Officially Avoiding the "Any News?" Calls...

Yes, I know we are all excitedly awaiting an announcement that the baby is here...trust me, I'm the first in line.  I'm now officially avoiding calls who's main purpose is to ask "any news?" No - no news as I explained on the last 3 phone calls and now I'm frustrated.  Check the blog people... even my Grandma has email and knows how to check a web page! I know this is all well-intentioned blah blah blah but I think I'll start screening calls on my machine and you should state the purpose of your call before I decide to pick up :-) Hopefully you have a funny story to tell me (not pregnancy related!) so I will laugh my ass off.

Yesterday Jose and I went to see "Traitor" with Don Cheetal and it was pretty good. It was intense but not in a Scorsese kind of way - it was slow and intense with explosive surprises. (yes, pun intended).  During the movie my feet swelled up really badly and I started to feel woozie heading out of the theater.  I called my OB and after 20 questions she asked us to get checked out in labor and delivery before going home (since it's about 7 minutes away anyway). I really DIDN'T want to go to hospital because I was afraid they would induce me but they were really sweet.  We were monitored for an hour: baby's heart rate, my heart rate, contractions/baby movements, my blood pressure and they had me drink 2 giant (32 oz) buckets of water....which I much prefer to an IV.  Everything was fine, I was just dehydrated and that slowed everything else down.  As a parting gift we were sent home with even more paper work (I seriously don' t know how unorganized people even have a baby in the hospital with all this junk), my monitor belts (to save the ins company $ supposedly) and my bucket o'water. It's a big gulp with a huge handle, picture something that jenny craig would have given you in the 80's...yeah that's it.  Oh and - I need to drink 4-5 refills a day (x 32 ounces).  And I thought I was peeing a lot before...

Oh - and the most popular question - were you dilated/effaced? I didn't have an "exam" because I wasn't having consistent contractions and my doc wasn't there. We go back to the OB on Tuesday.... but it doesn't really matter. You can walk around dilated for days and days and not going into labor or not be dilated at all and Wha-Bam! Baby time....

I'm enjoying sleep again now that the heat wave has temporarily subsided.  I can wait a few more days for Baby time...

Smokin' Neighbor

....And not the good kind.  Our neighbor downstairs smokes constantly.  We've approached her on multiple occasions to tell her how it comes through our vents (which we have duct-taped) and through any open window/door. While she has seemed receptive during these talks - after all she is a middle aged female NURSE who knows I'm pregnant (!) today is the worst day I can remember. We're in the middle of a heat wave and tonight for the first night it's cooler outside than it is inside.  As Dubs and Jose were watching the 49er and Raider games tonight she starts smoking on her balcony therefore filtering through our sliding glass window. At that point, it was so hot they kept the door open and I went to our back bedroom to be away from the smoke.  Now as I'm trying to relax in bed, and Charlie (as is typical) is doing his 10:30pm party ritual she is smoking outside her bedroom window and our small a/c unit starts blowing it into our room. We have to cut off the a/c and now I'm back in the family room waiting for it to air out once again. Have I mentioned that it's HOT? Arrrrrg.

I just want a little peace - in a smoke free environment with good a/c. Is that so much to ask? If this doesn't clear up she's going to know the wrath of one very uncomfortable pregnant woman very soon.

In the meantime - Charlie's dance party continues...

Exciting Night but no Baby

I thought that with all the excitement of Barack's incredible speech last night that Charlie would surely make his appearance - but no luck. I've been hoping to snag an SF Chronicle on the day Charlie is born to put a clipping in his baby book and NOW next week will be all about the Republican convention...eww.

For whatever reason - I can't sleep tonight/this morning. I've been having super vivid dreams that I wake up from but am usually able to go back to sleep.  The heat is ridiculous over here and that may be a contributing factor...or just my kid keeping me in training. Charlie buddy....I'll stay up if you come out - otherwise no deal.

Celebrating our Due Date

Well, the little ticker has run out and that means - yep - we're due today. My doula in pre-natal fitness likes to say "a due date is not an expiration date" which is a good reminder :-) We've waited 10 months (actually longer...but still) for this baby and another week or so won't hurt us. I'm happy to let him come out on his own - I think he might take after his daddy and need to do things in his own time.  See the previous post for our OB update and game plan...

Thank you for all of your phone calls - I haven't been great about returning calls promptly, mostly because I have the same conversations over and over. I don't have a lot happening in my day so there's not much new to report...as opposed to when I was teaching when every day had a story. (tenured teacher friends, you should totally keep a blog - it would be ABSOLUTELY HILARIOUS!) I tend to do much better with email/facebook because I can get on when I can't sleep etc.

