And the Winner Is....

I finally found some time to tally up the results of the Ultimate Baby Competition.  (It's amazing what you can get done while you pump)  Points were given to the closest without going over in each category (1), then on down the line.  I excluded all due date guesses, since no one was remotely close to guessing correctly and everyone went over.  

I am proud to announce that the winner of the competition, and therefore is a Baby Supreme Expert, is:

CORAL!!!

Coral's guess of 8 lbs, 15 oz, 20" long, and female earned her the least amount of points and therefore crowns her champion.  Way to guess almost right on!  You will soon be awarded a prize for your effort, as soon as I figure out what to give you.  :)

Here are the complete results so you can see where you landed:

Rachel - 20

Buttercup - 16

TubaLady - 19

SouthCove - 22

The Mrs. - 18

The Other Parker - 21

Wilma - 15

Gramma Poke - 10

JD in GC - 22

Auntie M - 21

Parker - 19

Fairy Godmother - 18

Diana - 14

Thanks for playing!

Come On, People!

As I sit here at 5:30 in the morning, I am amazed that no one has posted a comment on this blog since I checked it the last time I was up at 2:30 this morning!  What is wrong, people?  Sleeping?  Get up!

Just a friendly reminder to those who do comment (which we love!) - keep all real names off, please, including last names.  We'll have an alias for Giana shortly - Mitch and I can't decide on one.  

No Words Needed

Daddy's Duties (generally taking care of Doodies)

I basically let Tina take over the blog during the last 10 months, and it's time for me to start posting again.



I've been pretty involved in everything baby so far. Pre-birth a few of the things I did were: offering name suggestions (both serious and funny), going to visit a pediatrician pre-birth and deciding that it was not right for us even though it was 5 minutes from the house, "picking up" Tina at a baby shower at the designated time only to have the event go on for another 90 minutes, keeping Tina relaxed and comfortable throughout the pregnancy, coaching during labor and counting/encouraging during contractions, announcing in the delivery room that it was a girl!, and cutting the cord.



That stuff was a piece of cake compared to taking care of baby outside the womb! Diaper changes, feedings, comforting, holding, carrying, walking, burping, wiping, etc, etc, etc. So far it's been going pretty well and I have only been slightly irritable when getting up for a late night diaper change or feeding.



These are some of the better photos I've taken on my Blackberry since the birth. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

A MasterCard-esque Post

2-day stay in a hospital room:  $$$$ 

Meals in the cafeteria:  $20

Hospital Parking:  $10

Listening to Mitch in the middle of the night after he changes Giana's diaper say, "Oh, did you just poop again?":  priceless

Our Little Bundle of Joy is FINALLY Here!

Well, turns out Thor isn't a boy.  Who knew?  

Mitch and I brought little Giana into the world on Sunday.  She is a tank, weighing in at over 9 pounds, but she is easily the most beautiful baby I have ever set eyes on.  She certainly didn't enter the world very easily, having been in active labor for over 14 hours, with three of those hours being pushed out.  She had a welcoming committee on hand - all of her grandparents, Aunt Katie and Uncle Boston, and Aunt Al, Uncle Bob and Lil' Missy - within hours of her arrival.  

I had no idea I could love someone so completely within seconds of laying my eyes upon her.  She has only been here one day, but I already can't imagine what life was like without her.  She is the most important thing in the world to me, and Mitch and I can't wait to get her home and start creating memories with her.  

Thanks to all who sent good thoughts and prayers - we are so thankful that Giana is here, healthy, and as perfect as she is.  We love her so much!

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1034256713258&ref=mf

The Gods are Torturing Me

Early this summer it was a baby bird that set me off.  Today it was a small baby rodent.  Here's the story:

I had just walked into the garage to run a couple of errands and go get a hair cut when I noticed it on the floor.  It was making its way slowly across the floor, trying to figure out which way to go.  I couldn't tell what animal it exactly was - but it was only a couple of inches long, had no hair, couldn't see, and had clearly been born recently.  I am guessing it was either a mouse or a squirrel, but it had a longer nose than a mouse.  Either way, it was cute as could be, but was clearly lost.  And it had to get out of the garage.  And I had to get it out. 

After collecting myself (i.e., trying not to cry), I got the dust pan and brush and let the little thing crawl into the pan.  It knew immediately that something was wrong as soon as it took a couple of steps onto the pan, and I waited patiently (and freaked out) while it made it all the way in.  Once safely on the pan, I walked outside and gently brushed the baby animal onto the edge of the driveway.  I was afraid to put it in the grass, because I wasn't sure it would be able to climb through it.  The poor thing fell onto its back, and I attempted to turn it over with the brush, which was successful.  I then put the brush and pan away, climbed into my car, and drove away as fast as I could.  And then I cried.  

Where was this animal's mommy?  How on earth did it get onto the center of the garage floor?  Did its mommy find him, or did a bird find him and make him lunch?  Or did the poor thing get washed away in the rain today?  

Whatever happened, I was petrified to come home this afternoon.  I pulled into the driveway, looking for any signs of this poor thing.  Part of me wanted to see it and know it was OK, and part of me was afraid I would see it and then start to worry about it again.  

