The more things change...

1973

2007

Super Daddy!

Greetings from the sleep-deprived land of infancy! Ahhhh -- it seems like just last year Martin and I were visiting this territory. Oh, wait: It was last year.

Emma is so far an absolute doll -- a real cuddle-bug. I know we're still firmly in "honeymoon" phase with her, but you have to understand that Libby had no honeymoon phase at all. Straight to feistiness and frustration-inducing-ness. I keep saying to my mom, "Do you think something's wrong with Emma? She's so quiet and sleepy." Mom just laughs. Who knew infants were like this?!

I would write more about the labor, but it's old news now anyway (thank God). I'm trying to get past daily reliving the feeling of for days on end of just wanting to die from the pain and then the two-hour surgery of me actually having a few terrifying moments of thinking I might possibly really die or something nutty like that. Shudder. Moving on.

Anyway, because of the C-section, I can't lift Libby or hold her while standing. Martin and my parents have taken up the slack with Martin really pulling a super-dad routine and pretty much having Libby attached to his side every waking minute. He's a rock star.



Thanks so much to all of you for your loving e-mails and posts and phone calls and cards. We're lucky to have so many caring and wonderful people in our lives.

More Pics of Emma and Family

As promised, new pics. Now it's back to the hospital. More later.

Introducing Emma Kennedy Barron

After a couple false starts, a painful Saturday of back spasms, a drive to the hospital in a blizzard, oh, let's call it 14 hours of labor, and throw in a 2 hour c-section procedure, Emma Kennedy Barron joined the vital statistics rolls at 12:19pm on December 16th. She weighted in a 7lbs 13 oz. She's got an incredibly shock of brown hair (that I somehow didn't adequatley capture on film...to be rectified soon).







Mother and baby are doing great. Dad's a wreck...

...Big Sister isn't sure what to make of this startling development.

Another update

Saturday night and we're home without a baby yet. It's been a tough couple of days for Kerri. She experiencing horrible back spasms but really hasn't entered labor yet (though I'd argue the point with any doctor who wants to tell me what she's doing isn't "labor"). Bottom line, no movement yet. We'll keep everyone posted and please send good vibes Kerri's way.

Errrrr. Never mind.

Well, we're back from the hospital. With no baby. But I do have a prescription of sleeping pills and a renewed faith that perhaps I can survive another day.

I shan't post another entry until the new baby is in kindergarten. Maybe by then I'll be convinced that Baby really is going to come out someday.

Here Comes Da Baby ...

... only not exactly how I'd hoped. After another largely sleepless night of off-and-on contractions and then a 4 am period of regular contractions that once again fizzled out, I decided that perhaps for my sanity it was time to just go for the C-section and not try the VBAC route after all.

So unless we get to the hospital and they say something like, "My God, woman! You're already at 8 centimeters. I've never seen anything like it!", we will most likely have a baby by this afternoon!

A Baby! By this afternoon! The mind boggles.

We'll keep you all updated and try to post pix soon. :-)

Sigh. False Alarm ... Maybe

I posted that first message after two freakin' hours of solid, every-five-minutes labor, for Pete's sake. And, then, just pffffttt. Bummer. I still have a contraction every once in a while, but they're pretty few and far between. Let's hope for better luck soon (like get-a-good-night's-sleep-and-start-fresh-in-the-morning soon)!

I blame Anna Karenina. I'm 100 pages (100 loooong pages) from finishing, and I think Baby knows that if I don't finish it pre-newborn, I just never will. It's all your fault, Susan, for picking it for book club!

In the meantime, you'll just have to appease yourselves with these adorable Libby pictures.

Libby meets Santa and proves to be very shy.

Thanks, Yiayia, for the beautiful overalls!

still nothing

Just back from lunch and a walk around target. Her contractions have slowed.

Still looks like maybe

at 8:30am (Central) we're still at home. Her contractions have slowed somewhat so I'm guessing we won't head to the hospital till this afternoon. Kerri's getting some much needed sleep (now if only Libby would do the same!)

We'll keep you posted.

Looks Like It's Time ... Maybe?

So I'm confident enough that I'm in labor that I called Grandma and Grandpa K at 5 am their time and told them to hit the road so they can come watch Libby. Time to meet you, BBPD! An early birthday present for Joanna and Martin (the 16th and 18th, respectively).

I woke up at 1:44 with a terrible charlie horse pain in my ab muscle (something that's been plaguing me for a couple of weeks) and then things just seemed not right. My water breaking? Cramping? Wishful thinking? Who knew? So I called G&G to put them on notice and woke Martin to give him a little warning. I don't know about G&G, but Martin was back to sleep in about five minutes with a mumbled, "OK. OK."

Meanwhile, I sat here awake and answered some e-mails, read Libby's sitter's college research paper, and generally stewed and fretted. Baby kept me company by squirming every once in a while. Needless to say, I knew I should try to get sleep, but I was just too excited. Oh, well.

So here we sit, timing contractions and wondering what kind of a new little life it is that we're about to meet -- boy, girl? another stubborn stinker who takes the world by storm? a calm little observer who will take it all in? Tune in to find out!

Cutie Patootie

This isn't the best picture to show off how cute Libby looked in this outfit, but oh well. The dress is courtesy Grandma B, and it is freakin' adorable. The cowboy boots are courtesy Aunt Kandi and family. They were the perfect way to complete the ensemb. Thanks, guys!

BBPD News: There is no news. Sigh. Oh, wait! Maybe there is news! Does being so large you're afraid you won't fit through doorways anymore count as news?