In Labor!

So, this is a cheesy shot, but I look like an ax murderer in the rest of them. Anyhoo, this is us sort of en route to the hospital. We'll keep you posted.

So...

If the baby does not come of its own accord before then, we will induce on Tuesday morning. I've done all I can to make my body as inhospitable as possible--long walks, spicy food, deep knee bends. The only thing I refuse to attempt is a big gulp of castor oil. So, if my pokey little puppy stays put, they're hooking me up to Pitocin and, to try a metaphor, ripping the sheets off the bed and opening the shades. Wish us luck!!!

Still Pregnant...

In case you're wondering...

Still no baby. I'd post a picture of what I look like, but I wouldn't fit in the margins of the shot. Going on four days overdue now. This shouldn't be a surprise, as i've always been quite pokey. When I was a little girl, my mother called me Harriet, since she thought I moved like an old lady. Apparently the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree. 

No baby, just turkey chili dogs

The Big Day has come and gone, mostly. I didn't really think I'd have the baby today. Although last night, I was SURE I was going into labor. The thing is, early labor often feels like...the flu. Stomach cramps, backache, nausea, diarrhea. check.check.check. 

The problem wasn't early labor, however. It was the turkey chili dogs Seth made for dinner. Yum! Beef dogs piled onto processed cheese, snuggled with cucumber, smothered with chili, topped with onions, cilantro, mustard, and ketchup with corn on the cob and a big glass of milk with a bit of dark chocolate to end it all. Later on, I was convinced things were happening. I had myself propped up in bed, laying on a towel, Mylanta at the ready, husband snoring beside me. I was ready--bag packed. Insurance card handy. Bring it on!! I fell asleep somewhere in it all and woke up this morning feeling...really pregnant. Still. So, due date come and gone. Baby just hanging out. He has no idea...

Oh baby, where art thou??

Tomorrow is the big day. The Due Date. Not that this is significant. Brice missed his by 8 days before we had to take matters into our own hands. So, i'm not counting on the child making his debut tomorrow. I've been telling him up to this point, "Son, it's not that you're not welcome, of course. It'd just be really good if you could wait until the due date." I was still laboring under the false assumption--hope!!--that perhaps construction would be completed by this day and he could come home to a fully finished condo. But no luck. So, now he's been gracious enough to wait the whole time. I had Seth lay his hands on my belly and tell him he was welcome anytime. Then for the next hour, it was vigorous kicking. And nausea. And wicked heartburn. Will there be a baby in the next 24 hours? Check in later...

Big Day!!

First Haircut--He loved it! Really!!

Then, a little coffee to calm his nerves...

Finally, a trip to the park.

Sunnyside Up: Eggs, good; Babies, BAD

Brice was a sunnyside up baby. Ouch. Whereas most babies come out sort of sideways, sunnyside up babies ("posterior" to get really technical) come out with their face to the world. And on their way out, their bony little head is smashing up against your pelvis. There may be an epidural to cover the pain of that experience, but mine was not it. I had no idea this birthing experience even existed until I had to go through it, and now having gone through it, and having put Seth through it, bless him, I've no intention of letting it happen again.

So I turned to the trustiest source of all information (much to my dr.'s chagrin)...Google. Turns out, once you've had one, you're more likely to have another. NO!! Something to do with pelvis size and shape and how early you have your epidural. I had mine, i'm embarrassed to say, a bit early. I wanted to watch The Ellen Show without wincing through my contractions, so I rang for Dr. FeelGood and he hooked me up to...whatever it is they put in my spine that makes all the pain go bye-bye.

BUT there are exercises you can do to get the baby to turn into the correct ("anterior") position. So, while Brice naps, I have been on all fours, rocking back and forth. I'll also try crawling down the hallway. Maybe i'll even mop our floors on my hands and knees. I'll do anything to get this baby to turn. Now, hopefully, once you have a colicky baby, that doesn't mean you'll have another. I'll keep you posted...

These are a few of my (least) favorite things (about pregnancy, that is)

1. The Squeeze & Sneeze

2. Heartburn

3. Waking up at night with leg cramps

4. Waking up at night with heartburn

5. Waking up at night to go to the bathroom

6. Foot Spread

7. Not being able to bend over

8. Pulling my pants up every 5 minutes

9. No wine, no caffeine, nothing fun

10. Starts with an H

To cut or not to cut???

This, it seems, is becoming the major question. What to do with Brice's hair. My father and my mother in law say "cut!!" I and my mother say "don't cut it!!!" My husband, in case you're wondering, has gotten tips from his hairdresser on how to properly cut a child's hair. So, yes, he's gunning for a haircut too. 

The problem is, everybody thinks he's a girl. Which is just so weird to me. I dress him in browns and blues. Not even yellow! He doesn't own a single piece of clothing with a flower on it. Heck, I even got him some camo overalls. And I think he looks like a boy, too. He certainly acts like one. He's all bruiser. So what gives?? 

His hair is even getting wavy in the front. Wouldn't it be a crime against nature to cut it off now??? What if we cut it and the curls never return? Maybe I could put it in a ponytail. The truth is, he's had one mini-cut. One time when my folks were visiting, my dad cut his bangs while Brice was bathing. He cut them with the kitchen shears. It was, with apologies to my dad, a bit of a travesty. A wee bit too short. So now i'm too afraid to cut it again. Besides, who cares if people think he's a girl? He's too little to be offended.