Egghead Already?

This is what happens when you leave your sister and her son alone with your daughter.

And speaking of my wonderful little girl, here's how we tortured her on Christmas Eve; we put her in Ian's old elf outfit. It was a scream! (Aunt Kim's idea -- are you getting an idea of who the prime torturer in my family is?) Seriously, though: Could Libby have looked any cuter? Her ears are starting to stick out a little, and she looks adorably elfin now. The outfit only completed the look.


We hope you all had a wonderful holiday! Martin posted a little Christmas video (I love the crying and yawning montages). You'll notice (if you pay attention carefully to the video) that Libby has started to laugh. It's toward the end of the video and happens after I tickle her under the chin. It's more of a "Hehh" than a giggle. The "Hehh" is so damn cute that I can't even imagine how fun an actual full-bellied laugh will be. Here's a pic of Libby laughing:


I'll try to post a new slideshow in the next day or two with pictures from our visit to Ohio. Needless to say, it was wonderful to have a throng of adoring admirers for my wonderful little girl. Thanks to all of Libby's aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents for being such great hosts and babysitters. Martin and I even went to see a movie!

H&M Means Hotty & Magnificent

Who knew H&M sold children's clothing? We got this outfit for a shower gift, and it's just the most adorable thing! Considering how disposable the adult H&M clothes are, it's also quite well constructed. And doesn't my Libby make it even cuter? I mean, honestly, have you ever seen such a beauty?


In other news, I think we finally found a baby carrier Libby likes. Phew! We've tried Hotslings and Baby Bjorn, and she's just not that into them. But the Moby Wrap has (possibly) saved the day. Now as you can probably tell from the blog, Libby's a little on the moody side, so who knows if she'll like this again. But at least it worked once, and she was quite a helper with Daddy's Christmas baking. (Note: No actual children were worn during the handling of hot food.)

Whoops

So Martin came home the other day to give me a little Libby relief (much-needed, I might add). She had just finished eating, and he picked her up and held her above his head. (I warned him that it might not be the best idea to put pressure on her stomach just then, but what do I know?)

She seemed to enjoy it (or at least didn't cry, which is good enough), so when he laid back down on the couch with her, he held her up again, high in the air over his head. Yep -- you guessed it: She puked (spitup) like a geyser down right on his face. The good news is his mouth was closed; the bad news was it was everywhere. His face was dripping; his glasses were coated; his hair was speckled. I tried to get a picture, but he wouldn't let me look for the camera before giving him a burp cloth to wipe with. Too bad. I would have liked to memorialize that!

Amazingly, none got on the new couch.

Sleepy Kitten

Libby slept through the night for three nights in a row! She now wakes around 4 for her first night feeding. Ahhhh. Heavenly! I hope she keeps it up.

Cute Pic of the Day

Isn't she the cutest ever? I wish we could capture her smile better. (Seven's a good big brother, isn't he?)

Check back for a new slideshow; I'll try to have it up by tomorrow.

A Perfect First Bed

Libby's first bed was a gorgeous cradle made by (and on loan from) my "Uncle" Tom. As if that wasn't cool enough already, Uncle Tom burns in the names of all cradle users. Libby is now part of history! Thanks, Uncle Tom and Aunt Kay!

Welcome, Baby Lauren!

Lori and Henry had their baby girl yesterday. Lauren Sohl Mi Lee arrived after a fairly short and uncomplicated labor (I'm trying unsuccessfully not to be jealous of that) and is an absolute doll. Libby can't wait to meet her new friend. California here we come!

Cutest Kid Ever

Who me? Cutest kid ever? Well, shucks, if you say so.

G&G Kennedy Come A-Callin'

My mom and dad came last weekend to watch Libby while we had our first big night out (we went to see a movie last time Mom and Dad were in town, but this time we were going out for a fancy dinner with friends and would be gone for a long time).

Here's the greatest picture of Libby with the grandparents.


And here's what happens when Mom and Dad have their first night out. (And, yes, boys and girls, I did pay mightily for this fun the next day. Ouch, ouch, ouch.)

Holiday Card Photo Shoot Goes Awry

There's a new slideshow (or at least there is if I did it correctly). It's the pictures I took while trying to get a picture for our announcements/holiday cards. (Knowing me, these will turn into announcements/holiday cards/Valentine's Day cards.)

I bought the most adorable dress for Libby to wear during the holidays and thought it would be great to use for our card. You'll see the results in the slideshow. Poor Libby.

