morning, I was a little out of it. She is very snuggly all the time, and loves to rub my arms or chest while she eats, and so it took me a minute to realize that she was rubbing my arm with her left hand! It was very thrilling, and I am so proud of her. Justin and I have been just staring at her in the bassinet when she's awake, watching her little left arm move around. Our first taste of parental pride. I am going to try and take a picture of her with her arm up in the air. It's such a big deal for us. We plan to call the specialist today and try to make an appointment, but hopefully, she'll resolve this on her own. From what I understand, babies with shoulder dystotia can sometimes magically resolve it on their own. We're hoping she does. She's made a lot of progress for being six days old!

Well, that's about all for now. The little one is starting to wake up. It's time for my favorite new baby game, which I like to call, "Was that a poot or a poop?" Roxanne poots more than most middle aged men, but somehow it's very endearing and cute.

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Merry Christmas!

I'm about to fall asleep at the computer, but I just wanted to let everyone know that Roxanne is doing very well. We went to the pediatrician yesterday, and her weight had dropped from 9 pounds 5 ounces (at birth) to 8 pounds 4 ounces, and she was a little worried that we might need to do some supplements. However, she let us come back this morning for another check of her weight (one of the bonuses of having a Jewish pediatrician, she promised she didn't have anything better to do) and Roxanne has gained ten ounces overnight. This morning she weighed 8 pounds 14 ounces, which was more than the doctor expected. And that was after she did a giant poop right when we got there. Yesterday she peed on me while at the pediatrician. I think she has a sense of humor... She peed on me two more times yesterday at home. She seems to like to do that when her diaper is off. Stinker.

As some of you know, Roxanne has shoulder dystocia, meaning that she got stuck on her way out at the shoulder, and after a very scary 15 minutes or so, she came out blue and not breathing. She is totally fine now, but can't really move her left shoulder. She is starting to throw her left arm in the air about half-way up, but she still can't lift it over her head (and her right arm is always moving). The pediatrician has referred us to a specialist at Eggleston, and we will be calling to make an appointment soon. It's most likely nerve damage from being stuck, and basically all we can do is watch it. However, we are hoping to learn some physical therapy movements to help us help her get it better. It's a very rare birth complication, and I decided not to research it on the internet, as sources online can be so incorrect and alarmist. I know it would only upset me. So I'm going off what the doctor tells me, and she seems to have a pretty good outlook on it. If Roxanne still has a very limited use of her shoulder by the time she is a toddler, there are surgical options we can explore. For now, we're just so happy that she is healthy and really a sweet natured baby. She doesn't fuss much, just sleeps, eats and has little periods where she likes to stare at you quietly with her little brow furrowed. She also puts her legs in the lotus position when we put her in gowns, and these two factors lead me to believe that she is the Buddha reincarnated. Just with some drama queen thrown in.

Alright, I'm going to try and wake her up for a snack and then take a nap. We tried to do feedings every two hours at the doctor's recommendation, and I think I probably got about 4 hours of sleep last night. We hope you are all having wonderful holidays, and we can't thank everyone enough for all of the lovely e-mails, and the visits, and the food, and the general good will. We are very spoiled, and couldn't begin to thank you all enough.

Merry Christmas!

P.S. I promise to post more pictures soon!

Sunday, December 23, 2007

I only have one hand

Just wanted to let you know we are fine, and I put some photos on Flickr of Roxanne Elizabeth Lilly.  More to come!

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Today is baby day

We're just getting ready to leave for the hospital, and I think we've packed enough stuff for a two week vacation. Oh well, I'd rather have too much than not enough.

Justin worked hard yesterday to make a playlist for his iPod that is full of relaxing music for while I'm in labor. He also rented Life Aquatic in case I feel up to watching a movie at any point. I'm not sure how all of this works, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to walk around too much, so I'm trying to make sure that I've got some stuff to do while laying down. Of course we're bringing a few baby books to see if we can learn how to care for a new born while we wait for Hosey to arrive. :)

The woman who booked my appointment said I could eat something light this morning if I got up early enough, but I'm too nervous, and can't eat. I'm sure I'll be regretting this later when it's been 14 hours and I'll I've had is ice chips, but oh well. I also got a bloody nose in the shower. It's been a weird morning. Very very surreal. I always listen to NPR on Justin's old alarm clock in our room (it's got a telephone attached to it, we're very high tech) and listened for the weather on Friday. If all goes as planned, that should hopefully be when we are bringing Hosey home, and it says it's going to be about 50 degrees. No rain so far either. That's for tomorrow, but I probably won't even see outside tomorrow.

