Taking our Snowbaby Home!

Friday morning at 7:00, Rudy got up and got dressed, then went down to the cafeteria to get breakfast. I tried to go back to sleep, but couldn't, so I got dressed and waited for the nursery staff to bring Nola in. Dr. Engemann was the pediatrician on call, so he came by to see her. He told us that she looked a little bit jaundiced, so he was checking that before he would discharge her. The good news: her oxygen level stayed great through the night, so there was no longer a concern for her breathing! (We still have to watch her for it, though. It's not cleared up - it's just not significant enough to warrant any more time in the hospital.) If the bilirubin test came back okay, we could go home!!!

It was mid-morning before we saw Nola, but we got word that everything was fine and we'd be headed home soon. Hallelujah!!! We then waited for our discharge papers with as much patience as possible.

Rudy started loading the car and working on getting it de-iced. It had iced and snowed all night long and the snow was falling so hard that visibility was limited from our window. It took him over and hour and a half to get the car cleaned off and warmed up. We were a little nervous about the roads between the hospital and home, but we were determined to make it - even if it meant driving 2 mph all the way home. Fortunately, it's a short trip - only about 3 miles. Rudy brought the car seat carrier and the stroller up to the room to warm up. I sat and held Nola for what seemed like forever and finally put her in the bassinet and pushed her down the hall to find a nurse. I asked if the nurse would please check on our discharge status. I took Nola for a little stroll down the hall and on my way back down, we saw the nurse with our papers in her hand! We were finally going home.

When I got back to the room, Rudy was there with one of our associate pastors who had come by to congratulate us and pray with us. I visited with her while Rudy got the discharge instructions from the nurse. The nurse cut the security bracelets off and we were free to go!

Once all of that was done, we got Nola dressed, put her in the carseat, snapped the seat into the stroller and we were out of there!!! It was snowing so hard, so we bundled Nola under her Razorback blanket and just had to stop to take some pictures on the way out so we could document the snow on the day we took her home.

We left the hospital at 12:15 and the roads were surprisingly okay. They were snow covered, but not too bad, so we made it home in 15 minutes. When we pulled in the driveway, we were greeted with Caleb standing in the front window waving like his arm was going to fall off! He was beside himself with excitement! Mom, Mr. L. and Caleb met us in the garage and helped get everything in the house - including Nola. Baby Girl was home safe and sound.

We spent the rest of the day watching the snow, settling in and passing Nola from one person's arms to the next. Rudy and Mr. L. took Caleb out to play in the snow for a little bit and Rudy shoveled a path in the driveway. Mom made dinner for us and everybody but Nola and me crashed out pretty early. I stayed up to do a late feeding before hitting the bed myself - where I slept on my stomach for the first time in months and loved it! Nola slept in the pack & play beside our bed. Caleb insisted on sleeping in a sleeping bag on the other side, which was fine since Mom and Mr. L were in his bed.

Nola woke up at 1:45 for a feeding and then not again until 6:00. I was so excited! She actually slept for 4 hours straight on her first night home. She's eating about 2 ounces every feeding, which she typically takes about every 2 hours. Sometimes she gets hungry a little earlier and sometimes she sleeps a little longer, but she doesn't vary too much from her schedule.

Speaking of Caleb - everyone wants to know how he's doing with the transition. We've had a few rocky moments, but for the most part, he has been great. He's getting plenty of attention and giving plenty of attention to Nola. He brings her toys and shows her his funny faces and talks to her all the time. I was holding her at one point and he came over and shook her hand and said, "Nice to meet you, Nola Mae." I cracked up at him! (He also told her that he liked the "coconuts" on her clothes. It took us a few minutes to realize that he was trying to say "polka dots." ) Caleb really likes to help with his new little sister and wants to be a part of everything. He gets sad when he can't help, which amazes me. To top it all off, he's still taking pictures with his new camera that Nola brought him. He will hardly let us take a picture of him, because when we get the camera out, he goes to get his.

It is so good to have my complete family at home. (Having my parents here too is a great bonus.) I love the fact that my husband, son, daughter and I are sleeping under the same roof. We are so blessed to have heat and food and shelter in this snowstorm, but most of all, blessed to have each other.

Going Home? Not So Fast...

I woke up bright and early on Thursday morning, ready to see my new baby girl and hoping to go home from the hospital. I texted Rudy and Mom and let them know that I was up and they were welcome to come up whenever they were ready, then I called the nurse and asked how long it would be before Nola was brought back to my room. She told me that the nursery staff was working with her and she'd be down as soon as they were finished. I watched a little TV and freshened up. Dr. Ford came by to check on me and told me that she had signed my discharge paperwork and I could go home when I was ready. My expectation was that we would go home as soon as Nola hit the 24 hour mark and passed her bilirubin and PKU tests. I was fully expecting to get out of there before the snowstorm hit and could not wait to do so.

It wasn't long before my nurse (who I happened to know from working with her child) came in to see me and the on-call pediatrician was with her. I could tell immediately that something was up and my heart jumped into my throat. Dr. Hill explained to me that overnight, the nurses noticed that Nola had some stridor to her cries. When she came in that morning, they brought it to her attention and she agreed that something wasn't "quite right." She took a look in Nola's throat and noticed that something was askew with her vocal folds and that it might be laryngomalacia. She told me that she had called Dr. Black, who was the ENT on call. He would be there soon and would take a closer look and let us know what he found. She told me not to worry and that they would let me know something as soon as they could. When they turned to leave the room, my nurse stopped to make sure I was okay, and I could only nod.

I immediately called Rudy and told him that I needed him to get there as soon as he could. That's when I cried.

Rudy got there pretty quickly. He was on his way to the hospital from dropping Caleb off at school when I called and he said that he instinctively hit the gas pedal a little harder when he hung up the phone. Mom wasn't far behind him and I hadn't even told her that anything was going on. She had stopped at Target to get some thank you gifts (mugs & hot chocolate) for my fabulous team of nurses from delivery and postpartum.

I filled both of them in on what little I knew and we all waited anxiously to hear from the doctors. After what seemed like an eternity, Dr. Hill and Dr. Black came to our room. Dr. Black told me that he had done a laryngoscopy on Nola (which I cannot even imagine with her tiny little passageways) and that she definitely does have laryngomalacia, but that it is mild. He explained exactly what the diagnosis is and what it means, which was a little easier for me to understand because I know the anatomy of the larynx due to being an SLP. (After he left, I put it in regular terms for the rest of the family.) The abnormality is small and only on the right vocal fold. There is a small flap that shouldn't be there, but it will likely go away on its own relatively quickly. He said that she would be put on a pulse-ox monitor to make sure she's getting enough oxygen and that she would need to stay overnight in the nursery. He didn't feel like we would need to even follow-up with him, but said that he would like to see us in 4-6 weeks if she's still having any signs of stridor.

When the doctors left, I processed the mixed emotions I was feeling - stress, fear, relief, confusion and a general feeling of being unsettled. Things weren't as planned. My expectations weren't being met. But, yet - it could have been so much worse. Fortunately, I know someone else who has recently had a baby with the same condition and she's doing great. She has had some reflux difficulties, but is otherwise healthy.

In my typical fashion, I kicked into planning mode. I was being discharged from the hospital, but Nola wasn't. I wasn't about to leave her there alone overnight, but I wasn't sure how that would work. We were given a courtesy room to stay in overnight so we had a place to sleep, but the details had to be determined. Rudy decided that he wanted to stay too, especially since the weather forecasters were promising us anywhere from 4 to 10 inches of snow, preceded by 1-2 inches of ice. He couldn't leave us there without a way to get home and with the possibility of power outages, etc. We finally decided that I would go home with Mom & Mr. L. to take a shower and repack my bag.

Eventually, the nurse from the nursery brought Nola into the room. I was so glad to see her, but hated to see that she was attached to a monitor. When I woke up that morning, I never thought I'd see that. That monitor was obnoxious too. It went off everytime we moved her. The nurses just told us to turn off the alarm when it sounded. Um...so what was the point of her having it?

Once we got moved to the courtesy room, I was ready to make a quick trip home. Rudy stayed at the hospital with Nola and they enjoyed some quiet time together. Mom and I went home and met Mr. L., who was working on putting together a gas heater that he had bought for us in case we lost power. (Thanks, Mr. L!) I took a shower, redressed, repacked and ate a quick bite, then we all went to get Caleb from daycare. Everyone at Caleb's daycare was shocked to see me walk through the door, but I felt fine and wanted Caleb to see me up and around to ease his mind. We took him to the hospital with us and he was so excited to see Nola.

When we got there, Rudy gathered his things and ran home to get a bag together and find some de-icer so we'd be able to get out the next morning if we got to go home.

Caleb asked me if he could hold Nola. I decided there was no time better than the present to let him, so we got him settled in the chair and put the boppy pillow around his waist. I put her in his lap and he did exactly what we had taught him to do. It was one of the best moments of my life. I grabbed the camera and took some pictures and they turned out better than I could've asked for:

My friend and co-worker, Margaret, came by to see us since she was at the hospital to visit a family member. Unfortunately, while she was there, things got a little chaotic. Caleb started throwing a fit and then the nurse came in to take Nola to the nursery.

Mom, Mr. L, Caleb and I waited in the room for Rudy to get back and for the nursery to bring Nola back. Once Nola was back, Caleb climbed up on the bed where I was holding her. She was getting fussy and it worried him. He leaned in to her and started singing so sweetly, "Lullaby and goodnight, go to sleep, little Nola..." It was absolutely precious. He kissed her and stroked her head and was just so incredibly sweet. When he talks to her, he uses this soft little voice and you can just see the love in his eyes. I'm going to cherish that now, because I know the time will come when he wants her to just go away.

Mom, Mr. L and Caleb went home for dinner and playtime. Rudy came back bearing dinner, a change of clothes and de-icer. We were set for the night. It wasn't long before we started hearing the sleet hit the window. We took turns holding Nola while we watched TV and watched the cars make their attempts to get up the onramp that was getting slicker and slicker. By the time the Hogs basketball game started at 8:00, everything outside was coated in white. Nola slept through her first Razorback game in her daddy's arms.

When the nursery nurse came to get Nola for the night, Rudy and I got ready for bed. Rudy had the pleasure of sleeping on a fold-out chair and I got the hospital bed. It was a long night and neither of us slept much. I tried to sleep, but had so much running through my head that I couldn't fall asleep until 4:00! Rudy took an ambien, so he slept, but the discomfort of the bed meant that he didn't sleep well. It was a long night.

Nola's Birthday

Labor & Delivery Summary...

I was induced for labor at 6:00 on Wednesday morning. Rudy was by my side and my mom was in the delivery room when Nola Mae Villines was born at 1:24 PM on January 27, 2010. She weighed 7 lbs, 12 ozs and measured 21 inches long. She had a head full of dark hair.

More of the story...

Originally, Mom said she absolutely did not want to be in the delivery room. She wasn't sure she could handle seeing me in so much pain and not being able to help me. As the morning went on, she began to change her mind about staying. After lunch, she decided that she thought she could handle it and wanted to be there when Nola was born. When it was all said and done, she was glad that she did. She didn't want to watch the actual delivery, but was there to support me and to hear Nola's first cries.

Jan arrived at the hospital as I was delivering Nola. She waited in the waiting room until the medical procedures were finished and we were ready for her to come in, and then she joined us in the delivery room. Mr. L. got there right after that and joined us as well.

Rudy did a great job taking pictures after delivery. We all laughed at ourselves as the next several minutes were spent sending texts and taking pictures on cameras and camera phones. Modern technology in the delivery room. Everybody had a phone in their hands - sharing the good news with someone who cares about our new addition to the family.

Just a little over 45 minutes after Nola was born, she was taken to the nursery for more procedures. There were some routine things to do and we were told that she needed to be checked out closely because her cries had a wet quality to them due to her quick delivery not giving her time to get the amniotic fluid out of her airways.

After Nola was taken to the nursery, I was moved to a postpartum room for the night. We got settled into the new room and waited for Nola to be brought back to us. It took what seemed like an eternity. She was gone for about 2 hours. I was told that it took so long because there were so many babies in the nursery and the nurses had a shift change while she was in there.

Caleb meets Nola for the first time...

Rudy and Mr. L. went to get Caleb from daycare at about 4:15. We decided that we wanted to video his first reaction to her, so when they got back, Mr. L. stayed in the hallway with him and Rudy came in the room to get the camera ready. Mom took pictures with her camera and Rudy shot video, so we got both mediums.

Caleb entered the room very cautiously, as he usually does in new situations. He smiled with excitement, but wasn't quite sure what to do. I encouraged him to come around to the bed to see me. He did and seemed a little worried about me being in the hospital bed. I still had an IV in my hand and that distracted him some. I assured him that it was okay - just for medicine. He gradually became more curious about Nola and finally got close enough to the bed to see her. I invited him to sit by me and he did. He didn't touch her until I told him it was okay. After a few minutes, he got down and stood behind Rudy's leg, peering around at Nola in my arms. He was quiet and reserved - a side we only see when Caleb is unsure of a situation. I knew it was time to entice him and let him know that it was all going to be okay. I told him that Nola had brought him a present. His eyes got big and he grinned ear to ear. I told him that she knew that lots of people would be taking pictures when she was born and she wanted him to be able to take pictures too. We gave Caleb his kid-tough digital camera "from Nola" and that's when he started to come out of his shell. I showed him how to hold it and take pictures. He took several pictures of Mr. L. and Rudy and then decided he would take some of Nola.

He took pictures of her face and her hands. I asked him if he would like to see how tiny her feet are and he giggled. I unwrapped her blanket and he touched and took pictures of her feet. He finally got comfortable with her and told me, "I like her knees." I'm not sure why he chose her knees as his favorite part, but I love that he was so sweet about it. He touched her so softly and looked at her and then decided that he liked her knees. That's my Caleb.

Mom and Mr. L. took Caleb out for pizza and then came back to the hospital to say goodnight. Caleb was much more at ease after dinner and took lots more pictures of Nola. I can't wait to get those on my computer to see just what they look like! We had to remind him several times not to take pictures so close to her because the flash would hurt her eyes.

After a while, it was time for Mom and Mr. L.. to Caleb home for the night. He gave Rudy and I a kiss and then gently kissed Nola on the forehead. He was a little worried about leaving us, but was fine once he realized that Rudy would be home later.

Our first visitors...

Rudy stayed at the hospital with Nola and me until Leslie got there and then he could hardly keep his eyes open, so he went home for a good night's sleep. Les was thrilled to get a chance to feed Nola a bottle. She and I visited for a while, then Stacy joined us and we all shared our labor stories - as moms do in situations like this. After Les headed home, Stacy stayed a while longer and kept me company until about 9:15. It was so sweet of my friends to come and share a little bit of our wonderful day with us.

Just me and my girl...

After Stacy left, I had some time to spend with Nola on my own for the first time. I talked to her and changed her diaper. I took some pictures of her as she slept and then turned the lights off in the room and just held her for about 30 minutes. Those peaceful moments alone with her were priceless.

The end of a very long day...

Shortly after 10:00, the infant nurse came in to check on us and I decided it was time to send Nola to the nursery for the night. I had the option of keeping her in the room, but decided against it since it is still so difficult for me to get in and out of bed to take care of her. Plus - I really needed to get some sleep. I had slept for 3 hours at the most the night before, then delivered a baby. I was nearly exhausted and my mind was racing. I kissed my girl goodnight and sent her off in capable hands to be cared for overnight. I put on my pajamas, brushed my teeth and got ready for bed. A few minutes later, my nurse came in to check on me and I asked for something to help me sleep. I knew I would need something to calm me down. She brought me an ambien and I had to take it in her presence. When she left, I tried to work on uploading pictures but quickly found myself waking up from sleep. I turned off the computer and called it a night.

Bringing Nola Into the World

This is the very honest story of my labor and delivery with Nola. I'm writing it 36 hours later to remember what happened without the fog of time. I did this with Caleb and when I read the story now (almost 4 years later), I'm amazed at how much I've forgotten about the details. I'm so glad I wrote it all down. I never want to forget the details - good or bad - of bringing my children into the world and this blog serves as my journal for remembering the details of our lives. So, if you're squeamish about pain and childbirth or just don't really want to know all the details - I'd suggest that you skip this post.

After a long, almost sleepless night on Tuesday, I got in the shower at 4:30 AM on Wednesday. Because I'm a person who likes to remember details, it seemed that everything I did getting ready was "the last time I'll ever have to do this pregnant." (That was especially exciting when it came to shaving my legs in the shower.) By 5:45, Rudy and I were walking out the door. I stuck my head in Caleb's room and whispered a quick goodbye to Mom and Mr.L. who were sleeping with him. Mom jumped up and gave me a hug, Mr. L. wished us well, but Caleb never stirred.

Rudy and I made it to the hospital right at 6:00 and were sent straight up to the labor and delivery floor, where the nurses were waiting for us in room 535. After taking this picture:

I was sent to the bathroom to put on a hospital gown. As soon as I came back out, I was put in a bed and strapped to some external monitors. My vitals were taken and my blood pressure was higher than it has ever been! The nurses took all of my information and I signed all of the necessary paperwork. At about 6:30, they put in my IV and started my pitocin drip. The nurses' shift change was at 7:00, so I got two new nurses (Kerri and Laura) and I was so pleased that they were incredibly nice and helpful. I firmly believe that nurses can make all the difference in your labor and delivery experience!

As the pitocin started to do its job, I started to feel contractions and they were showing up on the monitors as being 3 minutes apart and regular. I was dilated to 3 cms and I wasn't really all that uncomfortable, so I decided to wait a little while to get my epidural. That's pretty funny to me now, considering that I have been so uncomfortable for the past several weeks (months?) and have joked about getting the epidural as early as 30 weeks. My reasoning for waiting was that I hate to feel "trapped." Once that epidural is in place, you're stuck in the bed, no matter what - can't walk, can't go to the bathroom, can't even move around in bed without help. So, I wanted to wait until I needed it before I got it.

At 8:30, Dr. Ford came in to check on me and break my water to get things moving along. Nola was still really high up, so it was difficult and very painful for the doctor reach the right spot. She kept apologizing and I just kept trying to breathe through it - wondering why I didn't have the foresight to get my epidural prior to that. I had no idea how badly that part would hurt. I knew that as soon as my water broke, the contractions would get stronger, so I went ahead and asked for my epidural to be ordered. The nurses contacted the anesthesiologist and he was on his way. By the time he got there, I was certainly glad to see him! My contractions progressed quickly after my water was broken and I was really starting to feel some pain.

I sat up and got into position for the insertion of the epidural - sitting on the bed with my feet in a chair and Rudy sitting on top of my feet. I curled over Rudy's shoulders and was told to relax as much as possible. This was a difficult task considering I was supposed to be curled into a ball, but still had a full term baby belly in my lap. When the anesthesiologist started inserting the epidural, I nearly fainted. I know that people say you forget the pain of childbirth over time, but I most definitely don't remember that getting my epidural hurt that bad the last time. As a matter of fact, I remember being terrified of the process and it being pleasantly surprised that it really didn't hurt so much - considering that it involves putting something into your spine. This experience was a whole different ballgame and it was horrible. Rudy tried to help me by telling me what a good job I was doing, but I could hardly hear his words through my stress. At one point, I broke into tears and I know that I yelled out loud at least once. I know this because it just so happened that my parents showed up at that exact moment and it nearly scared my mom half to death when she got to the door and heard me yell. My nurse, Kerri, was right there at the door to ask them to wait in the waiting room for a few minutes until we were finished with the epidural. By the time the anesthesiologist got the epidural in place and I was back in the bed, I was exhausted. It took him approximately 10 minutes (according to Rudy), but it felt more like an hour. You would think that a process that was that taxing would result in a perfect epidural, but it didn't. More on that as I go along.

By 9:30, the epidural process was complete and I laid back in bed and felt the numbness start to settle into my toes. That was about as far as the numbness went. I no longer felt the severity of the contractions, but I certainly didn't have the numb sensation that I remembered from my previous epidural. For some reason, there was a significant pain in the lower left side of my back - approximately where I've felt kidney pain before - that just wouldn't go away and actually still feels very tender and sore today. That pain got more intense as time went on when one of my nurses came in to check on me, I told her about it. She rolled me to my left side to allow gravity to help the epidural work on that side and while that helped with that particular pain, it increased the pain on my right. I was told to use the push button for the epidural as much as I needed to and that the nurses would call anesthesia for them to come up and give me another dosage, but that it might be a while before they got there.

Mom came in to the room a short time after my epidural was done. She and Rudy and I talked and watched a little TV to pass the time. I entertained myself by playing on my phone - reading Facebook posts and texting with some friends who thought it was hilarious that I was texting them while I was in labor.

At 11:15, I was determined to be 5 cms dilated and 90% effaced. A different anesthesiologist showed up than the one who put my epidural in and he put in an extra dose of medicine. After about 10 minutes, my legs were completely numb and I wasn't feeling anything more than slight pressure with each contraction. I was indefinitely relieved.

At 12:30, I measured 8 cms and was 100% effaced. Nola was still a little high up, but the nurses paged Dr. Ford anyway, knowing that it would take her a little while to get over to the hospital from her office. After that, my pain increased quickly and dramatically. I went from 8 cms to 10 cms within a matter of minutes. I could only moderately feel the abdominal pressure of the contractions, but the pelvic pressure with each contraction - and even between contractions - was excruciating. I told my nurses that I was feeling the need to push, but they told me not to because the contractions needed to do the work for me to get Nola far enough down that I wouldn't have to push for so long. Rudy and Mom took turns holding my hand and saying the things that they could say to try to ease my pain. When I couldn't hold their hands, I held onto the bedrail, trying to remind myself to breathe. I watched the nurses working in the room, getting the equipment ready for Nola's delivery. I found some solace in knowing that it would be over soon and she would be laying in that bassinet, being weighed and measured. I just wasn't sure how long it would be.

Finally, Dr. Ford came in and my legs were placed in the stirrups. Rudy took his place on my right side and held my hand. Mom stayed behind him - part of the experience, but not wanting to be in the way or intrusive. Dr. Ford gave me the green light to push and I gladly complied. After the first push, I was surprised to hear her say, "one more good push and we'll have a baby." With the next contraction, I pushed with all my might and heard the beautiful sound of my baby's first cry. At 1:24 PM, with the 3rd and final push, Nola's body emerged and she was placed on a warm towel on my stomach. My heart soared. The pain was all worth it.

Every second of the pregnancy, the epidural, the labor - they were all worth it to hear and see that beautiful baby girl.

Rudy cut the cord and the nurses took Nola to the other side of the room to be cleaned up, weighed, measured and footprinted. She cried and cried and I listened to each cry as Dr. Ford completed the delivery and stitched my episiotomy. I looked up to see that Rudy and Mom were both wiping away tears and I felt like I had given them the best gift I could ever give them - for the second time.

Nola Mae Villines was born at 1:24 PM on January 27, 2010. She weighed 7 pounds, 12 ounces and was 21 inches long.

On the Eve of Something New

I went to work yesterday trying to be tough. I was determined to at least give it a shot. I made it half of the day before I had to go home. I just felt too run-down and too miserable to try to traipse up and down the halls to see my kids for therapy. I came home and slept like a log most of the afternoon. When Rudy got home, I told him that I thought yesterday was the official beginning of my maternity leave. I was disappointed and frustrated not to be able to work right up to delivery like I did with Caleb, but then reminded myself over and over that I'm 4 years older now and have a more strenuous job. I came to terms with the idea of not being able to go back to work and having to give up some of my days with Nola on the front end of my leave.

I didn't even try to go to work today. I actually called yesterday and had my OB appointment rescheduled for the morning because there was no point in waiting until 3:45. So, this morning Caleb crawled in bed with me and just as I was about to get up and get in the shower, he asked me to snuggle with him - and I did. We snuggled for a while watching cartoons until he started to get a little rambunctious and the snuggling was over. He played while I got showered and dressed and then I took him to school. I stopped at Einstein's for a bagel and hot chocolate, then went to my appointment.

When Megan, Dr. Ford's nurse, came in to the room, she asked me how I was doing. I just laid it all out there. I told her about my frustration with not being able to work, my headaches, the floaters in my vision and my extreme level of exhaustion. I also confessed that I was really nervous about the winter weather that's expected for our area later this week and that if I went into labor during all of that, my parents wouldn't be able to get here to help take care of Caleb. She listened intently, took my blood pressure (which was good for a change) and went to talk to Dr. Ford. I waited and waited for Dr. Ford to come in and when she did, I spilled it all out for her again. She was very concerned about my headaches and vision problems and we also discussed the concern about the weather. She was so understanding and reassuring and really listened to what I had to say. She then did a pelvic exam, determining that I'm actually 3 cms dilated and said, "Let's make a game plan." She weighed all of the options and then said that with everything considered, she thought it would be a good idea to induce me tomorrow morning. I was somewhat shocked, but very relieved! This means that I don't have a wait and wonder anymore. I don't have to watch the weather and worry about the potential snow and ice accumulation that could stand between me and the hospital and between my parents and here. (Seriously, the weather guys are calling for anything from 2-10 inches of ice and snow!) She did want me to repeat the bloodwork that was done on Thursday night at the hospital, so she sent me to the lab and told me to wait for a call from her office to let me know when to report to the hospital tomorrow morning.

I left the office with mixed emotions:

• Holy Cow! I'm having a baby TOMORROW!
• Woo Hoo and Yay! I'm having a baby tomorrow!
• Oh, thank goodness, I'm having a baby tomorrow.
• Um...yikes. I'm having a baby tomorrow?!?

I called Rudy as soon as the bloodwork was done and told him the good news. He was so relieved and I could hear the excitement in his voice, which made me very happy. After I called him, I called Mom and told her. She and Mr. L. kicked into high gear and started getting ready to head this way. I texted several of my close friends and told them the good news. Immediately, my phone started buzzing and dinging and everyone was so excited for us. (I'm still not sure how much of the excitement is because we're having a baby and how much of the excitement is because people are tired of me complaining about being pregnant. Either way - we are all excited and I admit that I'm excited for both reasons.)

When I left the doctor's office, I headed straight for my hair salon. I managed to get an appointment for this afternoon, then came home to eat some lunch and take care of a couple of things before going back to the salon. I sent an e-mail to my co-workers letting them know the good news and thanking them for their prayers and support over the past few weeks and months. I got some very sweet e-mails in return and I will print those for Nola's baby book. I've also gotten lots of wonderful comments and messages on Facebook today. I'm going to try to find a way to preserve those too. The words of kindness from our friends and family are just too precious to let them slip away in time.

As soon as it was time for my appointment, I went to the salon to get my hair cut and colored and my eyebrows waxed. Feeling so much better after having that done, I decided to go one step further and went to get a pedicure. I decided that if my feet are going to be in the stirrups, I might as well have pretty toes. I chose a color called "Girls Just Want to Have Fun." I thought it was appropriate for the occasion!

After my pedicure, I came home and started some laundry just in time for Caleb and Rudy to get home. Rudy hadn't yet told Caleb the big news, so we sat down together with him and told him:

• Me: Caleb, do you know who is coming to see us tonight?
• Caleb: No. What?
• Me: LaLa and Pops are on their way here.
• Caleb: (completely freaking out, dancing and shrieking) YayYayYay!!!!
• Me: Caleb, do you know who is coming to see us tomorrow?
• Caleb: No. What? (still distracted by the idea of LaLa and Pops coming)
• Me: Nola. Nola is coming to meet us tomorrow. Mama and Daddy are going to go to the hospital for Nola to be born tomorrow.
• Caleb: When LaLa and Pops gonna get here?
• Me: Soon. After dinner. Did you hear me say that Nola is coming tomorrow.
• Caleb: Yep. I so excited! LaLa and Pops coming!
• Me: Yeah...me too. :)

So, maybe he doesn't really understand that his sister is coming tomorrow. He certainly doesn't understand that tonight was his last night as an only child. He just knows that LaLa and Pops are here and he's the center of the universe right this minute as he sleeps in his bed between them. He had a blast playing with Pops tonight and has already cracked them up with his sense of humor and entertainment.

Rudy, Caleb and I went to dinner at Carrabba's tonight and it was delicious as always. It was our last time to go to dinner as a "party of 3." Shortly after we got home, Mom and Mr. L. got here. I found myself scurrying around the house, not really sure what to do with myself. I couldn't figure out what needed to be done the most and what didn't need to be done at all. My mind can't quite settle on any one thing for more than a minute. I managed to get a few things done and figured out a game plan for tomorrow morning. Mom and Mr. L. are going to take Caleb to school to keep him in routine and then pick him up when we call them to say it's almost time for Nola to be born. After finally wrangling Caleb into bed and getting him calm, they have all gone to sleep. Rudy took a benadryl to make sure he gets a good night of sleep. And here I sit at 10:30...my mind still racing and my eyes wide open. I know I need to go to bed. I have to get up at 4:30 for crying out loud! I'm going to give it a shot. I'm not counting on a very restful night, though. Of course, it will be a while before I get another good night of sleep. I'm totally okay with that.

My baby girl will be here tomorrow.

Preschool Economics

Caleb and I were watching football yesterday and a car dealership commercial came on. Here's the conversation that ensued:

C: Mama, I'm gonna go buy that red car.
H: Really?
C: Yep, I'm gonna drive your car there and you're just gonna' ride.
H: How are you going to pay for it?
C: I'm going to go inside and pay for it.
H: Where will you get the money?
C: I'll take a little bit of money out of my piggy bank.
H: That's a really good plan. Did you know that the police won't let you drive until you're 16?
C: Oh, okay. I'll wait a little bit then.

By the way, he also thinks "expensive" is a bad word. If I tell him that something is expensive, he looks at me like I've dropped an f-bomb and says, "we don't say that word!" Rudy and I are pretty sure it's because "expensive" is the reason we can't buy things he asks for, but we're really not sure.

Baby Mama Drama

Jump in the pool! Look in the top right corner of my blog for the link to enter the pool for guesses on Nola's arrival. It'll be fun to see who gets closest to the right answers!

So, what has happened since the false alarm on Monday? A lot.

My co-workers at Westside gave me a shower on Wednesday afternoon. I was once again overwhelmed with everyone's generosity. We got lots of adorable clothes and some wonderful necessities, along with several of those fun little things that are perfect for celebrating babies.

I worked on Thursday and came home feeling okay, but tired after being on my feet a lot and with a little bit of a headache. I spend a lot of my time going up and down the hall at work on Thursdays, so I expected to be tired. I picked Caleb up from school and ate an early dinner in preparation for going to a meeting at church at 6:00. Rudy got home at about 5:15 and we were catching up on the day's events, when I looked down and realized how swollen my feet and ankles were.
Holy cankles, Batman!!!! I typically have pretty small ankles - I mean, you can at least see them! But - wow - that's some swelling. (You're just going to have to pardon the lack of pedicure. It's January. I keep a pedicure religiously from Easter until October.) I wondered about my blood pressure in relation to the swelling, so I used the BP monitor that I borrowed a couple of weeks ago from Stacy and checked it. Sure enough, it was elevated. I ditched the idea of going to my meeting at church and hit the couch. After about 30 minutes of rest, I took my BP again and it had gone up to 150/90. That worried me. I called our school nurse and asked her for her recommendation. She suggested that I take it about every 20-30 minutes for another hour and see what happened. If it remained elevated or went up, I should call the doctor. I got in the bed and laid on my left side as directed to try to get those numbers down. I took a reading every half hour and was anxious to see that while it did go down a little, it certainly didn't go down enough. I decided to call my doctor's office and waited for a call back from the on-call doctor (not my regular OB). An hour later, I still hadn't heard anything, so I called again. When the doctor finally called back, I gave him the BP readings and he said it wasn't too concerning. He asked if I had a headache, dizziness or blurred vision. I said yes to all 3. At that, he said I needed to go to the hospital for some bloodwork. I wasn't too excited about another false alarm trip to the hospital, but knew it was the best thing to do for Nola and for me.