For an update, Libby was an angel yesterday and a devil today. She was ouchy -- very, very ouchy. Which made Mommy ouchy. Very, very ouchy. When does this miraculous turnaround kick in? Everyone says she'll suddenly turn a corner one day. Martin and I keep waiting (and hoping).

Blogger! Curses!

Well, Blogger is doing that thing again where it won't allow me to post pictures. So annoying! I've been trying for four days. I will continue to persevere so you can see pictures of our little devil ASAP.

Of course, I say little devil, but Libby's been on a great roll these last few days. She still screams like nobody's business, but she's calmable now, which is a new thing for her. Ahhhh. Much, much better.

Grandma and Grandpa Kennedy are in town for the weekend and have enjoyed cuddling and cooing with the Libster. Grandma says she talks more than any other baby she's ever known, and I have to agree that Libby seems remarkably verbal; she chatters aways all the time. (Sometimes in her middle-of-the-night feedings she'll get her bright-eyed look and let out a happy squeal and a "goo." I have to look the other way to laugh. Kerri's #1 Rule for Nighttime Feeding: No stimulation whatsoever. Libby's up and down with as little interaction as possible so as to keep her sleepy. It's hard to enforce this rule when your kid's being so damn cute, though.)

Thanksgiving slideshow posted

Hi All,

Blogs been kinda dead the last couple weeks as Kerri and I have dealt with an unexpected weeklong trip home to Maryland for my Aunt Jane's funeral. The only small upside being that we got to spend Thanksgiving with my family in Maryland (of course that meant we didn't get to spend Thanksgiving with Kerri's family in Ohio). I posted a few picture, mostly from Thanksgiving (where Libby served as an impromptu centerpiece) or a few days before.

Libby's definitely starting to develop and recognize us and the world around her. Just yesterday she really started enjoying looking at her self in the mirror (who can blame her). Of course, as her brain develops so to do her lungs. I thought they were ear splitting before, but man, I had no idea. I'd post a mp3 of it to prove how loud it can be, but I'm afraid the CIA would find it and start torturing people with it.

Libby, Meet Ian. Ian, Meet Libby.

My fantabulous nephew Ian was in town over the weekend for the Northwestern-Ohio State game, and he got to be the first in my family (outside of Grandma and Grandpa) to meet the equally fantabulous Libby. I understand this honor has made him the envy of all the Westerville-dwelling Kennedy clan.

I'm sorry to report that we don't have a better picture than this. Martin and I forgot our camera (doh!), but thank God Ian had his with them. But now I hear reports that Ian has misplaced that camera (double doh!). Thank God, a camera phone was handy to save the day.

Look What We Puked Up

My sister said she needs new Libby pictures daily. I can't promise that, but I have added a new slideshow called "Announcements." These are the pictures that we've taken in an attempt to find one we can use on an announcement (yes, we still would like to send announcements although maybe we should just wait and send holiday cards at this point). I really want to use the below photo with the same heading as above: Look What We Puked Up. Wouldn't that be great? One of a kind!


Please post in the Comments section any votes on pictures you think we should use. I just noticed in reviewing the pictures how Dynasty-esque the shoulder pads are on the little purple corduroy outfit (an Aunt Kimmy find). Joan Collins, watch your back -- Libby's here!

Crybaby

Libby's had a couple of wonderful days in a row--no more than a normal amount of infant crying (or in Libby's case -- screaming). Let's hope this trend continues.

Here's a picture of Libby in one of her more challenging moments. Notice the livid red color. I sometimes think her head will explode. This was actually when I tried to do some tummy time with her. Libby no likee the tummy time.

Bathtime!

Martin and I used Libby's little baby tub for the first time this weekend (the kid was STINKY). As you can see, she just loved it. Next time, we'll submerge her and forgo the hammock. I chickened out on that this time, but I'm curious to see what she'll think of the water. (And if she likes it, is it possible to just keep her in there from, say, 1 pm to 11 pm? Is that wrong?)


Thanks again to Aunt Marene (and family) for the gift of this tub. I promise Libby won't cry every time she uses it (or I should say I hope Libby won't cry every time she uses it).

On another note, Coldplay has soothed Libby's inner beast. I popped in Lori and Henry's wedding CD for some background music while I was calming a shrieking infant and attempting to get her to take a nap (something she's increasingly unwilling to do). Her eyes rolled back in her head, and she was out in about a minute flat. Happy mommy!