Katie is acting very strange lately. She's been more and more needy, like she knows exactly what is going on. I feel badly for her, since she's been pretty spoiled for a long time, and now all of the sudden she's not allowed on the furniture, and we are always yelling at her not to get underfoot. At least she's not chained up in someone's backyard year round. Her suffering is very very relative. :) Speaking of Katie, we've got to delegate someone to come and let her out while we're in the hospital. We are thinking we'll just rotate it, and let different people do it at times that work for them. Hopefully that will work fine.

Alright, it's almost 8:00, and we're off pretty soon. One never knows what the traffic between here and Piedmont is going to be like... And this is one appointment we don't want to be late for.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

A sense of accomplishment


I finally finished our stockings. I still don't know whether they will ever be able to hold much, as I don't put much stock in felt, but they look pretty cute, if I do say so myself... Justin commented that Hosey's stocking is the same size as his (and he sounded a little hurt) so I added that his is taller, and Hosey's will actually some day hold things. Ours will probably not. I will add an initial to Hosey's at some point. Once we actually know which letter that will be.

Aren't you all excited to know the name? We've got them picked, and with a back up for each gender, just in case what we've picked doesn't fit the baby. And this time, no one will be able to tell us to our face that they don't like the name we've picked, because they will probably hear it when they see the baby, and that would just be tacky. Imagine what that poor baby would think...

I'm going to try some of my new sleepy time tea, which has been working wonders for me lately. Justin told me not to eat my cupcake because the chocolate and sugar would keep me awake. I did it anyways, and while I don't feel particularly sugared out, Hosey does seem particularly excited. Oops.

The Last Day


So here's me. I'll be 39 weeks tomorrow, and Hosey is getting kicked out. Poor Hosey. Justin and I are enjoying what we've officially dubbed "The Last Day," although if I let myself think too much, I get really freaked out.

We've just been taking it easy (I took a bath that lasted the duration of Pee Wee's Big Adventure, one of the advantages of watching movies on the lap top) and Justin has been doing baby laundry. I'm about to fold it, but thought I'd put up a post first.

Justin went to the gym earlier, and I went to Walgreen's for alchohol swaps in case the doctor wants us to use them for the belly button cleaning. Then we had a nice lunch at Highland Bakery, and got some desserts to go. I have a chocolate cupcake, and Justin has a piece of chocolate cake that I'm fairly sure weighs roughly 10 pounds. It's ENORMOUS. He says he'll eat it in 3 sittings. I'm just glad it's not mine, as I'd probably eat in one sitting and then die of sugar intake. Oh, I just heard him say "wow" quietly from the dining room. I think he just started it. Mmmm, I just had a bite. That is serious cake.

Anyways, we plan to have a quiet afternoon, and I've got to finish Hosey's stocking. I made one for me and Justin and Katie, but haven't had a chance to do Hosey's yet.

Calm before the storm...

Monday, December 17, 2007

Monday Monday

Today Justin and I decided that we would just go ahead and stay home until Wednesday. I'm glad we did. It will be nice to rest and spend time together before the big day. Of course, Hosey could show up at any time, but it seems like Hosey is really hanging in there. I've definitely had close calls all weekend, and woken up with contractions and cramps quite a few times, but they never go anywhere, even when they feel very strong. So now I'm just trying to appreciate that we'll actually know when Hosey comes. There is something nice in that.

I'm also glad to stay home, as my swelling is still getting worse. I'm having trouble even getting my muppet boots on anymore, and it's too cold for flip flops now. My mom and little sister picked me out some cute bedroom slippers, and I have visions of wearing those around for the next two days... Speaking of which, my mom also found us a very cute mobile for Hosey's crib. It is little stuffed animals, and I really like it. My sister brought us her glider yesterday, so we have that in our bedroom now. I'm very relieved to have it, so there is a comfy place to hold the baby upstairs and not just downstairs. It really is comfortable.

Well, that's all for now. We're off to find a cheap vaporizer/humidifier. We've both been bothered by the heat in our house, although I think it's worse for me. I keep waking up with bloody noses. I think that a vaporizer will be good for the baby, too. It's really really dry in here now. After that, I think we'll be watching movies and doing laundry. Two days is not very long...

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Saturday evening, and still no Hosey

Last night after eating delicious Eggplant Parmesan at Scalini's, I thought for sure we'd be off to the hospital some time in the wee hours. No luck. I woke up with very strong cramping and contractions several times, but went back to sleep (that's what the books say to do, try to sleep as long as you can) and by this morning, it was all quiet.

Justin and I have tried to stay busy today, so I did laundry, we had a nice brunch at Highland Bakery, and just got back from a little bit of shopping at Target and Ikea. I'm hoping all the activity will get things going... At the least, my back certainly hurts now! I talked Justin into getting Chinese food delivered for dinner, so we plan a quiet evening at home watching movies and eating SPICY Chinese food. Tomorrow we have a family event planned with my Dad, Colleen, Ashley, Kendree, Jon, and Chloe and Ella. We're all going to Flying Biscuit and then back to our place for Dirty Santa. I've been cleaning today, and my nesting instinct is really strong.

It's weird, I thought I was having a nesting instinct before, but this is completely different. Even my last few days at work, I was compulsively cleaning my desk, organizing all of my files with obscenely detailed sticky notes attached to everything so that whoever takes over has no doubt about what is necessary for each case. I didn't realize how many things I watch over, or how paranoid I'd be about trusting them to someone else. And this morning I had to just get out of bed around 8:00 because I kept thinking about the Christmas gifts in the living room that hadn't been wrapped yet. Poor Justin. I got up, put in a load of laundry, and watched an episode of What Not to Wear on the TLC website as I wrapped gifts. It would have been nicer if I weren't in such a horrible mood. Brunch helped. It was delicious, as always. And later, Justin and I did a little shopping in Little Five Points, I got a hot chocolate. I realized that my blood sugar falling makes me very very very mean these days. I think my hormones are gearing up for labor.

Anyways, we will keep you all posted. At this point, we're starting to think it will be Wednesday before we see any signs of Hosey. And that's fine, too.

Friday, December 14, 2007

Another Friday at work...

I'm here. At work. Last night was very quiet. No cramping or contractions at all really. I left work with lots of lower back pain, and convinced...

Oh well. We have a breakfast at work today. So I'll just pretend I held the baby in for the free food.

Tonight we go to Scalini's for the infamous Eggplant Parmesan. 7:00. Even my doctor knows about that place.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

This is like a soap opera

I'm honestly starting to think that Hosey is doing this on purpose... Last night, I woke up 3 times (at least) with really awful cramps and contractions. I thought I might end up having to wake Justin up to go to the hospital because I was in labor. Then I had more cramps all morning. I spent most of the day thinking I'd go into labor any minute, or at least sometime tonight. Now I haven't had any cramping or contractions in hours. Justin thinks that there is no way it will be happening tonight. I am tempted to agree.

I spent all day at work in a sort of frantic state, getting everything taken care of and tied up so that I could not come back and everything would be fine. Now I have mental pictures of dragging myself into the office next Tuesday! I guess it seems silly being worried over less than a week, but I really am hoping to have the baby naturally. Induction scares me.

The Italian restaurant is only open for dinner, so my mom and I couldn't go. We went to Flying Biscuit instead. It was wonderful. She gave us a mobile for Hosey's crib that is absolutely perfect. I think we might try and go there for dinner tomorrow night. Saturday would be a good day to have a baby!

Anyways, cross your fingers for us!

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

drumroll please

So I just got home from the doctor. If any of you are trying to reach Justin, he went to the gym, and his phone doesn't work there. I'm sure he'll be out soon though.

The big news:

1. We scheduled an induction for next Wednesday, December 19. I will go into the hospital at 9:00 am and we'll start things slow. I've gained 4 pounds in a week somehow (she says it's more swelling), and the doctor is worried that my blood pressure will start going up with all of the swelling, and that would be very bad.

2. She doesn't think I'll make it to next Wednesday. She thinks I will probably have the baby on my own in the next few days. I am 80% effaced and 1 1/2 cm dilated. She could feel the baby's head when she was doing the exam. She kept saying that she thought "things were happening" with one of those little secret doctor smiles. However, I know that lots of women walk around partially dilated for days with nothing happening. I guess my effacement is pretty high though. I have felt different today, with lots of cramping. So we'll see!

Tomorrow I'm going for Eggplant Parmesan with my mom!

So I don't forget


So all of you can see me in my 37 week glory, here's a picture that Justin took last night. I took a couple of my cankles and feet at the request of some of my friends. I think Hosey will enjoy looking at what he/she did to me someday... :) Maybe Hosey just already wants to be an only child...


Anyways, I'm anxiously awaiting my appointment!

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Wow, Hosey's hanging tough

I just wanted to put a post up so that no one thinks I'm at the hospital. I've noticed that if I don't talk to people every day, they think I'm having the baby.

The pressure at work is escalating, what with the office pool. People keep coming in my office to tell me that they have their money on a certain day, and would I mind trying to help them out? It's funny the first few times, but now I'm just sort of annoyed. I would love for Hosey to go ahead and come on out, too, but not so that a co-worker can earn $60 or whatever the pot is up to. Not that I blame them. I'd probably be doing the same thing...

This weird weather makes me wish Hosey would be born this week, just so we wouldn't have to be so careful with all the bundling up when we leave the hospital. It's truly perfect birthing weather right now. Although the heat is making my swelling pretty ridiculous. I left work early today to go to our baby shower at Justin's work, and the walk from the parking lot to Justin's office made my hands and feet swell up for most of the baby shower. It's really attractive. My fingers and feet get this weird red and white salami coloring. My belly is very very tight and hard.

Oh, tomorrow, Justin is going with me to my appointment, which is at 2:45. I have this weird feeling that the doctor won't really remember what she said last time and just not even reference the whole induction thing, but we'll see. I promise that I'll put a posting up on here as soon as we get home from the appointment, and if it's really big news, we'll call people, too. If she says she wants to wait it out, I'm going to lunch at this Italian restaurant with my mom on Thursday. It's on Cobb Parkway, and supposedly, their Eggplant Parmesan is guaranteed to start labor within 24 hours... We'll see!

I've asked Justin to take my picture tonight for 37 weeks, even though I'm 38 weeks tomorrow, so I'll post that later tonight. If only pictures could show you all my graceful waddle. It's a pretty good waddle, if I do say so myself.

Alright, I've got to go through these gifts and get started on thank you notes. I'm overwhelmed by how nice and generous Justin's co-workers are! We got some really lovely things (and practical ones).

Monday, December 10, 2007

Back at work

So it's Monday morning, and I'm here at work. I'm still dragging a little, but I have been feeling much better. Yesterday I didn't have to take any medicine at all, and thought that I would be close to 100% today, but now I'm realizing that the extra sleep I get on the weekends helps a lot. And I felt really awful last night, and didn't get much sleep, so this morning I will pop some Sudafed and cross my fingers.

This weekend was nice and relaxing, although we did a little Christmas shopping, which can be scary... :) However, we have tried to do most of our Christmas shopping at independent stores this year, and that is definitely much easier. We ventured to Target on Sunday and finally bought a vacuum cleaner, which is a really big deal. We usually just sweep every weekend, but it's just not enough. And the few rugs that we have were really getting icky. I think with the baby coming, the vacuum is going to be our best friend.

I've noticed some changes in the way I'm feeling as far as the baby. It's really getting tight in there, and Hosey is doing a lot of these kicks and turns and twitches that feel like angst. I think he or she is really tired of being in there. And while I keep telling Hosey it's fine to go ahead and come out, my offer has gone unanswered. I'm taking a lot of baths, which are really nice at this point, since they make my back feel wonderful, and my belly just floats. Hosey seems to like it, too. He or she gets very quiet while I'm in the tub, but when I get out, there's usually a few good kicks to let me know that it would have been fine to stay in there longer. Then I think how weird it is to be in the bath, and have Hosey floating in two layers of fluid. Like a bath within a bath.

My belly button is still halfway popped, but I have found that when I cough, it pops out all the way. It's really a good party trick. I'm pretty proud.

Anyways, no news for now. I am just so anxious and waiting for something to happen. It's tough, and Justin and I realize that we are going to be watching a LOT of movies in the coming days. It helps keep us distracted, which is important at this point. We watched Stranger than Paradise on Saturday night, which is one of my favorite new movies. We like Jim Jarmusch as a director, and it seems like almost all of his movies are lovely. Long, but lovely. Last night we watched Fargo, or re-watched it. We found out for the first time that even though the opening says that the movie is based on actual events, the Coen brothers just made that up. In the documentary that came as a special feature, William H. Macy talked about how they just wanted to put that in there, but it was totally untrue. And a (slightly crazy) woman from Japan came to America to find the money that Steve Buscemi's character buries in the snow, and died. Her death was ruled a suicide I think, but good grief. How bizarre people are...

Saturday, December 8, 2007

Disappointed...