Rudy called his Aunt Kathy who agreed to come over and stay with Caleb. I took a quick shower and packed my toiletry bag and when Kathy got to the house, we headed for the hospital. We got there about 10:00 and headed up to the labor & delivery floor. I was extremely frustrated when we got there because there was nobody in the hallway for us to check in with and once we did finally find someone, nobody knew what to do with us - despite the fact that the doctor had called and told them we were coming. Our experience with the hospital where Caleb was born was so great. They were so welcoming and comforting and everything was well organized. That hasn't been our experience so far with Mercy. When we got there last night, they finally put me in a room and the nurse left to find out what to do with me. She left the door open and we got to listen to another woman screaming in labor pain across the hall whose door had been left open as well. Her family (including a child) was wandering in and out of her room and staring at me as I sat on the edge of the bed in my room waiting to find out what was going to happen. When the nurse finally came back and closed the door, she hooked me up to a blood pressure monitor, couldn't get the thermometer to work, wouldn't listen to what I was telling her about why I was there and basically had no idea what was going on. She told me to give a urine sample and she left the cup in the bathroom and then left me sitting there attached to the blood pressure machine. I was not a happy camper. To make it even worse, my blood pressure read a lot lower than it had been. I certainly wouldn't have called the doctor or gone to the hospital if it had been that low at home. I was pretty sure the nurses would think I was a complete loon and/or drama queen coming in there with a BP reading like that - especially if I couldn't get anyone to listen to why I was there in the first place.

Finally, another nurse came in and made me feel a lot better. Beth was my nurse angel last night. First of all, she listened to what I had to say. Second, she assured me that I had done the right thing by coming in. She even went so far as to say that they didn't care if I came up there every day until the baby comes - as long as we're doing what will keep the baby safe and healthy. (I'm not taking her up on the offer, but it was reassuring and very kind.) She sent me into the bathroom to change into a gown and then hooked me up to the external monitors and an automatic BP cuff. Rudy sat in the chair next to me and read a magazine while texting updates to my worried mom. After a little bit, Beth came back and put in an IV and drew some blood. It was in my wrist, which was very uncomfortable, but she said it's the kind the doctor had ordered, so she had to do it. She told me to settle in and she'd be back after a bit. Around midnight, a nurse came in and told Rudy and I that the doctor was coming up to see me, but it might be a little while, so we should try to get some sleep. She wasn't able to tell us why the doctor was coming or anything about the bloodwork results. Rudy and I both tried to sleep, but it was much easier said than done. He managed a little rest, but I was attached to a BP monitor that automatically went off every 15 minutes, an external fetal monitor, an external contraction monitor (of which there were none while I was there) and had a painful IV needle in my wrist. Plus - I was laying in a labor & delivery bed, which is not made for sleeping. Oh...and I'm 38 weeks pregnant, which works against any notion of sleeping other than in a normal bed with no other distraction and about 5 pillows to prop up. I dozed a little, but certainly didn't get any rest. Each time I looked at the clock, I got a little more anxious and a little more angry that the doctor hadn't come in yet. To make matters worse, another nurse came on duty sometime during the night and was working in tandem with Beth. Lisa was NOT my nurse angel. The first thing she said to me when she came in was "do you know that they won't even consider inducing you until 39 weeks? It's a Medicaid rule." My response: "Good thing I'm not on Medicaid." Every time the door opened, I held my breath until I saw whether it was Beth or Lisa coming in. Beth would tell me that it didn't matter how I positioned myself, as long as I was comfortable. Lisa would come in an hour later and slather more ultrasound gel all over me (literally - it was even on my leg at one point!) and tell me she needed to adjust my fetal monitor and I needed to lay so that the monitor would pick up Nola's heartbeat. She kept telling me I needed to move this way and that and she wanted me to stay on my right side - even after I told her that laying on the same side for that long was quite painful. Yet another frustration...

At 5:30, Rudy got up and went home. He needed to relieve Kathy and get Caleb ready for school. At 6:00, I called my principal and told her I wouldn't be in for work. At 6:30, THE DOCTOR SHOWED UP. Six and a half hours after they told me he was coming to see me, he sauntered through the door without apology. He told me that my bloodwork was "borderline" but that my blood pressure had gone down and stayed down all night. My reflexes were good and my headache had subsided. So...he sent me home. My instructions were to "take it easy" this weekend, monitor my blood pressure and headache, determine how I was feeling about work on Monday and Tuesday and then go to my scheduled appointment on Tuesday afternoon. I can't even explain how I felt. I was glad to know that things were okay, but so flipping frustrated with the whole situation and honestly, disappointed that we were leaving the hospital yet again without having our baby. After the doctor left, Beth came back in and rehashed my instructions, answered a couple of questions and reassured me that it would all be okay. She told me that the best news was that Nola is healthy. Her heartrate is strong, she is responsive and she is demonstrating the typical sleep/wake patterns that she should be. That definitely made me feel better about the whole situation. After telling me that, she took the monitors off, removed the IV and sent me to get dressed. I called Rudy to let him know that I needed him to come get me when he took Caleb to school then went down to the lobby to wait for him. I called Mom and rehashed the whole thing. When Rudy picked me up, he took Caleb and I to Einstein's to get a chocolate chip bagel and then took Caleb to school. He brought me home and got me settled in the bed, then got dressed and went to work. I slept until 3:15 this afternoon to make up for the night and then spent the evening goofing around on the computer and watching TV. I tried to eat dinner, but felt nauseated, so I came back to bed. My stomach has been upset tonight, but I remember that happening towards the end of my pregnancy with Caleb too, so I'm not concerned about it. My blood pressure has been up a little today, but not enough to worry about and I haven't had a headache, so I'm staying put.

I have to say for the record that I might have the best friends in the world. Through the past week, I've gotten so many texts, phone calls and facebook messages telling me that people are thinking of us, praying for the best for Nola and for me and wanting updates. Of course, people can't help themselves and want to share their stories as well. Several people last night scared me by telling me that my blood pressure might be indicative of all sorts of dangerous conditions. I eventually deleted my facebook status, which I hated to do, because it meant that I couldn't go back and read people's encouraging words, but it wasn't helping me to read the scary words either. Today, I've taken so much comfort in the kind words of other people and, as I posted earlier on facebook, I can actually feel people's prayers - kind of like a cozy blanket making everything feel so much better.

As usual, Rudy has been my saving grace by taking care of Caleb and me and never complaining for a minute. He did say a few minutes ago (as he headed to the couch with his pillow), "Here's to an uneventful night." I know he's tired and looking forward to the end of my pregnancy as much as I am. Of course, we are both looking forward to having Nola in our home and in our lives. We've both said that we know having a newborn in the house won't be easy, but Rudy put it best by saying that it won't "magically be better, but it'll be different and renewed."

Now, go put your guesses in the pool! Entertain me while I'm "taking it easy."

False Alarm

When I was pregnant with Caleb, we made two false alarm trips to the hospital. The first one was when I called my OB's office about a problem I was having and they told me to go. The second one was when I had nearly unbearable back labor that ended up lasting about 2 weeks until "real" labor kicked in and the child actually decided to roll over and be born.


Last night was our first (and hopefully only) false alarm with Nola. I came home from work with a splitting headache. I laid down on the couch, fell asleep and woke up when Rudy and Caleb got home at 5:00. Almost immediately, I started having contractions. They were strange contractions - not entirely regular and not the usual start/stop pattern that you expect, but contractions nonetheless. I did all of the things that you're supposed to do when that happens: walk around, drink some water, change positions, get as much pressure off of your back as possible, etc, etc, etc. At 6:00, I was hurting pretty badly, so I called my doctor's exchange. She called me back pretty quickly and said that if the contractions got within 5-10 minutes of each other or if the pain got worse that I needed to go to the hospital. An hour later, the pain was so definite that I knew I had to go in. I called Stacy and packed a bag for Caleb while Rudy gave him a bath. I put my toiletries in my bag just in case and we loaded up the car. We dropped Caleb off at Stacy's in his PJ's and told him that we would either be back to get him that night or someone would come get him early in the morning for school. He was fine with it and didn't have any problems when we dropped him off.

We got to the hospital and I got hooked up to an external monitor. Sure enough, my contractions were about 5 minutes apart. BUT...the pelvic exam told a different story. I wasn't dilated at all and not effaced. The nurse took a urine sample and kept me on the monitor for about an hour and a half. Rudy sat there beside me and we listened to Nola's heartbeat and watched the contractions that I was feeling show up on the monitor regularly. The nurse finally came back in and told me that my urine sample showed that I was dehydrated. She gave me a big cup of water to drink, gave me a dose of Ambien and a dose of Vicodin and sent me home. I was crushed. All of those contractions and all of that pain - only to find out that I'm dehydrated despite my efforts not to be. And...I got sent home. So frustrating.

We picked Caleb up, took him home and Rudy put him to bed. I ate my dinner at 10:00, took my medicines and crawled into bed. I slept like a person should sleep on Ambien and Vicodin, but woke up feeling like I had taken both of those as well.


I called my principal and took the morning off. There was just no way I could shake the cobwebs enough to be productive at work. I only went in at all because I was supposed to have a 2:00 parent conference - which ended up being cancelled. Oh, well. I got paid for that 1/2 day. I spent the morning taking care of a few things here at home and adjusting my mental attitude to get me through the next 2-3 weeks of pregnancy. I spent a lot of time crying for no particular reason at all, getting some thoughts out into words and basically making some decisions that needed to be made. I went to work and saw several groups of kids and handled some tasks there as well. After work, I went in to see Dr. Ford for my regularly scheduled appointment. She asked how I was doing and I told her that my contractions were still evident. However, when she checked me, I still hadn't dilated. She did the usual measurements and heartrate, which were fine. She noted that my feet and legs are swollen, which I hadn't noticed as much in the past couple of days. But - I did wear socks today for the first time in a while and when I took them off, there was a massive indention in my calves. My skin on my calves and feet is very red and tender. For the first time in my life, I have cankles! (This is not a good thing, BTW.)


I left the appointment feeling defeated and frustrated, but somehow, recharged. I think I've finally reached my "get over it" point. I am not a weak person. I don't like feeling weak and I don't like feeling like something has beaten me. So - I pulled myself up by the bootstraps and decided to quit spending my time waiting for the baby to come. I'm now spending my time doing what I want and need to do until the baby comes. I have made a personal vow to suck it up and quit complaining about the aches, pains and discomforts. So far, I've held to it. Contractions continue to come and go, I am still short of breath when I do small tasks and my back continues to tweak when I turn the wrong way or get up from a sitting position, but I'm not going to complain about it until it becomes unbearable. I'm trying to focus on the privilege that I have to bring a baby girl into the world...whenever that may be.


When Rudy and Caleb got home from school, I had started some laundry and straightened the house a little. We went out to dinner at Whole Hog Cafe. I was craving BBQ - which, coincidentally, is what we had the night before Caleb was born. So far, Nola is doing a lot of moving and grooving, but I'm not buying it. My contractions haven't stopped since last night, but they aren't intense enough to take my breath away very often, so I'm breathing right on through them.


We got home from dinner tonight and spent some time together as a family before Caleb went to bed. I finished up some laundry and had some nesting time. Our bill-paying desk was piled high with papers, so I sorted those and got things reorganized for paying and filing. I cleaned out some unnecessary stuff and feel much better about the way that area looks and feels. I'll do the actual filing another time, but at least it's all together in one place now.

Tomorrow is my shower at work and I'm so excited. I didn't expect a shower for a second baby, but I'm humbled that my co-workers have offered to have one. I've heard through the grapevine that there will be cupcakes, which makes me immensely happy. :)


On a somewhat funny note, I had a conversation with Caleb on Sunday night about what to expect when it's time for us to go to the hospital to "get Nola." I told him all about staying with Mrs. Stacy or Mrs. Stacy coming here to stay with him. He was fine with all of that. I told him how we will wake him up if he's asleep and let him know that we are going to the hospital so that he won't be scared if he wakes up and we're not there. He was fine with that. I told him how someone will come get him - either Daddy or LaLa & Pops and take him to school until it's time for Nola to be born and then he'll get to come to the hospital too. Not a problem from him. He seems to realize that we have him in mind and we're taking care of his needs all along the way. When I asked him if he had any questions about it, he dropped the bomb on me: "Mama, how Nola gonna' get out of your belly?" Oh, boy. I hadn't prepared for this one. My answer (on the fly): "Well, Caleb, there's a special door for babies to come out of that only the baby and the doctor can see. When that door gets unlocked, she'll come out." His answer: "Okay, Mama." Whew! I was shocked that he didn't asked about a key or ask to see the door or ask where the door is. He just took it for what it was worth. Hallelujah. I was not prepared to discuss the cervix and birth canal with my 3 year old.


The next morning, he came into my bathroom where I was getting ready for work and very timidly said, "Did Nola come last night while I was sleeping? " He was so disappointed when I said no, but managed to distract himself with play and a snack. Last night when we picked him up from Stacy's, he asked me if Nola was born yet. He actually seemed a little relieved to hear me say no. I wish I could peer into his little mind and see what he's really thinking about it all and know what he expects. It should be interesting to see what his actual reactions are...when she does decide to stop dancing the salsa on my rib cage and make her entrance into this big old world! (which according to my LilyPie ticker is in about 17 days...give or take a few)

Whew - gotta shut this down. I took an Ambien about an hour ago and the computer screen is starting to get a little wavy. I'll come back tomorrow to check for typo's and grammatical clarity. For now, good night...

All Boy (and, boy, are we are in TROUBLE)

We are in so much trouble when Caleb hits adolescence. So. Much. Trouble.

Just recently (at age 3 1/2), he has started taking an interest in music other than preschool songs, holiday songs and cartoon songs. He actually likes real music. His 2 favorites right now are:

Pants on the Ground - General Larry Pratt (American Idol)

Caleb loves this song so much that he walks around singing it in public places. We have also heard him singing it to himself when he is playing. I've tried to get him to sing it on video, but he won't do it. I'm determined to get it at some point, because it is seriously funny.

Party in the USA - Miley Cyrus


This one is pretty funny too. He tries so hard to sing along to it, but can't keep up. He likes the "yeeeeah" part and will sometimes spontaneously start singing, "movin' my hips, like yeah" which inevitably cracks me up.

Tonight, he wanted to watch some videos on the computer. He usually likes to watch videos of himself or kids doing funny things on YouTube, but since we showed him Pants on the Ground on the computer, he knows that there is more out there to entertain him. Rudy showed him a couple of band things and then Pants on the Ground. He laughs and tries to sing along, but every single time, he stops when Kara is on the screen and tells us "I like that girl." Well...with his love of Party in the USA, Rudy found the video on YouTube. Caleb said, "It's my favorite song!" He sang along for a while and then (much to my amusement and Rudy's pride) said, "I like that girl. I like her hair. I like her eyes. I like her whole body." OH. MY. GOSH. My 3 1/2 year old has a crush on Miley Cyrus.

On a somewhat related note that doesn't make me fear for adolescence, Caleb had a new teacher in his class a couple of weeks ago. Ms. Bel has a beautiful accent that I can't quite place. When I asked him about his new teacher, he told me, "Her name is Ms. Bel. I like her talk." How cute is that?