The World...

...became a slightly better place for Libby tonight.

Libby's First Playdate

Mary Beth and her twins Owen and Nora invited Libby and I over Friday for our first playdate. Kelly and her twins Evie and Sophie also joined in the fun. Sure, Libby and I arrived an hour late only to have Libby breastfeed like mad for almost the entire time we were there (a response to overstimulation, I think; she just latched herself on there and made the world go away), but a good time was still had by all.

Here's our attempt at getting a picture of all the kids together. I don't want to brag, but you'll notice my child is the one best following orders to sit still for the picture.


And here's a picture of Libby's outfit. The outfit is courtesy Grandma Barron; the shoes are courtesy Aunt Kimmy and Aunt Kandi. (Thanks to them, Libby is outfitted like a princess for her whole first year.)

A Crab Costume Would Have Been More Appropriate

Libby was such a crab yesterday that we didn't get the chance to take her out and show her off. But here she is later in the evening -- all calmed down and looking so cute in her pumpkin outfit from Grandma Barron. (Aunt Kimmy gave her a black cat costume that's too big. Look for her to wear it around Easter or so....)

Libby's Newest Tricks

So Libby has a new word! It's "guh" (said in a soft, adorably breathy girl voice). She can sometimes be persuaded to have a little conversation with Mommy when she's on the changing table:

Libby: "Guh."
Mom: "Guh."
Libby: "Guh."

It's scintillating stuff, I tell you, but this mother's heart melts every time.

She also has learned to (accidentally) suck her tongue, which produces a loud clucking sound. Usually, she manages to do this when she's already in a pissed-off little Libby mood and then it scares the hell out of her. The conversation with herself goes like this:

Libby: grumble, grumble (Libby's ticked-off crabbing sounds)
Libby: [loud click from a suck]
Libby: WAAAAHHHHHHHHHH.
Libby: [Chrissie Snow snort] WAAAAHHHHH.

Here come the Grandparents

Libby's other Grandparents got to meet her this weekend, along with one of her great Grandmothers. Too bad she decided this would be a good time to stay up all night screaming bloody murder. Oh well, everyone had a good visit anyway.

Walking the Walk

This damn Blogger site is killing me! I've been trying to post this message for at least two days...

And now my post:

I have become one of "those people" (as Martin put it); I have gone mall-walking. What can I say? It's cold as hell here, and I needed to get out and get a little exercise (although in actuality I just ate lunch and then shopped). My friend Kelly and her girls Evie and Sophie joined us. Evie continued her love affair with Libby the Real-Live Baby Doll. Sophie referred to Libby as both "puppy" and "baby" on our visit but seemed to like Libby just fine either way.

A good time was had by all ... until Libby pooped herself in blowout fashion. Mommy reached into the diaper bag and grasped ... air. I had forgotten to replenish the diapers. We made do with one of Evie/Sophie's diapers, but since they're about as big as her whole torso, we had to hotfoot it on home after that. Bad Mommy!

Lunchin' With Libby

I'm a little behind on posting this, but Libby had her first lunch with the Game Day ladies last week (oh, and Daddy got to come, too). She slept through most of it but still managed to dazzle one and all with her beauty, charm, and wit. Just after this picture was taken, Jill and Joanna came to blows about who loves Libby more.

Kelly's twin girls were also in attendance. They held up quite well until Mom decided to hold Libby, too, and then there were a few jealous tears. Then Evie realized that Mom was holding a real LIVE baby doll and the jealousy really kicked in. How does Mom get such a fun toy when Evelyn doesn't?!

And when Julie finally got her chance to hold Libby, our fair infant had reached her breaking point of hunger and overstimulation. So poor Julie now continues her belief that she makes babies cry.... Just look at that wail on Libby! She was the best cryer in the building!

And just imagine -- this was all before Libby had a belly button. Imagine the waves she'll create now!

Oh my god! My baby has a bellybutton

Enjoy the view boys and girls, because this is the last time Ms. Libby will be showing her midriff in public, ever.

Yes, last night, in the midst of our most trying nights as a new family yet, Libby lost her umbilical cord. Sometime around 3am (I think) Kerri tapped me on the shoulder and handed it to me. My first inclination was wonder why she was handing me a raisin. But being as tired as I was, I wasn't about to argue and just popped it in my mouth.

Kidding.

If Libby Is Ever ...

