All Smiles

We all like to believe that our families are advanced. We especially like to believe that our offspring are more highly evolved than ourselves and certainly their peers. Most of the time we just humor the braggart parents with a smile and walk away or change the subject. It is probably true that in most cases it is just the parents hopeful thinking or imagination running wild but I have captured in a photo, proof of my son's superiority...@ 3 weeks in age Rooney smiles!


Other random cute pictures of Roonster

Rodney's Curse

I haven't posted in a while because Mike's folks came to visit. Rooney has had quite an active nightlife since they've been here & has become very international. Monday we went to a Mexican restaurant, Wednesday we went to an Italian restaurant & Thursday we had Thai. Other than having to change Rooney's diaper on the floor Wednesday everything went well & he was a pleasure to dine with. He's become cultured too. On Thursday he went to the Renton Historical Museum with Grandma, Grandpa, Mom & Dad. He learned a lot about the town he lives in and was able to see the salmon swimming upstream on the walk there.

Tuesday, Rooney visited with his aunt Eileen & uncle Mark. It also was the night of the longest World Series game. The action and drama was too much for Rooney & wore him out.
He was very conflicted- should he root for the Astros, Eileen's & Great Gma Webers team, or should he root for the White Sox, who are from Gma Peggies (& Great Gma/Gpa Morse) hometown?

Sleeping avoids conflict.

Finally, I have realized what will be Rooney's curse. The first time it happened was @ the MD's office & this morning I opened up his new Social Security card & got this:

Rooney's Folks

I thought I'd post some pictures of Mike & I as babies. I think you can see both of us in the lad but I'll let you form your own opinions. Please forgive the quality of our baby photos (especially mine) we were born in the 70's.

Rooney's First MD Visit

Rooney had his first MD visit today. Other than the receptionist calling him Rodney I'd say it went pretty well. He didn't cry when I had to strip him naked and only cried a little when he got his 2nd PKU test. For everyone that does not know this is a test that is sent to the state. They take 5 drops of blood from the foot & screen for different metabolic disorders. I think he was more upset that we had to hold his feet.

Seems Rooney is growing like a weed already. He now weighs 9lbs 7oz & is 23" long. The MD said he was perfect (I couldn't disagree) & said he really liked him. Rooney was very easy going at the MD's office & every one seemed to notice. That & his big feet. The general consensus was that he was going to be a tall drink of water.
The MD said everything looked good, nothing abnormal & his heart & lungs sound excellent.

I realized that this appointment was much easier on me than my own MD appointments. That was nice however the next appt. is the 2 month appointment. This is where the shots begin and I only hope that it goes as smooth.

Two Week Recap

(Mike imitating Rooney)

The other day I told Mike I was surprised that he has not posted yet re: his experience, as the Dad, on Rooney's birth. I really thought it might be nice & one day if Rooney read it, it could warm the cockles of his heart. Mike said that he couldn't post because he really didn't remember much...I told him I really hope he's kidding.



In the 2 weeks since Rooney was born I have made 4 outings. One was to the MD last Monday. I was still really swollen & I immediately went back into hiding after that appt. The 2nd & 3rd outings were on Thursday when I went to the chiropractor & got coffee with my sister/went out to dinner. It was nice to feel apart of the real world again. Now the worry is "Do I still look pregnant while I'm ordering this beer?". What is also notable about the 3rd outing is that it was the 1st time Rooney was babysat. My sis watched him about 2-3 hours & I believe she held him the whole time.

Today I made my 4th outing- this time with the boy. Mike, Rooney & I went to Annie & Dana's soccer game. For all of you who religiously read this blog you will remember that it was 2 weeks ago to this night that I went into labor after their soccer game. It was real nice to be able to show off our new baby. He's pretty cute. I also was able to test out the Ultimate Wrap. It worked pretty well for the 1st test. Rooney does not like the sling position (wh/was the position I really intended to use), but the tummy to tummy position he seemed happy with. