I can't believe he's this big already...
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
Nose?
This is E again. We had a very interesting experience a couple weeks ago and we thought I should share.
We had a sad event in our lives, my grandmother passed away. On short notice, we loaded up the boys and headed up to MO. This was no easy task and the normal 8 hour drive took a bit more than 11 and a half. As any red blooded American male can tell you, dawdling around on a road trip is a sin second only to missing the Superbowl. It was a stressful drive to say none the less.
We got there and payed our respects. We reconnected with a lot of family that we haven't seen in a while. And of course, N was there to lighten the somber mood with his cheery innocence. He and his granddad are great pals and they spent a good deal of time down in the breakfast area of the hotel. He made friends with the other guests, people who were just walking by, and the staff. His biggest accomplishment was finding his nose and anyone else's that he was close enough to point at. He was a huge hit.
Unfortunately N was battling some seasonal head mucous that generated a pretty bad cough and we needed to get back to TX so we could administer some breathing treatments. So after the second day we drive back (late at night so the boys are sleeping) get home about 1AM and everyone crashes. N wakes up, he's getting his treatments and is feeling much better. B is still a pretty good traveler right now and was pretty much unfazed by all of this. A and B go off to visit some of her friends while N and I stay at home most of the day so he can "rest." Resting for a toddler means sitting still for about 10 seconds longer than normal. But he kept getting his treatments and was sounding much better by the end of the day.
10:45 PM - N wakes us up and sounds horrible. So bad in fact that I take him to the ER in his PJs. We get there and they do all kinds of things including taking some chest x-rays. He is very freaked out and tired and will not let me put him down. He wants to sleep and it's hard to hold a 27 pounder in your lap so I climb into the hospital bed with him. The doctors keep coming in and out running tests and telling me what they've found out. It turns out he had some chunks of crud in his lungs which they tell me is pre-pneumonia. I'm informed a good dose of antibiotics and an oral streroid will set him straight in no time (and it does). At around 1 AM, they're done poking him but we can't leave yet so I raise up the little rails on both sides of the bed, turn out the lights, and lay down with N on my chest. He's very happy and comfortable.
I'm exhausted after a stressful past few days and nights. I'm still a little concerned about my boy but he seems good for now. I close my eyes and let quit of our dark room surround me. Then quite unexpectantly I feel this little finger go up my left nostril and N asks me a one word question. "Nose?"
I smile, remove his finger out of my nose, and say, "Good job buddy. Nose. Now go to sleep." He quickly zonks out as only a toddler can. I realize everything is going to be all right before I catch a few winks prior to coming home.
We had a sad event in our lives, my grandmother passed away. On short notice, we loaded up the boys and headed up to MO. This was no easy task and the normal 8 hour drive took a bit more than 11 and a half. As any red blooded American male can tell you, dawdling around on a road trip is a sin second only to missing the Superbowl. It was a stressful drive to say none the less.
We got there and payed our respects. We reconnected with a lot of family that we haven't seen in a while. And of course, N was there to lighten the somber mood with his cheery innocence. He and his granddad are great pals and they spent a good deal of time down in the breakfast area of the hotel. He made friends with the other guests, people who were just walking by, and the staff. His biggest accomplishment was finding his nose and anyone else's that he was close enough to point at. He was a huge hit.
Unfortunately N was battling some seasonal head mucous that generated a pretty bad cough and we needed to get back to TX so we could administer some breathing treatments. So after the second day we drive back (late at night so the boys are sleeping) get home about 1AM and everyone crashes. N wakes up, he's getting his treatments and is feeling much better. B is still a pretty good traveler right now and was pretty much unfazed by all of this. A and B go off to visit some of her friends while N and I stay at home most of the day so he can "rest." Resting for a toddler means sitting still for about 10 seconds longer than normal. But he kept getting his treatments and was sounding much better by the end of the day.
10:45 PM - N wakes us up and sounds horrible. So bad in fact that I take him to the ER in his PJs. We get there and they do all kinds of things including taking some chest x-rays. He is very freaked out and tired and will not let me put him down. He wants to sleep and it's hard to hold a 27 pounder in your lap so I climb into the hospital bed with him. The doctors keep coming in and out running tests and telling me what they've found out. It turns out he had some chunks of crud in his lungs which they tell me is pre-pneumonia. I'm informed a good dose of antibiotics and an oral streroid will set him straight in no time (and it does). At around 1 AM, they're done poking him but we can't leave yet so I raise up the little rails on both sides of the bed, turn out the lights, and lay down with N on my chest. He's very happy and comfortable.
I'm exhausted after a stressful past few days and nights. I'm still a little concerned about my boy but he seems good for now. I close my eyes and let quit of our dark room surround me. Then quite unexpectantly I feel this little finger go up my left nostril and N asks me a one word question. "Nose?"
I smile, remove his finger out of my nose, and say, "Good job buddy. Nose. Now go to sleep." He quickly zonks out as only a toddler can. I realize everything is going to be all right before I catch a few winks prior to coming home.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Monday, November 1, 2010
Months in the making
We've been busy. One baby surgery + one return to work + one mother-in-law staying with us during the week + two boys + one dog + house + yard + family + friends = not enough hours in the week.
Regardless - here are some pictures of us recently.
B testing out the exersaucer!
N coloring...
We wanted to picture them together in matching shirts... It took some work. B yawns...
Smiley...
Wiggly...
Holding hands!
N's first boo-boo requiring a band-aid. He wouldn't leave it alone though - hence the tape. Notice the blood on his head. Also his doing. For such a tiny cut, we had a huge mess to deal with.
Halloween came and went. B was a very adorable bat!