A Very PINK Baby Shower

Yesterday afternoon, several of the SLPs from my school district honored me with a baby shower at Rolando's. Mom came up from Hot Springs to go with me and we had such a good time! The girls did a great job on the shower. Of course, they couldn't leave well enough alone...they did it up in pink, pink and more pink. Most of them even WORE pink! And all because they know I don't like pink. I have such fun friends!

Here we are: Kerrie H, Leola J, Me, Mom, Cathy R, Amy F, Suzanne W, Linda S & Jill R.!
We sat around and visited for a long time and then I opened some wonderful gifts for Nola. After I finished opening gifts, Rudy and Caleb joined us for dinner and cake. Caleb cracked everyone up by taking one bite of his food and saying (very loudly), "Oh, my Lord, this is hot!" Much to my chagrin, everyone immediately said that he sounded just like me. (They are right, you know.)

When we got home, I took my shoes off and realized that my feet and calves were ridiculously swollen. Mom encouraged me to sit down and put my feet up and try to get the swelling to go down. On a related note - I had a headache this morning at school and started feeling a little strange. I asked the school nurse to take my blood pressure and it was 120/88, which is pretty high for me. She took it a couple more times during the day and it eventually went down to 120/82. I'm going to keep an eye on it for the next few days and try to keep the swelling down in my legs and feet. Good heavens, I'm ready to have this baby!!!

All for Naught ~ 36 week OB appt

On Tuesday, I had my 36 week OB appointment. I'm happy to report that I hadn't gained any weight this week at all. My doctor wasn't planning to start pelvic exams until next week, but when I told the nurse that I had been having contractions, she said we'd better check things out. So, I had my strep B swab (pleasant...) and my first pelvic exam. I thought surely with all the pain Nola had inflicted on me Saturday and Sunday night, I would have made a little progress. Nope. ZERO centimeters dilated and ZERO percent effaced. Really? All that for absolutely nothing? Dr. Ford said everything looks fine and I got the usual "hang in there" followed by "I'll see you next week." I waddled out of the office a little disappointed, but not too bad.

My husband is awesome! He has completely stepped up as usual. I have been so miserable this week and so tired from carrying this full term baby and he has been amazing. After we at the dinner that he cooked on Monday night, he was trying to decide what to cook on Tuesday night. He asked me if I felt like having salmon and I told him that I really didn't like salmon right now. (One of those strange pregnancy things...) He immediately said, "okay, then we're not having salmon. For the next few weeks, we're on the hospice plan. Whatever makes you comfortable is what we're doing." I thought that was pretty clever and now we have frequent references to the hospice plan.

I was right about work being exhausting this week. I've done a grand total of 8 conferences so far. I have 2 tomorrow. I have managed to do a little therapy in there too, but I sure don't feel like I've seen much of my kids. Monday was a full therapy day but Tuesday and today were mostly cancelled for conferences. I should be able to stick to my regular schedule tomorrow. We'll see how that goes. Next week is shaping up to be more of the same, except that Monday is a professional development day, so the kids don't even have school! I only have 5 conferences next week. Good grief. Who ever thought I'd say "only 5 conferences"???

Weekend Update: pictures, a movie and contractions

We had maternity portraits taken on Saturday morning. That was something fun that I wish we had done before Caleb was born, but we didn't. We were able to do it this time because I got a coupon for a free portrait session and free proofs when I bought my camera back in May. We decided to put the coupons to use and have these taken this weekend. I had forgotten how swollen my face would be in all of these pictures, but I guess that's just part of the "adventure" of pregnancy. We went in for our session and I asked the photographer to take some of all of us together, some of me by myself (which I hate doing), some of me with Rudy and some of me with Caleb. For some reason, she could not keep that straight in her mind and for some reason, she kept wanting to take close-ups. Not the point of maternity pictures, but dangit if some of them didn't turn out good. I really wanted these photos to be more about the expectation of Nola and really (oddly enough) focused on my belly - which was to remain covered at all times. But - since they were free and since some of them turned out really good, I'm not complaining. There are a few shots in the bunch that I will cherish forever and it's probably best that they didn't all turn out great or I would end up spending a lot of money on them that I'd rather save for Nola's baby pictures. Click HERE to see the whole set. Here are a few of my favorites:

And here's the one I didn't ask for. For whatever reason, the photographer insisted on taking some shots of just the boys and got this one that I will love and cherish forever. (I think she was playing on my hormones...)

After we took the pictures, we came home to change clothes. I had promised Caleb that if made good choices while we were taking the pictures, I would take him for a special treat Saturday afternoon. He was awesome during the portrait session, so I took him to lunch at the mall and to see The Princess and the Frog at the movie theater. We enjoyed our lunch together, rode the carousel in the food court and then went to the movie. It was a cute movie, but had the scary parts that come with every Disney movie and Caleb got a little bored after an hour. I came prepared with some candy in my purse, so I used that to bribe him to make it through the rest of the show. The music in the movie was wonderful - very heavy on New Orleans jazz and even some Zydeco mixed in there. The best part for me was watching Caleb dance to that Zydeco music!

When Caleb and I got home from the movie, he was obviously very tired. He threw a fit because I asked him to wipe his feet. I ended up putting him in his room for some quiet time and he fell asleep after crying for about 15 minutes about how mad he was. He slept for over 2 hours - until Rudy woke him up. I read for a little while, then fell asleep on the couch. I guess we were both worn out from the day's activities.

While we were gone to the movie, Rudy went over to his grandmother's house to learn how to make the bread that she makes. The starter for it is about 30 years old. He made it this afternoon here at home and - oh my goodness gracious - it is delicious!!!

Last night was pretty interesting around here. After dinner, I took Rudy up to the hospital parking lot so that we could take his Aunt Kathy's truck to her. (She had driven herself to the ER Saturday morning with kidney stones and Rudy drove her home Saturday afternoon.) On our way home from dropping off her truck, I started having contractions. At first, I didn't think much about it, but they were pretty strong, so I decided to start timing them. They weren't regular and they were anywhere from 15-25 minutes apart. That let me know that it was either going to be a long night or they were false labor contractions that were going to ease up eventually and then stop. I hung out on the couch all night and tried to do all of the things that you're supposed to do when you're trying to determine if you're having real labor or false labor. I finally decided to go to bed and see what the night would bring my way. I slept off and on, waking up with the stronger contractions. I woke up a few times drenched in sweat and a few times because I was freezing. (Pregnancy is just so much fun!) Rudy played his trumpet at church this morning, so I got up when he left to go to church. Caleb and I stayed home because I as completely worn out from the night's unrest. We had a lazy morning here at home and I didn't have any more contractions. When Rudy got home from church, we ate lunch and I went in to take a nap. I read for about 5 minutes before I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore. I then slept for about 3 hours. I slept so hard that I woke up and my muscles were actually sore! I've had a few contractions tonight, but nothing regular or repeated, so I'm not even keeping track. I go to see Dr. Ford on Tuesday and I'll let her know about last night. I'm sure she'll tell me it's all normal and to be expected (which I already know).

I go back to work tomorrow after being off for 3 weeks. I figure I'll be exhausted by 9AM. I have 4 conferences scheduled this week and I have to reschedule the 9 that I was supposed to have last week. Anybody think I can do 13 conferences, write all of my progress notes, test 2 kids, write 4 reports and see a full caseload of kids in my 37th week of pregnancy?

On a happier and much less daunting note, my mom is coming up on Wednesday to go to the shower that the SLP's are having for me. That should be fun!

Snow Week?!?

In the words of Caleb Villines, "I TOLD YOU SO." I ended up being out of school for snow all week last week. That extended our 2 week Christmas vacation to a 3 week Christmas vacation and I reveled in every last minute of it. Pretty much - I was a sloth that entire unexpected week off. We had worked so hard all during the first 2 weeks of break and I was completely wiped out. I already told you about Monday and Tuesday, so let me pick up with Wednesday.