Well, I'm still sick, and it seems to have spread more into my chest, as I've now got an icky cough. Justin seems to be starting to succumb, too. We skipped my work Christmas party, and I was very very disappointed about it. Especially as I got text message after text message from co-workers asking me where I was. Oh well. I just got back from Ross, where I returned my dress. Now I can use the money for some Christmas gifts!

The contractions I was feeling yesterday went away. Today I'm just feeling very very pregnant and congested and uncomfortable. The Sudafed doesn't seem to be doing nearly as much as it was. I'm still achey and my throat still hurts. Poor pitiful me. I think I will call the doctor again on Monday if I'm still feeling badly. When I called Thursday to ask what medicines I could take, they said to call back if I was still feeling bad. I think Monday is a long enough time to wait, given the situation we are in with Hosey's arrival so swiftly approaching. I don't have time for a two week cold. Not that I have much choice...

I hope all of you are healthy and happy!

Friday, December 7, 2007

Update on the Hospital

So I called Piedmont, and kids are allowed in the waiting room, but they can't come back into the room where the baby will be.

Friday Friday

I'm at work today (I took yesterday off to convalesce) and not very happy about it. I just have to wrap up everything on my desk so that I can be free to leave at any time. It's a scary thought, but not nearly as scary as leaving with all this stuff everywhere.

My work Christmas party is tonight, and I really want to go. I picked out a dress with my mom on Monday, and it would be a shame to waste it. I'm not feeling great, but with the Sudafed, it's like I have a crutch. :) I think I will go just for a little while. At least for the free food. It will be one of the last chances Justin and I have to get dressed up for a nice evening for a while. Not that there won't be opportunities to get babysitters to watch the baby while we eat out, but this is different. I really want to go. I'll have to try and talk Justin into it. I'm already sure he'll be against, saying I'm too sick. I think really he just doesn't want to wear a suit. :)

However, I have to confess that I think I might be having contractions every twenty to thirty minutes today. I could be imagining it (as I probably am), but they are much higher than usual. They are pretty minor, too, and less uncomfortable than the Braxton Hicks contractions that I've been getting in my lower belly a lot lately. Those have gotten rough. And the baby kicking can be brutal lately, too. It's so strange how many different sensations you go through during pregnancy. It's hard to know what to think about any of them.

Last night Justin and I went for our refresher hospital tour at Piedmont so that we remember the routine for checking in. In the car on the way over, Hosey was really giving me a run for my money. Things are getting very tight in my belly, and it's harder than it's ever been. It feels like a basketball. I'll take my 37 week photo tonight before the party (if we go) so that everyone can see how silly a 9 month pregnant woman looks in evening wear.

One thing we learned last night that is news to us; kids are not allowed in the labor/delivery room, or in the postpartum room with the baby. We are still trying to figure out if they can be in the waiting room, but the tour guide made it sound like they didn't want toddlers in the hall at all, unless they are siblings. However, one woman on the tour had a 4 year old with her... Anyways, we are going to call today and try to clarify. They also told us that everyone has to wash their hands as soon as they come in to see the baby. I've named Justin the hand-washing guard. I'm doubly nervous about it since it's prime season for colds, as my sinuses seem to be enforcing.

Anyways, we'll keep you updated!

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Oh, the irony

So after scheming for a few hours at my desk about castor oil, stairs, and spicy food, I noticed a funny tickling in my throat. By 3:00, I had officially developed a sore throat and body aches. I'm also congested and just feeling icky. Justin is feeling a little worn down, too, but not necessarily "sick" yet.

I'm rethinking my weekend plans... If I indeed continue feeling sick, I'm definitely going to steer clear of the castor oil, as I don't want to bring a baby home to a sick house, and I don't want to be sick in labor. So for now, I'm planning to wait patiently for Wednesday and see how it pans out.

I'm very very excited and nervous, knowing that we could have the baby any time now. It's taken all day for the doctor's advice to sink in. She's so straightforward, and it's definitely refreshing, but strange for her to just sort of mention in passing, "If you have another jump in your weight next week, we'll just go ahead and have the baby. And we'd be thrilled if you went into labor tomorrow." Those words are forever going to be burned into my psyche. And probably Justin's, too. :) He came with me today.

For now, I'm having a lot of cramping, which could be from the exam today. It's at least nice to know that if I should go into labor soon, the doctor says it's a good thing, and I won't be given medication to stop it. But I am a little scared, since I am just 37 weeks today. But I trust the doctor.

I only have a minute at the moment

But I promise I'll post more later.