Just a reminder that we will be using calling post to let everyone know when the big arrival happens. You will receive a call from their service that has a message recorded from us with the details. There is a link to our hospital on the right side of the page where you can get directions if needed (1st day visitors = immediate family only) Who knows if our cell phone will be on or charged so call labor and delivery if you have questions (650.367.5655) 

On a side note - the due date has been such a big day all this time - I think we should at least get to have a party with cupcakes like in 3rd grade :-) I think we'll find a way to celebrate tonight as we have a lot to be thankful for.

O.B. appt.

Our OB appt went as expected today - little progress although we are dilated 1 cm. The doc predicts another week.  We go back 9/2 if Charlie isn't born for an ultrasound and then next door to the hospital for a stress test. (Basically just being hooked up to the fetal monitor with me tracking the babies' movements) If all looks good there could be a little flexibility before induction - otherwise we'll be staying at the hospital.

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Happy Birthday tomorrow Annie! Your last before you're somebody's Grandma!! :-)

We love you

It's a lot of noise but it's not my baby...

Becoming the CEO of Domestic Affairs is a somewhat challenging task for me as we all know I can't cook (though I can bake the hell out of some cupcakes!) and who actually enjoys cleaning their home/doing laundry? I do appreciate the down time and have organized myself and the hospital bags into a tizzy. There are random annoyances though that this working girl never really even considered before that are now driving me crazy.

Outside my screen door in the family room every morning there are loud banging noises - almost like a 2x4 hitting cement over and over and over. What's frustrating is that I can't investigate from my window in the comfort of my not-so-glamorous 10 mo. preggie clothes either. I can't see you but I can hear you... Eew. I wish I knew what kind of project they were working on and WHEN it would be finished. I do recall that this work has been going on for some time - yes, pre new job title but it never bothered me before.

Oh - now a saw and nail gun have joined the choir and our beat has gone from despacio to allegra. Arrrg.  I should probably practice a "focus technique" that they taught us in our birthing class while I'm annoyed but I'm just not as dedicated as some of those other hippie women. I did practice in bad traffic a couple of times when I was freaking out and became cognizant of what that must be doing to the baby.

Back to the growing "song" - I will find you construction - through the wierd stairs and hills today I will find you.  My doctor says "walking" (which is a waddle, let's face it) can bring on labor so I'm up to 2 walks a day now....not that I'm actually READY for labor....but who ever is?

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Congratulations to Nick & Nikki Kurth on the birth of their second baby, Katie Nicole, I am so happy for your family and can't wait to get our babies together.

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We have the last appointment with our OB today before our  Thursday D Day - I'll post an update when we're back home with whatever game plan is put into place :-)

Obama Inspired

Just thinking about the world as it is and the world that it should be.  Often, we don't know how to work for what we need and want and thus settle for the world as it is.

Ahhhh bringing a baby into this world as it is but hoping for something closer to what it should be.

Eew

That's how I feel about the Raiders and the fact that I didn't have a baby this weekend.

There was a juicy chunk of my book - like a perfect yellow peach- that stood out to me (from Martha Moody)

A reminder that love is the sum of our choices, the strength of our commitments, the ties that bind us together.

Lower Still

A few people have commented on how high the baby has been and how he still needs to "come down" before delivery.  I think that process has finally started - though it's not as extreme as some may have described so far.  We've been uncomfortable all day and I'm hoping this stage won't last long.

Jose and I have been working on finishing projects around the condo today and my nesting is definitely there though I get pooped out after really simple tasks now.

We're looking forward to watching the Raiders tonight though it doesn't air until 10pm (arrrrg) so I'll likely end up watching most of it tomorrow. I try to get to sleep between 10-10:30 but Charlie often wakes up around 10:15 and wants to party.  Maybe he'll party his little way out tonight so he can wear his JaMarcus jersey? :-)  He'd better make his way out by the DNC next week so we can watch Barack together! Priorities Charlie, Priorities!

Favorite Preggie Products

Things I could not live without while pregnant:

1. Jose

2. Lotion - I'm obsessed! My current faves are

The Body Shop - Pomegranate Body Butter

Curel - Pregnancy & Motherhood

3. Maternity Clothes are cute for about a week and then just become a necessity to cover your body.

Gap Maternity - Comfy, easy fabrics and cute colors for all sizes

Ann Taylor Loft - a new line, found a dress for funeral here at 6 months!

4. Reef flip flops which I now find myself wearing EVERY day. It's pretty sad when your feet swell up so that the flip flops leave an indent on them.

5. Rootbeer (IBC, yummm) and cupcakes - my latest craving.

I'm off to get a pedicure and eye brow wax "just in case" it's the last time for awhile. 6 Days until D Day.

Another Pregnant Day

Yesterday we had "fake labor" from about 9:45-2:00ish and I was ready to run a mile grandpa-style if it would have kept it going. It left me exhausted and I just hope that somehow this is helping the actual process along and isn't just discomfort torture.

Jose is working from home today so that helps me relax just knowing that he's in the other room and I can yell out funny comments - not so lonely during the day.

:-) Prayin' for action over here

The latest from the OB...

Well - the OB reports that we have no action, but she reassures us that it doesn't really mean anything.  Either way we could go into labor any time and it's totally normal. I really like our OB now she makes me feel good about our birth plan/wishes and that helps me relax. We go back again on 8/26 and then the game  plan is that we will probably have a stress test (to make sure the baby is still doing well) on 8/30. She will probably let us go a week over our due date before induction so keep your fingers crossed for us :-) I have no appetite for spicy food lately but I think I'd better find a dish that I can eat to see if that will help!

We'll keep you updated and hopefully entertained via the blog - we're home bodies until (and after!) our baby boy gets here.

9 days until D Day

Wow, 9 days until we're due... It's a weird emotional limbo over here because while I don't really want to be this pregnant anymore I also really don't want to be in active labor!  So many touchy feely women in our birth class when asked to describe labor/birth said "its a miracle!" Arrrg. My response was that it's a marathon.  A marathon in fact that you will run on command, at any time of day without notice so you'd better be ready.

I'm starting to wonder if our original due date will be closer to when Charlie actually arrives. They changed our date because he was measuring as an older baby but now I question whether or not he was just large for his gestational age which happens in families who have taller members....hi I'm 5'11 3/4", my dad is 6'4"...Jose is the tallest member of his family despite their short genes. My only main concern is that I don't want much intervention if it can be avoided. No potossin (the simulated hormone for oxytocin which starts labor, which they get from horses p.s. and often comes with an epidural cocktail) and if at all possible, no c-section please.

In the midst of all this unknown, I thought it would be fun to bet on when Charlie will finally make his appearance - which at this point seems surreal.  Vote in survey on the right!

More updates after our OB appt this pm.

Mimi's Belated Birthday Dinner

On Friday night Jose and I made the trek to Davis in what turned out to be a 3 hour ordeal. We left late due to some issues at FactSet and then  paid the price in patience during rush hour.  We celebrated a belated birthday for Mimi and Aioli Bodega in Davis where the paella was really good. My dad brought in our family chorizo for the dish and his soul brother (Jose) shot called it out within a minute of tasting it.  For those of you who don't know, my dad and Jose are super cute together, though often that leads to them ganging up on me :-) We enjoyed an evening of good food and later, great olympic competition. Saturday we visited the Cuevas house and then Adrian on the way home and I was pooped out! I'm glad we made the trip because I don't think we'll be back up until after Charlie is born and has some time to adjust to his new world where he has to work for food etc.

We don't go back to the OB until Tuesday and I'm a bit of disbelief that our due date is a week from THURSDAY! We've waited all this time and now it seems odd that we're sooooo close. Stay tuned for more updates.

Happy Birthday Misty Elaine Rayn Miller

Misty - I am so proud of the woman that you have become and honored to be your friend.  I'm so excited to experience this new chapter of our lives together.  I hope we dance through life together always.

~Alfred

Moss Beach - A World Away...

I'm working on keeping you updated with lots of photos to keep it spicy over here... I'm practicing for when the baby is here because I know that's all you'll really want to see :-)

Jose has been working a ridiculous amount and I knew that he had finally hit the wall. Yesterday we were able to sneak away early for dinner out of town (which meant that we left at 5:15 because he's been working to, well, midnight!)  Moss Beach is one of those places that really isn't that far from where we live but that we never get out to.  They have a great deck overlooking the ocean with fire pits where I think I could have sat for about the next three days.  The weather was so nice and cool, I didn't even wear my jacket! All preggies should get 10 months to live at the beach :-) It stayed light out pretty late and then when we went to take a couple photos it was so misty that it started doing funky things on camera - which I thought was cool after I figured out my camera wasn't broken!

We had a great night out, rehashed the days before we got engaged somewhat randomly and I know that it will be a night in my memory for a long time to come. I am so in love with this man it's ridiculous.

JYCYAME

Labor & Delivery Phone Msg

Jose and I are signing up for a service called "Calling Post" in which we dial in and leave a message with information on Charlie's arrival and the automated service dials each of you and plays the message for us.  It shows up on called ID as "Calling Post" and I believe it has a 408 (san jose) area code prefix on the #, just in case you are screening calls, it will leave a voice mail.

Please be patient with return calls - of course we are going to love to hear from everyone but we will have our hands and hearts full.