If Libby's ever a serial killer, this is the picture they'll use when they discuss her infancy. What a crazy-eyed thing! (Of course, if she's a serial killer, she'll also then be referred to by all three names. News blurb on Libby's A&E special about her life: "Serial killer Libby Vida Barron grew up crazy-eyed to two unstable parents who liked to torture their cats by making the felines sing and dance to an original song titled 'It's So Hard to Be a Kitty.' ")

New slideshow posted

A new slideshow--showing Libby's second and third weeks here among the non-zygotes--has been posted. You can get to it via the link to the right (you may need to hit 'refresh' on the slideshow page to see the new album).

Go, Kari and Scott, Go!

I meant to post this yesterday on race day, but Libby was a bit cantankerous and so I got zilch done. Yesterday was the Chicago Marathon, and our friends Kari and Scott ran it (for the second time -- crazy fools!). We were going to take Libby down for her first marathon-cheering session, but the weather was crazy-cold and rainy-yucky. Darn it all anyway! For those who have never gone and cheered a marathon, I can't recommend it enough. It's so inspiring.

Kari and Scott were awesome enough to bring us some yummy Thai food a week ago for dinner. (This isn't to mention that Kari also brought me sushi in the hospital, which was the BEST.) The above picture is from that night. Kari professed undying love for Libby and promised to come over and babysit regularly, which has caused Martin and I to profess our undying love for her. (As if all of that food wasn't enough to buy our love already.)

We haven't heard from them yet, but I just found online that Kari ran a 4:26 and Scott a 4:03. Woohoo! You guys rock!

Get that child some Noxzema

Libby was born with a potent case of Milia, which looks a lot like acne but actually "are created when dead skin becomes trapped in tiny pockets near the surface of your baby's skin." Recently they've all become red and inflamed (the above pictures don't even do it justice). Now, I stand by the statement that my little girl is the most beautiful baby ever. But, ummm, I'm more willing to entertain the notion that I may be less than my usual objective self right now.

Growth Spurt

Little Ms. Libby is going through her 2-week growth spurt. Along with growing, it's meant that she sleeps little and when she's awake, she either is eating or crying. This has been particularly hard on Kerri who not only has to deal with Libby (pretty much by herself) at night, but had to cope with a whole day of crying today while I was at a training for work.

Thankfully, Libby quieted down once I got home (please pass along to Kerri and anecdotes or stories you have that make it abundantly clear that Libby did not quiet down BECAUSE of me but only because she knew it'd be the best way to mess with Mom's head). She's sleeping now and Kerri's out with friends recuperating. What's Dad up to? Screwing around with Photoshop:

Just Like Grandpa Kennedy

Libby makes me laugh when she does this while trying to sleep and eat because it looks so much like my dad when he naps and is trying to block out the world. Libby has learned the hand-over-the-eyes trick early.

Alas, we haven't seen Libby sleeping a lot these days. She's in the middle of a growth spurt, so she's a (fussy) eating machine. For Mom and Dad's sake, let's hope this phase goes quickly.

Sorry About the Delay

Well, as you see, there are a few new posts that are only just now showing up. Blogger was having some problems posting pictures, but the site seems to have finally worked it out. Thank God! I was tired of writing things that I couldn't post.

We'll have more entries soon (and hope to be able to post some pictures).

Libby's Future Boyfriend

Could this kid be any cuter?? Meet who we're all sure will be Libby's first boyfriend. This adorable long-lashed, smiley creature is Alejandro; he's just a few months older than Libby. Our friends Joanna and Tom are adopting him; Alejandro will be joining them just as soon as the Guatemalan courts can make that happen. In the meantime, they went down to meet him this weekend and sent back these (much-anticipated) pictures. Honestly -- wouldn't he make a great match with our darling Libby?

RIP, Digital Camera

Well, the sad news is that our digital camera seems to have bit the dust. We're sending it in to Fuji, but I'm not holding my breath. At least we have our camcorder to take pics, and Kari and Scott have generously offered to loan us their camera until we find out what's going on. So you should have some pictures to enjoy still.

In the meantime, I'm trying to post that wrinkled-brow, pursed-lip look of Libby's again. I realized after my last post that it's not in the slideshow. It's my favorite expression of hers by far! I often laugh out loud when she makes it (which she really appreciates, by the way).

I wish I could post my favorite Libby sound: this Chrissie Snow(of "Three's Company") snort she makes when she's crying because she's stubborn and ticked off. It is the loudest, most sinus-clearning snort you've ever heard.

Post website problems here...