Here's what the summary of the doctor visit was:

1. I've gained an astonishing amount of weight in 3 weeks, and it's evidently mostly fluids. My face and hands have started swelling, and my feet and ankles are getting very very very bad, and do not go down overnight.

2. I have started effacing (my cervix has thinned a fair amount) but I'm not dilated.

3. The baby is big enough so that it would be not only fine, but favorable if I went into labor any minute.

4. If I go back for my appointment on Wednesday next week and the weight gain is still happening, "we will have the baby," which I'm guessing means they will go ahead and induce.

So the long and short of it, I'm going to all that I can to start labor on my own now, since I'd rather not be induced, and judging by the rapid fluid retention increase, I'm not too hopeful that next week will be much different from this week.

I don't think we'll be making it to the 26th!

Sunday, December 2, 2007

Right before bed


I'm almost as cozy as possible. It's late on Sunday night, and I'll be sleeping soon. I just thought I'd update the blog a little before I pass out. As you can see from the photo from earlier (I've got to learn to make more attractive faces in these photos...) my belly is at an all time high for size. You can use Katie for scale.

Our weekend was really nice. Full, but very nice. We went to Stone Mountain's Christmas Village yesterday (a gift from my Grandparents to our family) and got to stay at the Evergreen resort up there. It was really nice. I love staying in hotels, and this hotel was amazing. Our room had a balcony that overlooked the lake. Justin left last night to watch football in the hotel bar with our brother-in-law Jon and my step dad, and I had this gigantic king sized bed all to myself (and a few cable TV channels!). I made the mistake of settling myself into the middle, which made me realize 15 minutes later when I had to go to the bathroom that I am now similar in size to a manatee. Just not as graceful. I honestly think I spent roughly 7 minutes getting off the bed. It was sort of like being a turtle flipped on its back. At least I'd imagine... I'm really just starting to feel huge these days, and uncomfortable doing much involving bending over or moving too much...

Anyways, I put some photos from Stone Mountain on Flickr. The highlights included the train ride, and the parade, during which my nieces got to see Santa. Of course, seeing my family was great, too. We had a nice breakfast this morning (hard to believe that when we are all together, there are 15 of us; soon to be 16). Four toddlers, one tween, ten adults and one fetus. We could have put that breakfast buffet out of business if we'd tried a little harder.

Once home, I didn't do much today. I soaked in the tub, which Hosey does not seem to like, as every time I do, I suffer lots of well placed kicks. Then trying to get out of the tub always makes me feel graceful and lithe...sort of like a whale. Out of water. After I got out of the tub, I gave Katie a bath. She always acts like I'm beating her when I give her baths, but Justin and I agreed that she was starting to carry an odd swamp water odor. Now she smells like my oatmeal and shea butter bubble bath and some melon Dove shampoo to boot. I had a hard time bathing her in my current state, and every time I shifted to alleviate some point of pain, she took it as a sign that she should either shake off or try to jump out. Justin helped me dry her off at the end though, and that was a big help.

We went to Old Navy this evening, and I got socks for labor. They are beautiful and cozy, and made of chenille. I also got matching fleece pajama pants: light blue with snowflakes. Justin says they are ugly, but I don't mind. Wearing them is what I would imagine wearing a cloud would be like. I wish they were business casual...

We went to Manuel's Tavern for dinner to hear the big football announcements. We are talking about possibly getting cable just to last us through the bowl games and then NCAA basketball. We both realize that heading to the local tavern every time some important sport thing pops up is going to be decidedly more difficult with Hosey here in the flesh, and only a couple of weeks old. However, then we'd also have to find a TV, and that just really complicates things. Finding a TV would mean finding a spot for a TV. However, we tried watching a movie on the computer on Friday night, and Justin really was having a hard time. I fell asleep almost immediately, mainly because we were watching Last Days, the Gus Vansant movie about Kurt Cobain and it is about as post-modern (ie, little talking, lots of overly long still shots of a person walking, little narrative plot, and no actual resolution aside from death) as it gets. It sure did look pretty from what I saw. I watched my favorite, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead over the course of the weekend. I need to buy it. I just rent it every so often and remember that I pretty much am smitten with Tim Roth. It's just such a wonderful wonderful movie. If you like that sort of thing.

Ah well, I've managed to ramble out a ridiculously long and most likely tedious entry, and I'm sleepy from the milk and cookies Justin made. We promise to keep you all posted on progress of Hosey's debut, and we hope you are all doing well. Please remember that while you are keeping up with us through the blog, we don't know how you are unless you tell us! And we want to know. :)