This about sums it up...

Tom Petty - The Waiting

No, Freeway is not also pregnant.

D-Day + 3

Pam's at an accupuncture appointment right now. There are points that can trigger labor after a couple of sessions. We're trying everything we can right now. Walking, spicy foods, etc.

Sunday night she actually had some contractions that actually caused a little discomfort (she's been having some for months now that are just the body practicing) when we had just sat down to eat some Thai food (spicy food not even in effect). I started noting the times just in case, but they had petered out by the time we left Titaya's. We still came home and finished packing the bags and organizing the gear we're taking to the birthing center. 

... just hung up with her. Nothing yet, but sounds like she had a good session, gave her a chance to meditate and practice relaxation. The accupuncturist suggested castor oil, as did another friend a couple of days ago. 

We have a midwife appointment at 4 today. Maybe they'll give us a couple of other tricks to get this show on the road.

And a major thank you to everyone for all the good luck wishes and thoughts and phone calls and love. It is awesome and humbling to know that you all are out there rooting for us.

it's been a good run

no baby yet. i feel compelled to repeat this to everyone who calls or emails me today. no baby no baby no baby.

i have to say that i think i'm actually going to miss being pregnant. it's crazy i know. most women are screaming "get this thing outta me" at this point, but i've actually kind of enjoyed it. ok, the no alcohol thing is for the birds, but otherwise there are a lot of great things about it. it does wonders for your skin and hair (i swear i only have to wash my hair every 3 days and it never looks bad. normally i can't go more than a day and a half.) you actually do glow and people complement you on it. strangers are (generally) nice to you. friends are excited about every new development in your life. you get to leave places or bail on things whenever you damn well feel like it and nobody faults you - heck, they expect it. there's no heavy lifting (other than your own weight, which is considerable) and i haven't had to pick things up off the floor for weeks...which is good cuz you get clumsy. and you get these crazy good hormones! there's the second trimester ones which make the sex rock but there are others that have lasted me well up until the last few weeks. these hormones chilled me out better than any antidepressant i've ever tried. at the most hectic point in my life i've actually been able to let go and let what happens happen. but the best thing by far is the feeling of having a living human being move around in your belly. it's comforting and it never fails to surprise you...it's indescribably awesome. not to mention it's such a convenient way to take care of another person. hands free, baby!

i've thought about this throughout my pregnancy and have wanted to write this post often. back in the summer i was at a friend's birthday party and another friend of mine, a mother, was asking how it was all going. when i told her how good i felt she leaned in and confided to me in a whisper "i loved being pregnant." i smiled, knowing that this sentiment was considered by many to be verboten. pregnancy is generally thought of as such a burden, rife with nasty side-effects to be listed and lamented about, something that wreaks havoc on your body. but i just have to give a shout-out for the rest of us, those who have been lucky enough to have enjoyed it.

what he said

i'd like to add that only 5% of babies are born on their due date.  it is an inherently imprecise formula due to the fact that the due date is calculated at 40 weeks from the first day of your last period and it's (obviously) impossible to get pregnant that day or for the next several days after that.  so the math is off by approximately 2 weeks from the get-go, not that there's any way to standardize what the 'normal' length of gestation is anyway.  it's just yet another thing that the medical industry tries to predict and mother nature laughs in their face.

i will say, however, that freeway has been all over us for attention like stink on you-know-what today.  i think she senses something is afoot.  now i'd put money on her.

which takes me to the subject for my next blog post: will having kids be as awesome as having cats? i mean, look at this face. she kills me.

D-Day

Well, here we are. Just walked to breakfast and back. Now about to do a bunch of chores and errands. 

Everything is fine here. Situation normal. We're all good here. How are you? (I don't know why a paraphrasing of Star Wars just came to mind. Oh wait, of course I do.)

Just a little reminder, but these first ones do tend to percolate a little past the due date. Will that be the case here? Not if he's like his dad, but if he's like his mom, some waiting might be involved.

Everyone can chillax, we got this.

Greezed Lightnin'

Kyrsten just sent this email:

"I had a dream about Greezed Lightnin' last night - a semi-recurring rollercoaster dream - that made me think of y'all this morning. Wondering how greezed your lightnin' is..."

For the non-Houstonians, Greezed Lightnin' was a rollercoaster at Astroworld that launched like a jet off an aircraft carrier, put you thru a loop then up a steep incline, hanging there and then going thru the loop in reverse and hanging at the top of another incline, and finally being whiplashed to a sudden stop where you started.

This was my reply: 

"One of my favorite Astroworld rides... I either liked to ride in the front row or the back car. Before the ride started, each of those gave you an advantage over the other riders. From the front you could see the little launching mechanism as it rolled back between the rails and disappeared under the car. You knew that very soon, you'd be off, 0-60 in about 3 seconds and then hitting that loop. While in the back, you could hear the little mechanism latch into place underneath you. There were a great few seconds of adrenalized anxiety both when waiting for the mechanism to roll into place and latch, and then after it latched waiting for the high school seniors to exchange a thumbs-up and the one at the control board to hit the green button.

Right now, we're waiting for the launching mechanism to lock into place."

Churchills

My dad sent me a box of 25 hand-rolled Hondurans. I'd love to light one up 5 minutes ago but the waiting will make them so much better.
Maybe I'll share.

Oh ok, I'll share.