The baby was not in the driveway.  I'm going to assume that mommy found him and took care of him from there.  Because if I start to think of the alternatives, I just break down and cry again.

Oh, how I cannot wait for my hormones to go back to normal.  

22 is the Magic Number

Well, my trip to the Dr's office this morning was as eventful as the rest of them have been - still not dilated at all, and only 80% effaced.  Now that I am overdue, the doctor has put a plan into place to get this baby out if it does not want to do it on its own.  Unfortunately, it doesn't involve going to the hospital today.   :(    

This week I'll be taking rounds of hormones that will help soften the cervix, allowing it to open.  Sometimes this will start contractions naturally, but if it doesn't, I'll be induced on Saturday morning, a day after I pass the 41-week mark.  

At least there is an end day in sight.  Mitch and I are really at the ends of our ropes with this waiting business, and while we know we just need to be patient, it doesn't make it any easier to do.  We are beyond excited and ready to meet this (not-so) little person that we have created.  

Baby Update: Week 40

Baby:  Baby is done cooking.  

Mom:  Mom might lose her mind.  

Dad:  Dad's patience is getting shorter and shorter.  

Please, please, Thor, please come out.

 

Not the Day

Well, yesterday's due date has come and gone, and still no Thor.  I am doing my best to be patient, to let nature just take its course, and to remain calm and relaxed.  Mitch and I have a fun afternoon planned - a trip to the library and a trip to yet another mall (in hopes to get Thor out).  I have a peach pie in the oven and fear that if this kid doesn't come out soon, that I might have a whole house full of baked goods (much to the delight of my family members, I'm sure!).  

Keep Mitch, Thor, and I in your thoughts and prayers!

The Day?

I apologize for not blogging all week...but there is just nothing exciting to blog about.  I get up.  I wait.  I eat.  I walk.  I sleep.  

Yesterday, I did venture out and have lunch with Al, and she was brave enough to walk the entire Mall of America with me in an attempt to get Thor out.  He did shift quite low into my pelvis, which is progress.  The lady at the tea store also gave me some herbal tea that is supposed to induce pregnancy, so here's to hoping that works!  (Although I did have two glasses yesterday, and nothing so far....)  

Today brings more of the same.  But today is a special day - today is my actual due date.  Let's Go Thor!  Let's Go Thor!  I woke up and said, "today is the day", so it has to be, right?  

I have a couple of shout-outs:

• Congratulations to Rachel, who wins the first points of the Kevin James Baby Cup!  She is the only one that picked a delivery date past my due date, and so wins by default, no matter when I deliver now.  Way to go!  Won't it be exciting to see how close everyone else gets to the height and weight?  (Although at this point, if Thor continues to stay in utero, whoever picked the biggest baby may win!)
• To the creepy older, balding man who was working at the Hello Kitty store yesterday - might be time for a new job, man.  
• JerseyGirl - ready for some mall-walking today?  I'll call this morning.

Stay tuned to find out the latest in ThorWatch 2009!

Baby Update

Well, it looks as though Thor is not in any hurry to leave the womb.  As of 9:00 this morning, I was still not dilated at all.  It's a rather large understatement to say that I am frustrated, uncomfortable, and not looking forward to the potential of this pregnancy lasting any longer.  And Mitch is feeling the same way.  Why doesn't baby Thor want to come out and play?

According to the doc, if I haven't delivered by next Monday (my next scheduled appt), she's going to give it a few more days and then do some tests to make sure the baby is still thriving in his/her environment (placenta and amniotic fluid are still looking good), which would be right at 41 weeks.  She'd also start to give me drugs in order to induce a few days later.  If this worst-case scenario happens (please God, don't let it!), Thor would not arrive until Monday the 24th.  

I don't think my patience and my body can make it that long.  It might be time for a good, long, cry.  

So, I've decided it's time to take things into my own hands.  This week I will be doing everything humanly possible to get this baby out.  Walking is at the top of my list - it seems to get those Braxton-Hicks contractions going, and it's good for me.  If this doesn't start those contractions, I might have to resort to really extreme measures.  

Any suggestions?    

Meet Baxter

On Sunday Mitch and I decided to brave the crowds and go to the Mall of America to do several things:  1) walk around in a cooler environment than the outdoors, 2) eat lunch out, since we won't be able to do that for a very long time, and 3) go to Build-a-Bear and make Thor his very own stuffed animal.  After careful consideration of all the options, we selected this "asthma and allergy friendly" pup, which we have named "Baxter". 

Being Build-a-Bear virgins, we had no idea that there was so much care taken in creating your own bear (or puppy).  If you've never done it, once you pick your animal, you take it to the stuffers, who make sure you put a "heart" in the puppy (after rubbing the heart in various places on your body, like your brain for smarts, your funny bone for silliness, and give it a kiss - all things that I thoroughly enjoyed watching Mitch do).  