N was a super cute giraffe!
Regardless - here are some pictures of us recently.
B testing out the exersaucer!
N coloring...
We wanted to picture them together in matching shirts... It took some work. B yawns...
Smiley...
Wiggly...
Holding hands!
N's first boo-boo requiring a band-aid. He wouldn't leave it alone though - hence the tape. Notice the blood on his head. Also his doing. For such a tiny cut, we had a huge mess to deal with.
Halloween came and went. B was a very adorable bat!
N was a super cute giraffe!
Monday, September 27, 2010
Pulling through
Today we had a big big day. It was a BIG day. B had his second surgery, known as a pull through (but having a fancy pants medical name too), today in his path to correct his birth defect. Turns out it was a huge success. We left B with the very capable surgical team at 7:30 am and weren't able to reconnect with him until about 3 pm. Seven and a half hours pass before we get to be with him again. Seven and a half hours of him being under the knife. It was... Terrifying. Thankfully our family came to sit with us in the waiting room and to help with N. I know they don't feel like they did much, but having people to talk to and knowing that N was in good hands was more than they know.
B did fantastic. His prognosis coming out of surgery is wonderful. Right now he's resting, kinda doped up and looking as beautiful as the day he was born. I can't wait until we can come home. Some number of weeks after this we'll have a third (and final, fingers crossed) surgery to be done with all this.
Thank you to everyone, again. We appreciate the prayers and good thoughts and well wishes. There's still a lot for us to get through, but you know what - I know we're going to get through it just fine. We'll pull through. (Haha.)
B did fantastic. His prognosis coming out of surgery is wonderful. Right now he's resting, kinda doped up and looking as beautiful as the day he was born. I can't wait until we can come home. Some number of weeks after this we'll have a third (and final, fingers crossed) surgery to be done with all this.
Thank you to everyone, again. We appreciate the prayers and good thoughts and well wishes. There's still a lot for us to get through, but you know what - I know we're going to get through it just fine. We'll pull through. (Haha.)
Saturday, September 18, 2010
A few weeks of changes
Okay, so it's been a while since my last post. We've had kind of a big couple of weeks. Between getting used to living with two kiddos (a chore in itself), dealing with B's stuff, and regular life, we've had a lot to deal with. We're all getting on and everything is going as well as we could hope. N is getting used to having a little guy share the attention, and B is one of the happiest babies I've ever met. Now we've just got to get him all fixed up and we'll be on track.
On Tuesday B had a procedure done to help us understand what needs to happen in his next surgery. On Wednesday night we noticed he was running a low fever. But any fever for a baby his age is a big deal, so on Thursday morning I took him into his pediatrician. She agreed that he was running a fever, and she also agreed that it didn't seem like there was anything obviously wrong with him - no ear infection, no runny nose, eating fine, good attitude, etc. Because of all this, and because any fever in a little guy is serious, she sent us back to Children's Medical Center for further testing. They drew blood, took urine, and did a lumbar puncture to get tests done. Many many many hours later, it all comes down to a urinary tract infection (most likely) that was probably due to the manipulations done in his procedure on Tuesday. He's been on IV antibiotics since Thursday night, and is due for his last dose tonight. He can only get them once a day and needed at least three doses, which translated to many nights in the hospital for us. Boooo!
The good news is that as long as everything remains as it is RIGHT NOW until 3 or 4 pm today, we can switch to oral antibiotics and go home today instead of tomorrow. We'll see. I'm taking time during B's nap to write this. E and N have been up a couple of times so that I can see the other guys in my life. It's been important, because I love them too. I have to stay here with B, because, as E puts it, I'm the chuck wagon for the little guy. It is painful to be away from N so much though, especially when all I'm doing the majority of the day is sitting cooped up in this room w...a...i...t...i...n...g. B doesn't seem to care too much, but N really misses me. I miss him too, which results in inappropriate (or appropriate, depending on how you look at it) crying jags when talking to doctors about the length of our stay here. Fortunately most of them understand that I do have a newborn and a family to care for and that makes this hard.
Once again, thank God for insurance.
In good news, we've got a date scheduled for B's second surgery, and as long as this little stay in the hospital doesn't change anything, we should get that taken care of prior to me being off of maternity leave. We'll find out more about that on Monday. It all looks positive though, and his surgeon is really happy with how things look for surgery. It's really up to the anesthesiologist if they'll do it - but we're hopeful they won't make us change.
A friend of mine put it well - if you aren't in a crisis, you can be sure you're headed towards one. The Lord has a way of making you appreciate what you have. You don't always understand just how lucky you are until you're going through something like this - and even when you're going through something like this. I know we have a lot going on and don't want to downplay how hard it has been for us, but I have learned by all we've been through just how much harder things could be. Thank the Lord that we're healthy, together, happy, and that everything with B can be and will be resolved in the next few months. We have the Lord and each other, and that's all we need to get through this.
I want to thank everyone who has been so supportive of our family through all this. The outpouring of support and love from friends and family has been overwhelming and wonderful. We really appreciate all if it, and are so glad we can count on so many people and know how much we're loved.
On Tuesday B had a procedure done to help us understand what needs to happen in his next surgery. On Wednesday night we noticed he was running a low fever. But any fever for a baby his age is a big deal, so on Thursday morning I took him into his pediatrician. She agreed that he was running a fever, and she also agreed that it didn't seem like there was anything obviously wrong with him - no ear infection, no runny nose, eating fine, good attitude, etc. Because of all this, and because any fever in a little guy is serious, she sent us back to Children's Medical Center for further testing. They drew blood, took urine, and did a lumbar puncture to get tests done. Many many many hours later, it all comes down to a urinary tract infection (most likely) that was probably due to the manipulations done in his procedure on Tuesday. He's been on IV antibiotics since Thursday night, and is due for his last dose tonight. He can only get them once a day and needed at least three doses, which translated to many nights in the hospital for us. Boooo!