...And I'm not talking about "well, the colors suck horrible and your author's voice is horrible." I mean technical problems.

Just this morning I was informed that Internet Explorer was again moving the the right-hand picture bar to the bottom of the site. That's fixed now, but who knows for how long (I thought I'd 'fixed' it once already).

If you're having other problems, let me know in the comments and I'll see what I can do to fix them.

I'll also make another plug for using Firefox, which is just a great web browser. It's free, it's got tabbed browsing (which you don't realize you need until you use it, and then you can't imagine how you lived without it), and it's not from Microsoft. You can download it here.

New, New, New

New Pictures:
Martin's uploaded more pictures in the slideshow section. You'll notice a lack of pictures of me with Libby. This is because practically every time she's with me, she's suckling at the teat and modesty precludes posting pictures. Yes, I am now a 24-7 milk cow.

New News:
Libby had her first well-baby checkup at the doctor yesterday. Everything looked great! She's back up to 7 pounds, 11 ounces -- closing in on her birth weight. The way she's eaten today, I'll expect her to be up to 8 pounds by the end of the day. She's been a chowhound!

New Sleep Info:
Libby was an angel last night. She only got up twice and went back to sleep fairly quickly both times. Phew! I got at least two stretches of decent sleep for three hours or so. Ahhhh. Daddy's "shift" is from 8-midnight or so (usually her fussy period ... poor Martin), but she was sound asleep by 10. So he had a really good night's sleep!

New Tricks from Libby:
* She's started wrinkling her brow, which is my all-time-favorite newborn trick. She especially does it when she finishes feeding, and I'm trying to burp her. She wrinkles her brow, purses her lips, and gives a head-rolling bang against my shoulder. Too cute! (There's a picture of this in the slideshow, but I can't seem to get it to post here for some reason.)

* She's taken to falling asleep sooooo hard (usually after a minute or two feeding ... grrr. Wake up, girl!) that her mouth hangs open in a gaping maw of slumbering pleasure. Hilarious. The last picture in the new slideshow shows this well. (Although the picture is wrongly horizontal, so you'll have to turn your head. I'm too lazy to fix it.)

* She's started speaking full phrases in Farsi, English, and French. Martin and I really only expected her to have one language mastered by this point, but -- what can I say? -- our Libby's a cut above the rest.

Sleep? We don't need no stinkin' sleep!

Well, Libby has decided that rather than sleeping at all last night, she'd stay up with mom and dad. " What? Mom and Dad aren't going to stay up all night? Well, I know how to change that!"

It's kinda surprising how little sleep a person needs to function. Though, I wonder if the adrenaline of having her home is just masking the true effect of sleeplessness right now.

Kerri and I did a decent job of swithing off last night. Unfortunately, she has to bear the brunt of it because she has to feed her unless my man boobs suddenly gush forth (which, frankly, I'm neither counting on nor hoping for).

I wonder if a newborn is what the CIA is using to torture al qaeda members with "extreme sleep deprivation." I wonder what that requisition form looks like.

Video!

The very first Libby-cast is now available. You can subscribe to it through itunes if you'd like and you'll get new episodes automatically whenever I post them. Or you can just click on the "Introducing Libby" video to the left.

Welcome Elizabeth Vida

I am delighted to announce the birth of Elizabeth Vida. Baby and mother are both happy and healthy (Dad, on the other hand, is a wreck).

Elizabeth (or ‘Libby’) was born at 3:40pm yesterday, Wednesday October 4, 2006. She weights 8.0 pounds. She is 20 inches long (which apparently is important for some reason). She’s got a chock of dark blonde hair and a wonderful full face. She enjoys solving complex statistical problems*, speaks three languages** and has expressed a strong desire to study Phrenology***.

Kerri was admitted to the hospital Tuesday at 6pm. For the mathematically-disinclined out there, that means 22 hours of labor (assuming you start counting labor from when she checked in). Libby’s stubborn refusal to leave her cozy little nest resulted in the need for a c-section. Both Libby and Mom came through like champs, but needless to say I owe Kerri big time!

--

P.S. “Vida” is Spanish for “life” and its significance is that “Pura Vida” or “Pure Life” is the slogan of Costa Rica. Kerri and I visited Costa Rica in January. For the mathematically-disinclined out there…well, I don’t think anyone can’t figure that one out.