Then they put a UPC tag inside him (in case he gets lost),stuff him and tie him up.  After that, you go to the computer and create a "birth certificate" for your new puppy, which we did not do because we were misled that we could do it at home online.  (Our poor puppy!)  I'll have to make a return trip to get that done so little Baxter doesn't feel like an orphan.

  

After the stuffing, you have all sorts of options on "dressing" your bear.  You can get pretty much every outfit imaginable - sports teams, career wear, costumes - the possibilities are really endless.  Baxter looked really good in a simple pair of aviators, but we didn't think they were newborn-friendly, what with the choking hazard and all.  

To top it off, you can go online and create a virtual "bear" that can live in "Build-a-Bearville".  Kids can go and create outfits, bear condos, and have their bear live in this virtual world.  These Build-a-Bear guys really know how to work it. 

Mitch and I had so much fun building Baxter and playing with him all evening.  We hope Thor loves him, as this is the closest he is going to get to having a dog in the house.  

Baby Update: Week 39

Is this pregnancy over yet?!?!

Baby:  Baby is about 8 pounds now and probably around 20 inches long.  Not much else is going on, with the exception of the baby's brain continuing to develop.  Thor continues to be very active, especially in the evening, and has settled into the pelvis, so things should start to happen soon.  

Mom:  I've been known to say/shout to my belly several times this week, "Get out!"  I am beyond uncomfortable.  I've slept a LOT this week, but am still trying to find things to do to keep me busy (started a cross-stitch, working on curriculum stuff for school, running mundane errands).  I've  been compulsive about keeping the house clean and the laundry done (most of the time - old sloppy habits die hard).  To summarize, I'm ready for this pregnancy to be done.

Dad:  Mitch made this comment last night:  "I'm sick of waiting for the baby to come".  Comments like that usually prompt a reaction from me, such as "No shit!"  I know that we should be enjoying this quiet time together, and we are.  We saw a movie yesterday, and today we're headed to The Mall to do have lunch, do some walking and Build-A-Bear for Thor.  Even though we are making the best of our final "alone" time, we are both victims of the classic "want what we can't have" feeling.  Want the baby?  It's not here.  Baby's here?  I have no doubt we'll be ready for that quiet time again.  Mitch is also ready for this pregnancy to be done (mostly because as the days go by, I get more uncomfortable and bitchy).  

Kevin James Baby World Champion Cup:  Sorry to the following contestants: Coral, Parker 1, JD in GC, and Auntie M.  We have passed your dates.  And Pokmom and TubaLady, I'm not feeling it today.  Keep in mind, you're not out of the running yet!  Good luck to those who have this week picked - Wilma, Parker 2, The Mrs., Buttercup, and Rachel.  Rachel is the only brave soul to pick a date that's passed my original due date, and I fear that she might be right.  Mitch and I have our preferred "date" this week, and so we'll see what happens!      

Guess What Gus-Gus is Getting for Christmas.....

Boston and Katie, you'll be so happy with this product for your pooch!  

Now, what to put on that talking dog tag.....

Baby Update: Week 38 1/2

If you are expecting me to deliver little Thor this week, don't get your hopes up - the Dr. says that I haven't started to dilate yet.  Of course that doesn't mean I can't soon, but I had contractions all weekend and NOTHING.  Not one little centimeter.  My only hope is the full moon....and lots of walking.  

Until then, I'll find things to do to keep myself busy!

Baby Update: Week 38

Baby:  According to "What to Expect",  baby is about 7 pounds and "is big enough for the big day".  He's finalizing his debut by shedding his vernix and lanugo (which has protected his skin these nine months) and producing surfactant, which will help his air sacs in his lungs open up when he takes that first big breath.  According to Mom, he is enormous, has dropped considerably, and is becoming even more active at night (which looks even freakier now that he is big).  

Mom:  As I type this, Thor has found it necessary to "Bring in da noise, bring in da funk on my bladder", as Phoebe would say.  This kid's movements have been so painful and uncomfortable that I am ready to trade my days of sleep in to get him out of there.  I have been eating like there is no tomorrow, undoubtedly starting to stockpile energy for the birth (like I haven't been doing that for the last nine months).  Although I know I still have two more weeks until my official due date, I am praying that things start to move along a little quicker.  As of last Wednesday, I was still not dilated at all.  Here's to hoping Monday's appointment might be a little more exciting.  Here's Thor in all his in utero glory -   

Dad:  Mitch has continued to work on the to-do list, as I come up with things to put on it.  He has also been patient as my complaining and whining has hit an all-time high, and commented that he was sad that I didn't have any strange food requests that he had to run out and get in the middle of the night.  I assured him that there was still time for that.  Right now he is hooking up his latest toy - a new flat-screen tv for the downstairs living room that he bought with his birthday money.  It's pretty nice!

I'm sad to report that some people have already gone over on their date pick in the World Baby Champion competition - Diana, Fairy Godmother, and SouthCove.  Good luck to those who have dates picked this week!  (And for those of you who might be worried I might forget about the competition, rest assured that I have created a spreadsheet that I'll be taking to the hospital with me so that way I can monitor the competition when Thor makes his debut!)