The good news is that as long as everything remains as it is RIGHT NOW until 3 or 4 pm today, we can switch to oral antibiotics and go home today instead of tomorrow. We'll see. I'm taking time during B's nap to write this. E and N have been up a couple of times so that I can see the other guys in my life. It's been important, because I love them too. I have to stay here with B, because, as E puts it, I'm the chuck wagon for the little guy. It is painful to be away from N so much though, especially when all I'm doing the majority of the day is sitting cooped up in this room w...a...i...t...i...n...g. B doesn't seem to care too much, but N really misses me. I miss him too, which results in inappropriate (or appropriate, depending on how you look at it) crying jags when talking to doctors about the length of our stay here. Fortunately most of them understand that I do have a newborn and a family to care for and that makes this hard.
Once again, thank God for insurance.
In good news, we've got a date scheduled for B's second surgery, and as long as this little stay in the hospital doesn't change anything, we should get that taken care of prior to me being off of maternity leave. We'll find out more about that on Monday. It all looks positive though, and his surgeon is really happy with how things look for surgery. It's really up to the anesthesiologist if they'll do it - but we're hopeful they won't make us change.
A friend of mine put it well - if you aren't in a crisis, you can be sure you're headed towards one. The Lord has a way of making you appreciate what you have. You don't always understand just how lucky you are until you're going through something like this - and even when you're going through something like this. I know we have a lot going on and don't want to downplay how hard it has been for us, but I have learned by all we've been through just how much harder things could be. Thank the Lord that we're healthy, together, happy, and that everything with B can be and will be resolved in the next few months. We have the Lord and each other, and that's all we need to get through this.
I want to thank everyone who has been so supportive of our family through all this. The outpouring of support and love from friends and family has been overwhelming and wonderful. We really appreciate all if it, and are so glad we can count on so many people and know how much we're loved.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Friday, August 20, 2010
Both boys at home
N and B finally got to meet. It was pretty exciting. N is having a little bit of jealousy, but that is pretty much to be expected. Here are some pictures of my little guys...
B playing on his playmat... Trust me, he was looking around.
I should search, because we have a picture of me and N doing almost this same thing his first week home.
N enjoying cinnamon toast for breakfast. Everything looked better for him in the morning. (We don't normally feed him Cheetos either - those are for his "end of summer" party at school.)
Here's B testing out the swing while N eats breakfast. He looks relatively comfortable, I think.
B playing on his playmat... Trust me, he was looking around.
I should search, because we have a picture of me and N doing almost this same thing his first week home.
N enjoying cinnamon toast for breakfast. Everything looked better for him in the morning. (We don't normally feed him Cheetos either - those are for his "end of summer" party at school.)
Here's B testing out the swing while N eats breakfast. He looks relatively comfortable, I think.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Home at last
We've had a whirlwind couple of days. As you all probably know from E's previous post, our new little guy arrived on August 12, and everything looked fantastic with him. He was eating well, sleeping well, and generally looked like your regular guy (super handsome, of course).
On the early morning of August 13th, he still hadn't produced any stool yet, so they went to stimulate him to do it (read - take his temperature rectally). At that point they realized that something was a little bit off with our little man. He has something that is referred to as imperferate anus. Read about it on Wiki, I'll spare the details here. Because of this particular defect, they had to stop all feeds and hook him up to an IV. He was transported to Children's Medical Center of Dallas where they performed an emergency colostomy to enable him to pass stool. Needless to say, both E and I were stunned, terrified, insert-proper-adjective-here scared for B. This isn't something that can be seen in an ultrasound or any testing while they're in utero, so this was a complete shock to us. Plus, abdominal surgery on your child who is one day old is not exactly the thing you're expecting when you go into labor. He was in the NICU at Children's until yesterday afternoon, when we were discharged (hence the delay in posting).
B made it through surgery just fine, and now is wearing a colostomy bag on his side for a while. He'll undergo two more surgical procedures. The first will create an anus for him and connect all of his bowels properly so that he can go to the bathroom normally, but will leave the colostomy in place. This is so he can have an opportunity to heal before he starts pooping regularly. He'll then undergo a third surgery to remove the colostomy and reconnect everthing. This whole process will take about six months, give or take, depending on how he's doing and growing.
In addition to this, they did a number of tests at the hospital to check for things in the VACTERL association of birth defects (read at your own risk, it sounds WAY scarier on Wikipedia than what he's got going on). Essentially there are seven defects that are associated with each other, but a child with one may have some of the others, all of the others, or none of the others. They aren't really sure. But just in case, they checked him out for all of them. B exhibits a oddity in his kidneys - they both function totally normally, but instead of being on the left and right side of his back, they're both on the right. I'm thinking this gives him superpowers later in life if anyone tries to kidney punch him on the left. It was a relief to find out that even though they show an oddity, they are working perfectly, so it's just an interesting thing to know. In addition to that, one of his lumbar vertebre is shaped like a sacral vertebre, or something like this. This is something else the doctors are so not worried about, but because he shows it and the kidney thing in addition to the imperforate anus, he technically shows three of the seven characteristics of VACTERL, so he technically has this association. However, after his additional surgeries none of this should be a problem.