High School Teacher vs. Domestic CEO

Ahhh... today is the first day back at work for my teacher friends.  Well...let's get serious, most of them have ALREADY been working for awhile, but today it's official and I have to admit that I miss it.  Well...not the job or the administration crap per se, but the people.  I miss my teacher friends, talking about all the worldy events from  Darfur to Britney Spears. I miss laughing about ridiculous things like "WAD" and "Chilpanchango", talking with a hamburger hand...  Most of all I miss my students.  I swear to god they have already grown even more over the summer - which I have really only been able to witness from my teacher facebook.  Every summer since college I have felt a lack of purpose without teaching - without knowing I was making a difference.  I know that very, very soon, I will be making a difference in my own son's life and Charlie, I can hardly wait to hold you (minus all that labor stuff). I feel very, very fortunate to have this time with my husband and baby at home, I know it will be the greatest gift.  In the meantime, with waiting, I think it's okay to miss my old teaching job.

Room 403 - You will be missed.

Feeling Better

Today's update is that I'm feeling much more like myself, less tired (in the preggie spectrum anyway) and less crampy (no contractions or fake labor). Jose has been working from home so I've been spoiled with having him at least in the house all day. We were able to sneak out for lunch downtown today and my appetite came back roaring! I hadn't been hungry and eating much at a time but the chevy's food did the trick :-) Too bad I couldn't get a bird bath margarita!

Happy Birthday to my Mom today who is too young to be a Nona!

Fake Labor is the ENEMY

Yesterday we had Braxton Hicks...big time and yet when we went to the doc today- no progress. It doesn't mean much, we could go into labor any time regardless of progress but still, a little dilation for so much discomfort please folks!!! Jose worked from home today though so that was a little bonus. More updates to come soon!

No News - 17 Days to Go...

No Baby news at this house...although I would swear up and down multiple nights that SOMETHING must be happening because I've felt so out of it - No such luck.  We went to the OB last Monday and there was no change - we go back tomorrow but I'm not getting my hopes up this time....arrrrg.

Jose and I are embracing the opportunity for more time together and went to the Burlingame Art & Wine Festival yesterday.  Lots of walking around (hopefully gravity will do it's thang) and good shopping.  Later we went out to our favorite Adult resturant, Kingfish and it was delicious! Here are some "2 weeks from my due date" photos for you hound dogs who won't lay off about the preggie photos...Jose talked me into it!

Hopefully we'll have more news soon :-)

Cook, Who Me?

Anyone with simple recipes, send them on over.  It's no secret I can't cook and after a long day yesterday at the OB, grocery store (I hate hunting for products I've never used before and that seem to be place on illogical aisles), girlfriend drama, kitchen clean out, and a too-short nap I started making  dinner....

Trying a new (new to me but really family recipe) trying to impress my husband only to find out he doesn't like meatloaf!

Check with hubbie first...lesson learned.

3 Weeks 3 Days to go :-)

My pre-natal fitness instructor keeps reminding us that a due date is not an "expiration date" and that around 40% of women or so actually deliver AFTER their due date....well that sucks. I'm hearing the message though.  3 weeks or so to go and I'm feeling pretty good about it.  Jose is home without any more travel until the baby and I can't explain how much of an emotional relief that is for me.  He's excited and ready for the baby to come TODAY.  I'm pretty even keel trying to prepare myself for the road to be a little longer but also nesting like crazy.  I'm in the phase of making a larger mess to get organized because I can't just shove things in my closet now that my baby is coming! I have to clean that closet out! Thus the re-org is everywhere. Charlie's room though is organized perfection...imagine that :-) Somehow, at least for now, it's more fun to clean his room.

Jose is a crazy working man and worked all day and most of the night Sat. but snuck out with me all day Sunday to the city for some shopping, out to lunch and to the new Kevin Costner movie, swing vote.  We actually had a bit of a wait at the ghetto theater, where it was waaaay too hot in the waiting area, so we snuck in to see a 1/2 hour of step brothers which was hilarious!  After that it was a little tough to transition to Swing Vote, I think Jose would have rather watched 1/2 of step brothers, but the message of the movie overall is good. Which reminds me....I need to change our address on our voter registration!

The young actress in the movie is adorable and reminds me so much of my H.S. BFF Misty Rayn Miller :-)  Miss you Mist.

L.A. Trip

Our trip to LA was eventful :-) Jose is working is butt off trying to keep clients happy and quiet which can be impossible.  We were able to grab some couple time at the W and then some good food around LA but it could never compare to SF for me :-) 

The photo above is from the Getty museum which is absolutely beautiful.  I would definitely reccommend it and would have liked to spend more time there but Charlie started acting up.  We saw a great photog exhibit and a nice section on impressionists, including my fav, Monet, which is always exciting.

 No baby news during the trip although there have definitely been some wierd sensations that signal we're in a whole new stage now...I'll keep you posted.  The hospital bags are packed!