* “Given two source of milk and having exhausted one, what proportion of my milk sources remain”

** “I’m hungry;” “I need to be changed;” “I’m beautiful, pay attention to me”

*** The study of personality traits and potential criminality from the shape and bumps on the head (e.g. Dad’s)

And We're Off!

Well, just when you all started to think I was faking (oh, you know who you doubters are), I am off to the hospital. Contractions have been coming regularly now, so I hope not to be posting a shame-faced new entry in a few hours about how the hospital kicked me out for not being ready....

Think happy thoughts for us. Labor shouldn't take more than, oh, 30 or so minutes, right? I'll have this kid by Henry and Lori's suppertime in California, yes?

Look for more Baby Barron news soon!

So much for "The Wisdom of Crowds"

Well, 57% of you (so far) guessed wrong that the baby would be born before yesterday. Congratulations on disproving one of the central tenets of "Web 2.0"

I can't say Kerri or I find the baby's late arrival particularly surprising. Neither of us likes to get out of bed when we're nice and comfortable, and it looks like baby's found the most comfortable bed of them all.

Finished the Season Now I Just Need to Finish the Baby

No news on the baby front. I have now finished Season 1 of "X-Files" and will be heading toward Season 2 today. If Baby is so late that I get all the way to the really crappy "X-Files" years, I will be very bitter indeed!

Presenting Baby Skeletor

First, the question everyone asks: No change, still pregnant.

Second, the promised new ultrasound picture of Baby Skeletor. It's a closeup of the big, jowly, melon-headed face (the face is horizontal and almost fills the screen). The forehead is to the right in the picture; the two dark spots are the eyes, and the whitish spot in the middle is the nosebone, I believe.

Told you it's not pretty. I hope Baby looks a little less demonic in real-life form! I'm starting to doubt we'll ever find out.... Sigh.

Martin and I May Be Stressed ...

... but Baby is not. Had our non-stress test and "placenta juice" check today to make sure that Baby is holding up OK in post-due conditions. Everything looked great! Baby was shy, but we did finally get a nice look at his/her face during the ultrasound. I'll scan the picture in later and post it. Baby's got a big ole melon, that's for sure (what a shock looking at big-noggined Martin and I). Everything else just had that ultrasound Skeletor look -- big, black eye sockets, etc. What's not for a mother to love?

Passing the Time

So ... what does a mother-to-be do to pass the time while waiting for a past-due baby? Well, the answer, it turns out, is pretty much anything to keep herself busy. Today, for example, I mostly spent the time muttering "Not fun anymore ... grumble, grumble. ... So tired of this ... grumble, grumble." I also was lucky enough to visit Hot Doug's with Kelly and her beautiful girls. It was an oasis of fun in the middle of my crabbing.


As for other days, I've made a little illustration of some of my favorite things to do:

* watching TV (my blessed Martin found me Season 1 of "X-Files," and I'm almost done)

* talking on the phone -- my million daily calls always go like this:
Caller: "Anything?"
Me: "Nope."

* doing freelance work (you've hit rock-bottom when freelance work is your "treat" of the day)

* going on a walk (to try to shake the baby loose)

* knitting (I started this scarf for Martin three years ago if that shows how often I usually do it)

* reading (I've been tearing through the books, trying to "stock up" for when Baby takes up my reading energy and time)

* cleaning (see note about freelance work)

* taking Maalox (usually while cursing and grimacing)

* sleeping (see note about reading)

* aimlessly searching the Web (soooooo not interesting, by the way)

* wondering why I didn't just go ahead and start the school year after all (Who cares if the students would have only had me for a month or so before I left for the year? At least I'd have been busy.)

Have any suggestions on Web sites to entertain me? Other sources of diversion? Post a comment!

A Boy...but when?

So, with 56% of the vote, "boy" is the winner on the "guess the sex" contest. But when the heck is the little bugger going to arrive? New polls up to the left. Feel free to justify your response in the comments here.

sigh...

...oh well. I've updated the coutdown to my new guess: Thursday at 11pm.

Due Date With Nothing to Do

Just came from the doctor and despite my getting my (and Martin's and Mom's and ...) hopes up with talks of cramping and possible contractions, she says I still don't look close. Darn that cervix anyway!

I have an appointment to see her a week from Wednesday, and we'll talk inducing then (if need be). In the meantime, at least I'm still feeling good, and the baby's heartbeat sounds wonderful (we'll do a test at the end of the week to make sure Baby's still holding up well).

