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Just Jen
Careful with the pretty things

Sunday, October 31, 2004
Happy first Halloween to our boy, Harrison Ryder.

He arrived at 1:40 a.m. Friday, Oct. 29, weighing 6 lbs., 11 ozs., and measuring 19 inches long. He's healthy and beautiful. I'm so thankful.

Read any of my past posts -- pregnancy may suck, and I complained a lot, but he's worth every minute and every sacrifice endured. We couldn't be more blessed.

Pictures coming soon ... thanks to everyone for your well wishes.


Tuesday, October 26, 2004
OK, I never thought I'd be THIS CLOSE to the due date without having gone into labor already. Seriously. I mean, on the 16th we were doing so well! We were dilated and the baby had dropped. He's RIGHT THERE, the doctor said. We might not make it until the 30th, the OTHER DOCTOR SAID.

And now it's the 26th -- four days until the due date, and he still won't come out. I no longer care how painful labor may be, I want the little guy out.

My shoes don't fit anymore. Yeah, I knew they were getting tight, but now they're just ridiculous. Also, I'm not even wearing a wedding ring because EVERYTHING is swollen.

So here's the deal. We have an appointment at the hospital Thursday ... an appointment to be administered prostaglandin. Here's what BabyCenter.com says about prostaglandin medications:

Your practitioner may try to ripen your cervix by inserting medication into your cervix or vagina that contains prostaglandin hormones. Often this procedure will also stimulate contractions and get your labor going. If that doesn't happen, your practitioner may give you the drug oxytocin (Pitocin) through an IV [to induce labor].

So yeah, that's Thursday ... maybe. I'm still not sure how I feel about it, and I'm waiting for my doctor to call so that I can ask him a ton of questions. The conversation with the nurse didn't quite cut it. How do I know I even want prostaglandin medications??

Regardless, the doc says he's not letting me go past Nov. 6 with this baby; he'll induce by then.


Monday, October 25, 2004
The house is clean; we finished last night. I suppose this evening I'll go to the grocery store and then go home and plant the mums.

I can't sleep more than two hours at a time, and that's only when I'm lucky.


Sunday, October 24, 2004
We saw The Grudge this weekend. People, don't waste your time or money. (And when did movie tickets go up to $8.50?)

It saddens me to know that this was likely the last film we'll see at the theater for quite some time. I'm not sad that we won't be going, just that the practice paused on this note.

I'm anxious, and I wish it would stop raining so that I could quit cleaning paw prints off the kitchen tile.

Tomorrow's the 25th. My car is oh-so-CLEAN (parked in the garage in order to stay so for one more day), smells like baby powder, and the seats are slickery from leather conditioner (in a good way). My nails are manicured, my feet pedicured, the sheets on the bed are clean, the house is in progress this evening still, but the yard is mowed, the leaves raked, and new mums are waiting to be planted.

There are a few things left on my list, but not many, and the world wouldn't end if they didn't get checked before the arrival of our boy.


Thursday, October 21, 2004
It was nine years ago today.

From the article:

"I'm as swayed by pop culture's violent and callous mood swings as anybody, and maybe I would have also reacted to his death as an inconvenience and an irrelevance, if not for a few curious days in 1993 when I went on tour with Blind Melon. I went somewhat unwillingly - I needed some time at home, and I didn't consider it a peach of an assignment - but Details wanted to respond quickly to the band's sudden celebrity. So I went, and something about the experience stayed with me. Particularly Shannon Hoon. He was crazy and rude, and yet also unbearably sweet. It seemed as though he couldn't make up his mind whether to fight me, avoid me, or make me love him."
_______________________

"I learn that we all live several lives at once, even those of us who are not secretive or scheming. And when you die -- especially when you die unexpectedly -- you can no longer keep the different people you've been apart; the walls collapse, the different versions of yourself collide. And people fight over the rubble -- a fight which is the ugliest of all spectacles -- because that's all there is left."


Dear Baby,

As you're aware, and I hope pleased, you and I drove to the early voting location closest to our home Tuesday and exercised our constitutional right to help choose the next leader of our country. Daddy didn't -- not Tuesday nor Wednesday.

I tried to explain to him that he REALLY should vote early because, assuming you arrive before election day, he will likely be too busy cleaning up your poo to think about helping our country clean up its poo. I told him you MIGHT be waiting for him to vote before you make an appearance; I envision you to be stubborn like us.

Guess what? He listened and voted this morning. It's official -- our household is covered, and we are now deserving of your arrival. You can come on out any time; we're as ready as we can be.

Love,
ME


Tuesday, October 19, 2004
This baby WILL meet his deadline, dammit.

A particular work assignment is evolving into a major initiative and the preparation is becoming quite demanding NOW. NOW -- 11 days before my due date.

Eleven days ... or two, according to my new best friend Lorie. If she's right, we're BFF.


Monday, October 18, 2004
We're getting closer ...

I woke up at 4:30 Saturday morning with cramps. Bad cramps. At first I tried to dismiss them and go back to sleep but after an hour passed, then another, I was pretty sure something was happening.

My mom was going to be next door at the neighbors' for a garage sale around 7:30 a.m., so I dozed a bit until finally she arrived. I went next door to tell her about what I'd been experiencing, and she talked me into calling the doctor.

We were due for our prepared childbirth class at 10 a.m., but my doctor's colleague told us to stop by the office before hand so he could check things out (since my doc wasn't in). It didn't sound like labor, but he wanted to make sure things were OK.

Things were fine, but the first comment he made upon examining me was, "Whoa, that head's low."

Apparently the baby's dropped just since Thursday, and the dropping and cervical changes were likely the cause of my discomfort. I'm still only dilated one centimeter.

When I told this doc the due date, he said he's not sure we'll make it that far. Of course, I'm not to hold him to this ... babies make their own time tables, he said.

Yeah, yeah, we know; we've heard that before.


Thursday, October 14, 2004
Tomorrow is not a Baby Friday. Because today ended up being Baby Thursday.

It actually worked out well that my doc needed me to come in early since he's out tomorrow afternoon. And since we had an appointment with a pediatrician just down the street from the doc TODAY, we hit up both offices.

Two good pieces of information were gathered: 1) I actually lost one pound since our last appointment (meaning NO weight gained over the past two weeks) and 2) my cervix is dilated about one centimeter.

MY CERVIX IS DILATED ONE CENTIMETER. I want to shout it from the highlands!

The world is not yet on fire, but it's a start.


He was due Oct. 8 and arrived yesterday. Congrats to A and J! I'm green with envy!!


Wednesday, October 13, 2004
Sometimes, when my posts end up being mostly baby updates, or if I just feel like it, I'll send an entry to friends/family. I think this most confuses my in-laws; they never respond.

I fully intended to eat only half of my lunch and to save the other half for later. The styrofoam container now sits empty in front of me.

Brian's work trip, which he tried to limit to a day trip, turned into an overnight stay in New Jersey. I was certain I'd go into labor last night, and even decided to retire early so that I'd be more rested whenever the contractions would wake me in the middle of the night. I was never woken by contractions. I was, as usual, woken by a full bladder needing to be emptied.

Did I use the word "woken" correctly? Why does pregnancy steal your intelligence? I think it's the lack of sleep. Your figure and your smarts go right out the window.

I'm paying someone to wash my hair for me this afternoon. Sure, I mean, he can cut it, too, but the shampoo alone is worth the cost.


Monday, October 11, 2004
I was wishing for the baby to hurry and arrive ... remember?

At our prepared childbirth class Saturday, we saw some pretty graphic labor videos, and I left class in a terrible funk. There is nothing dignified about labor, that's for sure. And people worry about having to go to the bathroom during the process? That's the least of my concerns.

I've decided that maybe I CAN deal with fat face for the rest of my life if the little guy decides he'd like to stay in my womb forever.

I'm tired of the rain, and I wish my wedding ring would fit on my sausage fingers.


Friday, October 08, 2004
It's Baby Friday, but instead of an afternoon appointment, we had a morning appointment today. I thought I liked afternoons better, but since my blood pressure was lower and the scale said I've not gained a pound, perhaps I should reconsider and make morning appointments the norm. To be honest, I don't know if time of day had anything to do with either of these, but still.

The reason for the change of schedule? BABY SHOWER. At work. This afternoon. This will be the last of the showers, so I'll probably be at Babies R Us this weekend picking up any must-haves that we haven't yet received. Although, I must say, we've received MANY gifts from such generous people. Who knew so many people actually like us? I've sent thank you notes but want to say thank you here as well. Really, THANK YOU!!

Brian has a work trip next week, and we've both been concerned about him traveling so close to the due date. But alas, the doc informed us that he doesn't think baby will come before our next appointment and B isn't likely to miss any action. Apparently my cervix isn't yet "setting the world on fire." My doctor, whom I adore and who normally makes such perfect sense, actually uttered that phrase. I should point out that I can't wait until the day my cervix DOES set the world on fire and I'm fortunate enough to witness a true cervical inferno.

We have our parenting and childbirth classes the next two Saturdays. I have mixed feelings about the six hours I'll be spending at the hospital each weekend, but hopefully it will be educational and will help calm some of my anxiety -- though I have doubts.

I'm so glad it's Friday! And I'm so glad I'll be eating cake here shortly.


Thursday, October 07, 2004
And one more picture ... I don't care if I'm a big sap.

Pssst ... We're having a BABY!


Wednesday, October 06, 2004

This picture was taken at the baby shower my girls threw Aug. 29. I can't believe it was more than one month ago already.


Monday, October 04, 2004
Work is getting weird and scary.

I'm ready for the baby inside of me to be outside of me, but he hasn't even dropped yet. Four weeks left.


Friday, October 01, 2004
We have a doctor's appointment today, so I'm in a good mood. I always look forward to them, though I dread getting on the scale.

Pop Tarts have lots of calories.

Last night my husband and I were talking, and I estimated that I probably go to the bathroom an average of 25 times a day. Today I'm counting; I've gone seven times already. I feel better knowing I've shared this information.

I'm out of here after lunch. Hope everyone's having a good Friday and has a great weekend!