It's been pretty amazing how many people have reached out to us as either being related to someone who had this, knowing someone who had this, or had this themselves. It was an amazing relief to talk to a friend of ours who confided to us that she was born with this defect and we never knew it. She made us KNOW that B can have a perfectly normal life. We've just got to get through the next few months.
The good news for us is that after the next two surgeries, B should be like any other little boy. Right now he's wearing his bag, but it's not too terrible to deal with. We're really lucky in that his daycare is willing to work with us on this - so hopefully we won't have too many issues there. We were really concerned with how everything would work with me going back to work, but it sure sounds like they're going to be okay working with us on this - especially given that it's temporary.
B is otherwise a healthy little man. He's a week old today, and he looks fantastic. When he's dressed you can't even tell that he's any different than any other baby. His big brother is interested in him. I'm not sure that N really knows what to think, but he doesn't seem entirely opposed to the idea of having a little guy join our brood.
Please keep us in your prayers as we go through this. It's going to be a tough couple of months, but look at that guy? How can you not love that little face. He's perfect.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Impatience is a virtue ... but only if you're small
Hello again blogging world, this is E. A is taking a moment and relaxing after a busy day. As is the long standing custom, I write a special blog on the day of our son's arrival into the world. Yes that's right, B has arrived and is currently doing a very good impression of a Qdoba burrito on display since he is swaddled snugly in a blanket and is currently residing behind a sneeze proof piece of plastic.
First of all, here are the important details. It was the magical time of 8:14 AM when our little man joined the air breathing population on this hot hot day of August 12. He's 7 lbs and 1 oz of large headed German/Italian offspring. He measured out at 19.5 inches and has a beautiful head of baby hair. We don't know if he's going to keep all this hair like his brother did, but hopefully he does.
Now it's time for me to relate how the events came to be. For the past couple of weeks, A had been going to the baby doctor and getting checked out on Wednesdays. I've been attending since they could say at any moment, "Get thee to the hospital!" to A. Of course I would have no choice but tag along and be useless like the last time. For further details of the "last time" see my past post exactly 15 months ago.
So we're in the Dr.'s office and A is being examined and they have good news - A has started dilating. Not much but we were told it was enough to signify that something is about to happen in about 1.5 weeks or less. Really? A's due date is in 1.5 weeks and you're telling us that something is going to happen in less than or equal to 1.5 weeks. Wow! It's like we got one of those magic cards out of Zoltar from the movie "Big." It has to be true. They can predict the future! Honestly people. We just payed money for someone to tell me that the inevitable event that has a very predictable deadline is going to happen at most by the ... deadline. Again, wow.
After this stunningly brilliant observation we wrap up the appointment and I trot off back to work so that I can get a few more hours in. A is doing great and I have nothing to worry about. She's been taking the week off because the new work policy allows her to take up to 4 weeks prior to the due date off. She went for 2 weeks prior because it made more sense to her. In her "down" time she, planted a tree, mulched the flower beds, reorganized the kitchen, reorganized a tv cabinet, got her car detailed (it was very dirty and had a few hundred cheerios rolling around in it), ran a dozen other small errands, worked out daily, trimmed the hedges, filled out a mountain of paperwork to go on baby leave, and several other things that I can't remember. She did all this in 3 days.
I get home in time to help A finish up dinner with N and put him to bed. I notice A is having some discomfort so I ask her what's wrong. She says "just cramping." I'm a dude, I don't get cramps down there, and if you read the blog from 15 months ago you will realize that A was induced when N was born so we didn't have the prior experience of knowing what these cramps meant. I'm currently guessing Braxton Hicks, but I asked if they were coming at regular intervals. A didn't know. As part of my job as baby daddy, I am supposed to be the keeper of the watch and note any patterns that might emerge from "cramps" that would indicate the inevitable event given a 1.5 week deadline might actually be occurring now. 21 minutes later we realize that these "cramps" are coming at 7 minute intervals. We start gathering our things to go, I call my mother who lives over an hour away to come watch our son while we go to the hospital. Another few minutes go by and the "cramps," or as other women of the world call them CONTRACTIONS, are still coming at about 6-7 minutes apart. Now A goes to the restroom and I hear something bone chilling. "I'm bleeding - quite a bit."
I make the executive decision to not wait for the official baby sitter to show up. Instead I grab A's phone and dial our wonderful neighbor up to come and baby sit for a few minutes. Our neighbor, S, stepped up to the plate and graciously offered to watch N so we could take off sooner. Needless to say, we were off. During the pregnancy I had but a few small jobs assigned to me: 1. keep the daily ice cream supply flowing to the pregnant woman, 2. time contractions, 3. haul booty to the hospital. I usually don't drive in a hurried fashion, but I was now. I may have run a red light or two on this journey, but they didn't have cameras on them so I guess we'll never know.
We get checked in, assigned to a room at around 9PM, and A finally gets checked out. Luckily the "quite a bit" of blood she noticed was just due to the fact that she had dilated very quickly and was now in good old fashioned, natural, non-induced labor. I'm personally relieved and glad to know both A and the baby are doing OK. A then asks for the magical cocktail known from far and wide as the epidural. We hear "no problem, you'll get one in about 30 minutes." The legal drug dealer was currently involved in another operation and had to stay there until it was over in case of any problems.
I start chatting to A about random things to help her focus on something other than her pain. We make phone calls, do some texting, and she grimaces with every contraction. A long 2 hours go by. A asks again for the epidural. Again, "30 minutes" was the response. 40 minutes later the nurse comes in and offers A a different painkiller to help her before the epidural can be administered. Whatever they gave A had a few side effects that weren't desirable. I found myself with a new job this time as official spit bucket holder. It's not as glamorous as you'd think. I would much rather be spewing inept prognosis of "you'll have your baby by your due date." 20 minutes later, A gets her epidural. She was 9 cm dilated by this time. Another cm and it would be time to stop mucking around with needles and start pushing out babies. I'm not pleased right now, but A seems to be very happy and relaxed so I just drop the subject of my wife sitting around and suffering for 3 hours.