Wednesday, 1/6
Caleb had absolutely begged to go to school on Tuesday and said on Tuesday night that he wanted to go on Wednesday. I was leaving it up to him to make the choice, so I made plans to meet a couple of friends for lunch on Wednesday. Lo and behold, we got up Wednesday morning, got dressed and he said he didn't want to go. Too late, mister. Mama needs some adult interaction. I took him in the daycare at 10:00, ran by my school to pick up some things in case I got the urge to do some paperwork at home (HA!) and then met my friends Jamie, Michael and Jodie for lunch. After laughing all the way through lunch, I called Stacy, who came over to scrapbook with me that afternoon.

Thursday, 1/7
Thursday turned out to be another family snow day. Rudy's school was cancelled too. Now, Rudy and I have very different philosophies on snow days. I see them as a gift from God, telling me directly: Thou shalt stay in your pajamas and not even consider leaving the house. Rudy, on the other hand, sees them as a challenge or possibly a prison sentence and simply has to find a way to get out. After cooking breakfast, he decided that he would go for a test drive to see how the roads were around our house. He came back a short while later and told me he was going to take Caleb to have some fun. They went to Fast Lanes to bowl and play arcade games all afternoon. Went they got back, Caleb was worn out from all of the excitement and missing his nap, so he had an early bedtime.

Friday, 1/8
Rudy was back at school on Friday and Caleb asked to go to school, so I went out in the 1 degree weather to take him in. I spent the day scrapbooking by the fireplace and trying to stay warm! When the boys got home from school, we went to dinner at Chili's. Apparently, lots of people were just dying to get out of the house, because every restaurant parking lot was packed! Caleb had taken a nap at school on Friday, so he was in a great mood. Rudy and I really enjoyed our evening with him. It's amazing what a difference a nap makes! When we got in the car, in the frigid temperatures, Caleb said, "Holy smokes, it's cold!" I laughed because he sounded just like me!

Snow Day #2

I got in bed last night at 12:15. Caleb started crying at 12:30. When I got to his room, he was (as usual) telling me that his feet hurt. I gave him Tylenol and crawled in bed with him. Neither of us got much sleep last night. He has started talking in his sleep a lot and I could tell that his sleep was very fitful last night. He talked a lot about not being able to find his blocks. He also says "Mama" and "Daddy" in his sleep often. The worst part of sleeping with Caleb is that he insists on sleeping right up next to me. Usually, this isn't a big deal, but with my tossing and turning lately, it's harder than usual to sleep with him. Fortunately, Caleb didn't wake up until 8:15 this morning. Hallelujah!!! When we got up, he wanted to know where Rudy was. I told him that he had gone to work. Caleb immediately grabbed his shoes and told me he was ready to go to school. I called his daycare and found out that they were opening at 10:00. I got dressed and got Caleb dressed so I could take him. I told him multiple times that he didn't have to go to school today, but he insisted every single time that he wanted to see his friends and play. He was so excited when we got there. He literally ran down the hall to his classroom.

I left there and went to the grocery store. The roads weren't horrible, but I sure was glad to get home. I did some slipping and sliding and saw lots of other people doing the same. The worst part was the people who were driving too fast and following too close. Once I got home, I knew I wasn't going back out again.

I came home and started a roast in the crock pot, then got started cleaning the baby gear. I wiped everything down with Clorox wipes and opened the last of the boxes of toys from the attic. As of this minute, everything is washed, dried and ready for Nola. The only thing left to do is install the car seat bases, but that's no emergency. Rudy knows how to do that now, so if we don't have it installed before we go to the hospital, he can do that before we bring her home. Unlike when Caleb was born, we don't feel the need to take it to the fire station to have it installed. They taught us well last time so we can do it ourselves this time.

And, the big news of the day: another snow day tomorrow. Rudy has school, but I don't. It means that I now have 9 conferences to reschedule and a whole lot of paperwork to correct dates on, but there's no reason to complain about it. I know how hard it is to make that decision. I lived with 2 district administrators who used to get up at 4:00 AM and drive the roads of Hot Springs to see if school needed to be closed. I don't envy those who are making the call. More snow is in the forecast for tomorrow evening/night and Thursday morning...

Snow Days!

We were supposed to go back to school today, but got some unexpected extra time off instead. It snowed about 3 inches on Saturday night/Sunday morning and the roads are terrible. School was cancelled today all over Northwest Arkansas and I think everyone except Fayetteville is closed tomorrow. That means Rudy goes back to work tomorrow, but I have another day off. I'm a little nervous about him driving to work tomorrow, but I know he'll be very careful. (It's the other people out there on the road with him that I worry about!)

I made the decision yesterday not to go out with the boys to play in the snow. I'm too afraid to take a chance on falling and either hurting myself, hurting Nola or ending up on bedrest until she's born. The boys, on the other hand, just HAD to get out there in the cold, wet snow! Sunday afternoon, Rudy took Caleb to a nearby church that has a big hill on its property so they could sled. Caleb LOVED it. I sent the pocket-size camera with them and this is the picture that Rudy brought home. He couldn't take any pictures of Caleb actually sledding because he has to ride in the sled with him.
They went back out again today for a few more trips down the hill. Caleb is going to be so disappointed when the sledding is over for a while. He just loves it. I think he's pretty cute all bundled up too. We put him in a pair of PJ's, a sweatsuit, his carhartt overalls and his big coat so that he stays dry and warm. Today, Rudy bought him some boots and they also took hand warmers. Caleb thought those were awesome! He is just dying to make a snowman, but we've managed to avoid that so far. Rudy did buy carrots at the grocery store yesterday in preparation for it, but they are still in the fridge.

Speaking of the grocery store - Caleb insisted on going to the grocery store with Rudy yesterday. (Think he has a little cabin fever?) While they were there, they saw one of Caleb's friends from daycare. Her name is Isabelle and she is SO CUTE. Oddly, we seem to run into her and her parents everywhere we go. Caleb has also started asking me if Nola's hair will look like Isabelle's. Unlikely, since Isabelle has dark brown hair, but it's cute that he asks. Anyway - Caleb and Isabelle haven't seen each other since before Christmas. According to Rudy, Isabelle came running up to Caleb and started hugging and kissing him in the middle of the store! Rudy and Isabelle's dad talked for a few minutes and then Caleb was just heartbroken to say goodbye to her. Oh my gosh - how cute is that?!? Rudy said that Caleb was almost blushing the whole time and he was just smitten. Wish I had seen it!

This afternoon, I could not stand being in the house any longer. (I hadn't left since we got home from dinner Friday night!) I decided that we had to get out, but didn't want to spend any money, so I called the hospital to see if we could go up for a tour of the labor and delivery unit. I wanted to see where we were going to be and get the lay of the land and I wanted Caleb to get to see it too, so that he would know better what to expect. The nurses weren't too busy, so one of them showed us around and told us what we needed to do when the time comes for us to visit there for real. We saw a delivery room and a postpartum room, got a couple of questions answered and felt a little better about the whole process. Caleb was disappointed because there weren't any babies in the nursery to see, but the nurse showed him the kind of beds that the babies sleep in and told him that when he comes back there will for sure be at least one baby for him to see. Rudy and I were pleased with the facility and told the nurse we'd be seeing her pretty soon! I also found out that they have WiFi at the hospital, so I'll make sure to take my laptop with me like I did when Caleb was born. That way, I can post on Facebook and here on my blog while we're at the hospital.

Here's the 7 day forecast... Anyone want to take bets on how many days we'll be in school this week? I'm already down to no more than 3 for sure. Thursday's not looking so good either with that 70% chance of morning snow. What's not on here is that the windchill Friday morning is supposed to be somewhere around NEGATIVE 25. Even schools in northern states close when the windchill is that low. Can you imagine having kids wait for a bus or walk to school in those temperatures?! Oh, and this is my week for after school OUTSIDE dismissal duty. I'm supposed to stand out there for at least 20 minutes calling kids out from the lobby to get in their cars. I'll be bundled up like the kid from A Christmas Story who can't put his arms down!