Baby has taken to banging against my hipbone, which is a strange sensation indeed. (S)He seems to have mostly abandoned the previous favorite plaything: my bladder. I told Martin my million-dollar idea is to create a newborn toy that's shaped and feels like a bladder. All babies would ADORE it, I feel certain.

There's another new belly picture posted over in the Recent Pictures. Doesn't look much different to me. Of course, the picture's taken from farther away, so maybe it's an optical illusion....

We'll keep you posted. If possible, we'll blog before we leave for the hospital -- whenever that might be.

Just 'cause there are no posts...

...doesn't me there is a baby. We're just in a holding pattern now. We'll likely post more before the baby's born, but the only sure sign he/she's here is when we post "Welcome, baby X!" So don't read too much into the gaps between posts.

I made a small change to the countdown to the left. It now counts down to 11am on Monday, which is my guess of when the baby will appear.

Ahhhhhh

Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I slept last night for almost NINE hours (minus a few pee breaks). What you don't understand is it has been at least a month since I've slept continuously through the night. I woke up this morning feeling like a new woman.

I like to think of it as a gift from Baby, who knows I won't be sleeping much when (s)he gets here. Thanks, Baby! And now your second gift can be to get here ASAP.

The worst part of pregnancy...

...has got to be these (hopefully) last few days. Everything's ready but we've got no baby and nothing to do but wait and wonder when the baby's going to get here. Could be today, could be tomorrow, could be two weeks from now. Sigh.

No baby now, either

Title says it all.

Still no baby

That is all.

Our Three ... Sons?

Isn't this picture of my three children beautiful? I suspect our human child will be slightly less hairy than his/her siblings, but if Martin's online poll is correct -- Baby will be of the male persuasion just like his feline brothers. I can't wait to see what kind of big brothers Nub and Seven are to the new kitten--if they notice the new critter at all.

If you haven' t taken the poll yet, it's on the lefthand side of the screen; just scroll down a little if you don't see it. So far, boy is in the lead. No surprise, since most everyone seems to guess boy after a look at how I'm carrying.

And while I wish I had more news, there's not much to tell. I just came from my weekly checkup, and things haven't progressed at all past last visit (which was only last Thursday, after all). The doctor said the baby's head is positioned beautifully and that Baby's growing nicely. Baby has also done a big ole flippity-flop since last visit and is now visiting the other side of my belly (but still head-down and all good to go).

Next visit is my due date: Monday, Sept. 25. Let's hope I won't need that appointment at all!

When in doubt, turn to statistics

So, clearly, Kerri and I are dying for the baby to be born. But the doctor's hinting that the babies not coming anytime soon. And yet...modern science said that the due date is September 25th. That means we'll have a baby by the 25th at the latest, right?

Wrong, According to an article in Seminars in Perinatology. Kerri's about dead center in the 38th week of pregnancy now. According to the article, even at the end of the 39th week, there's still about a 37% chance the baby won't be here. And there's a six percent chance he/she won't be here well into October. Now, anyone who knows me knows I tend to discount the "genes cause x behavior" arguments that are so popular these days. But I tend to be early for events, Kerri late. So just in case genes do play a role, let's hope baby gets my "early/late" gene.

Won't You Come Home, Baby Barron?

Just came from the doctor, and while she threw me a little bone ("Well, you might be about a half-centimeter," she said in a doubtful tone), it doesn't look like Baby Barron is coming home to roost any day soon (although as we all know -- who can say?). So we'll just sit back and enjoy this lovely cold that my husband so kindly passed along to me and hope I feel better when the big day hits.

And while I know it's not nearly as cute as a picture of a wrinkly, mucousy newborn baby, you can check out my most recent belly pic. Holy Hosanna, that's a belly! Scroll down on the Recent Pictures area to make a comparison to the last photo. Yowza.

Speaking of Stephon Hendrix Louis-Jean

Speaking of oddball names, I'm curious if people have ideas for what we will or should name our baby? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

"We" can beat that...

Seen around the web today:

Michels gave birth to a 14-pound, 13-ounce boy Tuesday at William W. Backus Hospital.

Backus officials said the newborn -- Stephon Hendrix Louis-Jean -- broke the 18-year record for the biggest baby ever born at the hospital by 1 pound, 13 ounces. He was nearly 23 inches long.

I think we can do better.

Suggestions for Music to Labor By

Still no baby news--aside from the fact that the little cuss is kicking up a storm and moving here, there, everywhere. Yesterday was a particularly active day. Baby even wiggled his/her toes at one point, which was the first time I'd felt that. It was like a little butterfly tickling my tummy.