Now, last time A pushed for over 3 hours. She made quite a name for herself among the nurses at the hospital as well she should have. If you can imagine going to the gym and performing some kind of weight lifting maneuver that strained every fiber of your being and then doing that lift every 2 minutes for 3 hours, then that's what she did. My wife is kind of a legend around here. Two nurses that were on shift 15 months ago came by to see the amazing pregnant woman again. Given the past issue of having to actively push for such a long time and since she and the baby were doing fine, A was allowed to labor down and let nature take it's course. This meant we got to catch some sleep and wake up in the morning and then get the show on the road. So I slept and A dozed for a few hours.
When it was time, to start pushing we stupidly asked "how long will this take?" "30 minutes" was again the response. It took about 40 and I was happy that I didn't have to punch the Dr. that told us 30 square in the face because we both like her. I wanted to go get my eldest son N and bring him down to see his mom and little brother B after everyone was all cleaned up, but not if they were going to be moving us from one room to the other. I wanted to stay and help A out with that. At 2PM I asked how long that would take and again was told "30 minutes." I decided to wait until after the move. 3.5 hours later we were moved and it was too late to go get my boy and bring him over because it was getting on to bed time for him.
I am currently presented with quite a paradox. I could either go find the individuals who can't give me an honest estimate of time and kick them in the pancreas or find Stephen Hawking and explain to him that at this hospital there is a non linearity in time that must be studied which would lead to tremendous advances in the understanding of the universe. Both will probably lead me to some sort of detention either in a jail cell or insane asylum.
Instead I choose to leave you now and go to sleep. But not before I post some pictures of our new lad.
First of all, here are the important details. It was the magical time of 8:14 AM when our little man joined the air breathing population on this hot hot day of August 12. He's 7 lbs and 1 oz of large headed German/Italian offspring. He measured out at 19.5 inches and has a beautiful head of baby hair. We don't know if he's going to keep all this hair like his brother did, but hopefully he does.
Now it's time for me to relate how the events came to be. For the past couple of weeks, A had been going to the baby doctor and getting checked out on Wednesdays. I've been attending since they could say at any moment, "Get thee to the hospital!" to A. Of course I would have no choice but tag along and be useless like the last time. For further details of the "last time" see my past post exactly 15 months ago.
So we're in the Dr.'s office and A is being examined and they have good news - A has started dilating. Not much but we were told it was enough to signify that something is about to happen in about 1.5 weeks or less. Really? A's due date is in 1.5 weeks and you're telling us that something is going to happen in less than or equal to 1.5 weeks. Wow! It's like we got one of those magic cards out of Zoltar from the movie "Big." It has to be true. They can predict the future! Honestly people. We just payed money for someone to tell me that the inevitable event that has a very predictable deadline is going to happen at most by the ... deadline. Again, wow.
After this stunningly brilliant observation we wrap up the appointment and I trot off back to work so that I can get a few more hours in. A is doing great and I have nothing to worry about. She's been taking the week off because the new work policy allows her to take up to 4 weeks prior to the due date off. She went for 2 weeks prior because it made more sense to her. In her "down" time she, planted a tree, mulched the flower beds, reorganized the kitchen, reorganized a tv cabinet, got her car detailed (it was very dirty and had a few hundred cheerios rolling around in it), ran a dozen other small errands, worked out daily, trimmed the hedges, filled out a mountain of paperwork to go on baby leave, and several other things that I can't remember. She did all this in 3 days.
I get home in time to help A finish up dinner with N and put him to bed. I notice A is having some discomfort so I ask her what's wrong. She says "just cramping." I'm a dude, I don't get cramps down there, and if you read the blog from 15 months ago you will realize that A was induced when N was born so we didn't have the prior experience of knowing what these cramps meant. I'm currently guessing Braxton Hicks, but I asked if they were coming at regular intervals. A didn't know. As part of my job as baby daddy, I am supposed to be the keeper of the watch and note any patterns that might emerge from "cramps" that would indicate the inevitable event given a 1.5 week deadline might actually be occurring now. 21 minutes later we realize that these "cramps" are coming at 7 minute intervals. We start gathering our things to go, I call my mother who lives over an hour away to come watch our son while we go to the hospital. Another few minutes go by and the "cramps," or as other women of the world call them CONTRACTIONS, are still coming at about 6-7 minutes apart. Now A goes to the restroom and I hear something bone chilling. "I'm bleeding - quite a bit."
I make the executive decision to not wait for the official baby sitter to show up. Instead I grab A's phone and dial our wonderful neighbor up to come and baby sit for a few minutes. Our neighbor, S, stepped up to the plate and graciously offered to watch N so we could take off sooner. Needless to say, we were off. During the pregnancy I had but a few small jobs assigned to me: 1. keep the daily ice cream supply flowing to the pregnant woman, 2. time contractions, 3. haul booty to the hospital. I usually don't drive in a hurried fashion, but I was now. I may have run a red light or two on this journey, but they didn't have cameras on them so I guess we'll never know.
We get checked in, assigned to a room at around 9PM, and A finally gets checked out. Luckily the "quite a bit" of blood she noticed was just due to the fact that she had dilated very quickly and was now in good old fashioned, natural, non-induced labor. I'm personally relieved and glad to know both A and the baby are doing OK. A then asks for the magical cocktail known from far and wide as the epidural. We hear "no problem, you'll get one in about 30 minutes." The legal drug dealer was currently involved in another operation and had to stay there until it was over in case of any problems.