So Martin and I are mostly prepped and ready to go. We finished packing the bag this morning and are ready to start burning CDs to listen to whilst producing life. I'd like some suggestions for any good songs; we need high-energy music as well as more mellow tunes. They don't need to be birth-themed (like Salt-n-Pepa's "Push It"), but you can go that direction if you'd like.

Any help?

T-minus 18days, 11 hours...

I made a few small changes to the site yesterday, adding a countdown and separating the pictures slideshows from the recent photos because we'd discovered some people didn't realize there were different pictures under the slideshow link. While making those changes, I happened to open the site in Internet Explorer (I use Firefox, as should you) and realized that the site looked awful in IE. IE has some quirks in how it renders pages written in CSS and I apparently hit them all. Needless to say, I now understand some of the comments I'd gotten about the site a little better. "Yeah, Martin, the site looks greaaaaat...".

Oh well, Just another in entry to my long list of "never trust Microsoft" life-lessons.

Oh, and no baby yet.

Getting Ready for Y2Baby

Recently, bunker mentality has overtaken me and so I spent this labor day stocking the pantry as if tomorrow I would wake up to find the streets overflowing with zombies (though I left screwdrivers--the zombie killers best friend--off the shopping list).

But what was on the shopping list included the ingredients to make a couple gallons of a super soup (ironically called "Super Soup"), spinach lasagna, and enough Diet Coke to sink a battleship. And next weekend we make more freezer-ready dishes. Basically, I'm assuming that once baby gets here, Kerri and I will become shut-in's, incapable of doing more than staggering to the freezer and popping pre-portioned containers of soup or lasagna into the microwave.

Now, of course, this is a bit over-the-top. But, my reasoning is, there are a myriad of things that I think I'm probably prepared for but am really not (you have to change baby's diaper what, twice a day?) and another myriad of things I no doubt haven't anticipated at all. So, those things that I can anticipate (e.g. our need to eat) we might as well take care of now. Hence, by the time baby gets here, I plan on having provisioned enough grub so that Kerri, I, and the baby can easily survive alone for at least a year (or however long it takes a scrappy band of misfits to overthrow the zombie hoards and rescue us.)

And It Burns, Burns, Burns...

"Ring of Fire" has been going through my head a lot lately--and not just because the song really kicks butt. No, it's been endlessly circling in my mind because this @#$%# heartburn is never-freaking-ending. And it burns, baby, it burns.

So now, in addition to really, really, REALLY looking forward to meeting Baby, I have the added bonus of looking forward to the (hopeful) end of my own personal Ring of Fire. Outside of meeting the little Booger, I thought the thing I was looking forward to the most post-pregnancy was sleeping on my back again. Now I'm torn between looking forward to that and to not have a trail of lava blazing up my throat every second of the day.

So if you have any suggestions, I'm ready to listen. Only I'm not a very good patient. For example, I still go ahead and eat stuff I know I shouldn't. But--honestly--I got heartburn yesterday after drinking a glass of water. Seriously. Good ole H2O. So I could try eating boiled chicken every day for the next month, or I could go ahead and eat that piece of pizza. Can you blame me?

Nub Loves His New Room

When I went in to take pictures of the baby's room today to go with yesterday's post, our cat Nub followed me in and (as usual) very vocally thanked me for making the room look so purty. You see, Baby's room was Nub's room when we first got him this summer and had to keep him separated from our other cat Seven. Martin and I are now convinced that Nub thinks the room was fixed up just for him.

And as you can see, this isn't the only baby thing that Nub believes to be his own. Poor Nubby has some adjusting to do come September!

The Room's Ready ... and We're REALLY Ready

Ta-dah! Here it is -- our beautiful baby's beautiful room. I can't believe how well it all came together. And with just mere months of hard labor, too.

In all honesty, Martin did most of that hard labor. I'm saving my labor for, you know, the actual birthing labor part. That's enough of a contribution, I think.

One Month To Go...

The clock is ticking. As of today, we've only got one month until the official due date.

It's hard to believe that it has been eight months since Kerri crawled into bed, woke me up (the nerve!) and told me I was going to be a daddy. The excitement I felt then was indescribable and amazingly, it's only grown since (interspersed with brief--but sharp--periods of sheer terror).

Kerri and I are going away this weekend for a "last hurrah" before the baby comes, but check back soon as the next message could well be "The baby's here!"