I start chatting to A about random things to help her focus on something other than her pain. We make phone calls, do some texting, and she grimaces with every contraction. A long 2 hours go by. A asks again for the epidural. Again, "30 minutes" was the response. 40 minutes later the nurse comes in and offers A a different painkiller to help her before the epidural can be administered. Whatever they gave A had a few side effects that weren't desirable. I found myself with a new job this time as official spit bucket holder. It's not as glamorous as you'd think. I would much rather be spewing inept prognosis of "you'll have your baby by your due date." 20 minutes later, A gets her epidural. She was 9 cm dilated by this time. Another cm and it would be time to stop mucking around with needles and start pushing out babies. I'm not pleased right now, but A seems to be very happy and relaxed so I just drop the subject of my wife sitting around and suffering for 3 hours.
Now, last time A pushed for over 3 hours. She made quite a name for herself among the nurses at the hospital as well she should have. If you can imagine going to the gym and performing some kind of weight lifting maneuver that strained every fiber of your being and then doing that lift every 2 minutes for 3 hours, then that's what she did. My wife is kind of a legend around here. Two nurses that were on shift 15 months ago came by to see the amazing pregnant woman again. Given the past issue of having to actively push for such a long time and since she and the baby were doing fine, A was allowed to labor down and let nature take it's course. This meant we got to catch some sleep and wake up in the morning and then get the show on the road. So I slept and A dozed for a few hours.
When it was time, to start pushing we stupidly asked "how long will this take?" "30 minutes" was again the response. It took about 40 and I was happy that I didn't have to punch the Dr. that told us 30 square in the face because we both like her. I wanted to go get my eldest son N and bring him down to see his mom and little brother B after everyone was all cleaned up, but not if they were going to be moving us from one room to the other. I wanted to stay and help A out with that. At 2PM I asked how long that would take and again was told "30 minutes." I decided to wait until after the move. 3.5 hours later we were moved and it was too late to go get my boy and bring him over because it was getting on to bed time for him.
I am currently presented with quite a paradox. I could either go find the individuals who can't give me an honest estimate of time and kick them in the pancreas or find Stephen Hawking and explain to him that at this hospital there is a non linearity in time that must be studied which would lead to tremendous advances in the understanding of the universe. Both will probably lead me to some sort of detention either in a jail cell or insane asylum.
Instead I choose to leave you now and go to sleep. But not before I post some pictures of our new lad.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Captain Adherent and me
After three weeks I'm now finding it within myself to write about something that happened recently. Why did it take so long, you might ask? Because it has taken me this long to decide to swallow my pride and admit that when it comes to traffic violations in this family, it's me. It's always me. It's always been me. And I suppose, I'm finding, that it will always be me.
Now I will admit, I have not always been the best driver. I wasn't. I drove too fast. I swerved around like an old drunk man in my lane. I texted while driving. I ate a hamburger while talking on the phone and changing lanes in downtown traffic while speeding and trying to balance a open can of soda between my legs. I did not drive while drinking, but pretty much anything that you can legally do in the car even though it isn't a good idea - I did all that. I can't ever remember applying makeup in the car, but that probably happened too.
Fast forward to college when my now-husband and I start dating. Apparently at first he always volunteered to drive not because he was chivolrous, as I thought, but instead because he feared for our lives when I was driving. Because he was still trying to woo me (his word, not mine), it took him nearly two years to muster the courage to say anything. After a few years of me being frustrated with his unrequested advice and his being frustrated with my unwillingness to learn, I can fully admit that I am now a much better driver. I use my blinkers. I no longer go more than 5 miles over the speed limit. I try my very best to be courteous at all times. (And I'll admit that this all happened prior to our children.)
So why then, is it ALWAYS me who gets traffic violations? I KNOW I've been in the car with him when he's sped just a little more than he was supposed to or cut someone off or generally done something unfriendly behind the wheel. Not often, but it happens. Despite this, if there's a ticket coming for something - it's got MY name on it.
So imagine my surprise three weeks ago to get the mail out of the mailbox and find an envelope addressed to my husband from the "City of Rowlett Red Light Camera Enforcement Division". Could it be, I wondered smugly to myself, that the king of all road rules has violated the rule of not running a red light - in an intersection with a CAMERA? I am feeling a little full of myself and a bit more pleased about this than I really probably should. Not because it was HIM, but for ONCE, it WASN'T ME!
I leave the envolope innocously on the counter until he gets home from work. As we're going through the mail he gets a concerned look on his face and I know he can see me watching him open this envelope - ALMOST with a little glee. I know he's annoyed with himself and probably super upset to have broken his years and years of clean driving record.
Until we see the picture. That's MY car. At 5:03 pm. At THAT particular intersection. On THAT day. There's no way there was ANYONE in the car but...
ME.
Dammit.
Turns out if you've got two names on the car and they live at the same place, if you run a red light they just send it to the first name on the list. Doesn't matter who it was.
Except it's ALWAYS me.
Again - dammit.
Now I will admit, I have not always been the best driver. I wasn't. I drove too fast. I swerved around like an old drunk man in my lane. I texted while driving. I ate a hamburger while talking on the phone and changing lanes in downtown traffic while speeding and trying to balance a open can of soda between my legs. I did not drive while drinking, but pretty much anything that you can legally do in the car even though it isn't a good idea - I did all that. I can't ever remember applying makeup in the car, but that probably happened too.
Fast forward to college when my now-husband and I start dating. Apparently at first he always volunteered to drive not because he was chivolrous, as I thought, but instead because he feared for our lives when I was driving. Because he was still trying to woo me (his word, not mine), it took him nearly two years to muster the courage to say anything. After a few years of me being frustrated with his unrequested advice and his being frustrated with my unwillingness to learn, I can fully admit that I am now a much better driver. I use my blinkers. I no longer go more than 5 miles over the speed limit. I try my very best to be courteous at all times. (And I'll admit that this all happened prior to our children.)
So why then, is it ALWAYS me who gets traffic violations? I KNOW I've been in the car with him when he's sped just a little more than he was supposed to or cut someone off or generally done something unfriendly behind the wheel. Not often, but it happens. Despite this, if there's a ticket coming for something - it's got MY name on it.
So imagine my surprise three weeks ago to get the mail out of the mailbox and find an envelope addressed to my husband from the "City of Rowlett Red Light Camera Enforcement Division". Could it be, I wondered smugly to myself, that the king of all road rules has violated the rule of not running a red light - in an intersection with a CAMERA? I am feeling a little full of myself and a bit more pleased about this than I really probably should. Not because it was HIM, but for ONCE, it WASN'T ME!
I leave the envolope innocously on the counter until he gets home from work. As we're going through the mail he gets a concerned look on his face and I know he can see me watching him open this envelope - ALMOST with a little glee. I know he's annoyed with himself and probably super upset to have broken his years and years of clean driving record.
Until we see the picture. That's MY car. At 5:03 pm. At THAT particular intersection. On THAT day. There's no way there was ANYONE in the car but...
ME.
Dammit.
Turns out if you've got two names on the car and they live at the same place, if you run a red light they just send it to the first name on the list. Doesn't matter who it was.
Except it's ALWAYS me.
Again - dammit.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Saturday, July 24, 2010
A true Texan
We've had a very stereotypical weekend for Texans so far. After a bit of horseback riding...
We had a dinner of BBQ ribs, mashed potatos, and green peas.
Mmmmmm, BBQ...
After all that action it's necessary to wash it down with a big cup of milk.
Milk makes for a good skin treatment too.
It's been a good weekend tater.
We had a dinner of BBQ ribs, mashed potatos, and green peas.
Mmmmmm, BBQ...
After all that action it's necessary to wash it down with a big cup of milk.
Milk makes for a good skin treatment too.
It's been a good weekend tater.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Too sexy for my shirt
I'm forever posting pictures of my kiddo being adorable - smiling, laughing, generally happy and content. Well, all this is true. He is generally happy and content. But for those of you who never think we have our share of parenting challenges - here is a recent picture of N throwing a tantrum after being told he wasn't allowed to do something. Note the furrowed eyebrows.
It wasn't all grumpiness that night though. He was modeling the new diapers his Gigi got for him. They're the Huggies Jeans Diapers. We're a Pampers family, but I've got to give Huggies credit, these are pretty dang cute.
He's even got pockets!
We've entered the phase where he prefers being naked to clothed. He is especially interested in his belly - belly button in particular. Could it be because our bellies look remarkably similar right now? Maybe.
It wasn't all grumpiness that night though. He was modeling the new diapers his Gigi got for him. They're the Huggies Jeans Diapers. We're a Pampers family, but I've got to give Huggies credit, these are pretty dang cute.
He's even got pockets!
We've entered the phase where he prefers being naked to clothed. He is especially interested in his belly - belly button in particular. Could it be because our bellies look remarkably similar right now? Maybe.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Who can blame him?
Today when I picked up N from school, they sent home something called a "Biter Report". As you might think, this is a report that they send home with children who bite. The report has the name of the biter, the date/time of the "incident", the classroom that it happened in, the situation that caused the "incident", and the steps they took to correct the situation.
So we get one of these reports today. It's upsetting. I'm concerned, naturally, that I'm going to have biter of the classroom on my hands. That is, until I talk to N's teacher and actually read the description of the situation. Verbatim, the report says this (well, with the exception of putting his whole name instead of just "N"):
Seriously? I'm getting a report because N bit someone who put their hand inside his mouth? I asked his teacher if this was something we needed to be concerned about - him being the biter and all - and apparently it's not really something to be concerned about. Apparently half of his class got biter reports today.
E pointed out that if you climb in the lion's cage at the zoo and the lion eats you, the lion doesn't get a biter report. I countered with the fact that typically the lion gets put down in that situation.
We figure that it's worth teaching him not to bite - even when provoked. The last thing I need is to have a toddler who has to get put down due to eating a classmate.
Look at this guy - he's adorable.
So we get one of these reports today. It's upsetting. I'm concerned, naturally, that I'm going to have biter of the classroom on my hands. That is, until I talk to N's teacher and actually read the description of the situation. Verbatim, the report says this (well, with the exception of putting his whole name instead of just "N"):
N was eating lunch when a friend was sticking her finger in his mouth so he bit down on their finger.
Seriously? I'm getting a report because N bit someone who put their hand inside his mouth? I asked his teacher if this was something we needed to be concerned about - him being the biter and all - and apparently it's not really something to be concerned about. Apparently half of his class got biter reports today.
E pointed out that if you climb in the lion's cage at the zoo and the lion eats you, the lion doesn't get a biter report. I countered with the fact that typically the lion gets put down in that situation.
We figure that it's worth teaching him not to bite - even when provoked. The last thing I need is to have a toddler who has to get put down due to eating a classmate.
Look at this guy - he's adorable.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Splash time!
N is a water baby. He pretty much LOVES the water. Here are some pictures of him playing in his water table. Of all the toys, he favors the penguin.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
B's room
We finally finished B's room. He's all decked out in different modes of transportation. We're pretty happy with the way his room turned out. Check it out!
Monday, June 28, 2010
C's first birthday
This past weekend my nephew C celebrated his first birthday. We drove down to Pearland to celebrate with the family. It was really fun to see everyone and the boys had a great time.
Check out the awesome cake J made for C. She's super talented. (For reference, see the cake she made N for his birthday!)
Here C and N are trying out one of C's presents - a Lightning McQueen ride-on toy. C is a great cousin and let N have a try.
Can you tell which toddler is which from behind? They're so alike, they could be twins. (N is in the blue shorts, if that helps.)
C took N to the park to check out the venue for the party as a preview. Here they are in the wagon checking things out.
The whole thing just wore our little man out. He was zonked out the entire way home. We had a blast - thanks for having us to my brother and his family! We're so happy for you C!
Check out the awesome cake J made for C. She's super talented. (For reference, see the cake she made N for his birthday!)
Here C and N are trying out one of C's presents - a Lightning McQueen ride-on toy. C is a great cousin and let N have a try.
Can you tell which toddler is which from behind? They're so alike, they could be twins. (N is in the blue shorts, if that helps.)
C took N to the park to check out the venue for the party as a preview. Here they are in the wagon checking things out.
The whole thing just wore our little man out. He was zonked out the entire way home. We had a blast - thanks for having us to my brother and his family! We're so happy for you C!
A taste of things to come?
N: *Bam bam bam* (The sound a Tonka truck makes when being pounded into a window by a 13.5 month old boy)
E to N: "No N. We don't bang trucks into the window. Here, drive the truck on the floor instead." picks up toddler, puts him on the fancy-schmancy rug with roads all over it for car-driving purposes
N: Stands up, looks pointedly at both parents pointedly, toddles to the window, raises his arm, raises an eyebrow.
*Bam bam bam*
A to N: Takes truck away and sets it on the floor. Picks up toddler and sets him in front of truck "No buddy. Trucks are for driving on the floor. See how much fun Daddy is having driving that truck?"
N: Rolls out bottom lip, tears welling in eyes
E to N: "See N? This is so fun!"
N: Begins hysterics. (Seriously. You'd think we'd have taken his lifeblood or something. He was crying so hard I thought he might throw up.)
E to A: "Well, if he cries so hard he passes out, at least we know he'll keep breathing."
N, noticing truck: "Bah bah!" Picks up truck and runs it on the floor as if nothing had happened.
----------------------------------
Someone tell me this is not necessarily a sign of things to come with the "Terrible Twos". Is this a preview? Is he testing us? Should I write all these stories down as ammunition for when he's almost 30 and has a baby of his own to deal with so no one forgets this happened?
E to N: "No N. We don't bang trucks into the window. Here, drive the truck on the floor instead." picks up toddler, puts him on the fancy-schmancy rug with roads all over it for car-driving purposes
N: Stands up, looks pointedly at both parents pointedly, toddles to the window, raises his arm, raises an eyebrow.
*Bam bam bam*
A to N: Takes truck away and sets it on the floor. Picks up toddler and sets him in front of truck "No buddy. Trucks are for driving on the floor. See how much fun Daddy is having driving that truck?"
N: Rolls out bottom lip, tears welling in eyes
E to N: "See N? This is so fun!"
N: Begins hysterics. (Seriously. You'd think we'd have taken his lifeblood or something. He was crying so hard I thought he might throw up.)
E to A: "Well, if he cries so hard he passes out, at least we know he'll keep breathing."
N, noticing truck: "Bah bah!" Picks up truck and runs it on the floor as if nothing had happened.
----------------------------------
Someone tell me this is not necessarily a sign of things to come with the "Terrible Twos". Is this a preview? Is he testing us? Should I write all these stories down as ammunition for when he's almost 30 and has a baby of his own to deal with so no one forgets this happened?
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Big guy
I know, I know. I've been MIA. You've got to give me a little bit of a break. I've got one very active toddler, one husband, one dog, one GIANT belly (contents = new baby), one job, and assorted other "ones" to deal with. Somehow, someway, I've let the blogging go by the wayside. I promise to try to do better.
To make amends, here's a latest and greatest picture of the little man. He's chowing down on his all-time favorite food, bananas (bahbah - though no one else would know it means banana, we do). He's changed a LOT since his 1st birthday. He's walking now and he has an assortment of words he can say (Mama, Dada, doggie, hi, bye, uh-oh, a variant of thank you, and baby). It's really fun watching him change - I can't believe a year ago at this time we were sitting on the couch, probably nursing, watching reruns of I Love Lucy. It's crazy!
This weekend we're headed to H-town for our nephew C's 1st birthday party. I can't wait to see that guy again (and the rest of the family too). It's going to be super fun. Hopefully I'll stick to the plan and update the blog with pictures when we get back.
To make amends, here's a latest and greatest picture of the little man. He's chowing down on his all-time favorite food, bananas (bahbah - though no one else would know it means banana, we do). He's changed a LOT since his 1st birthday. He's walking now and he has an assortment of words he can say (Mama, Dada, doggie, hi, bye, uh-oh, a variant of thank you, and baby). It's really fun watching him change - I can't believe a year ago at this time we were sitting on the couch, probably nursing, watching reruns of I Love Lucy. It's crazy!
This weekend we're headed to H-town for our nephew C's 1st birthday party. I can't wait to see that guy again (and the rest of the family too). It's going to be super fun. Hopefully I'll stick to the plan and update the blog with pictures when we get back.
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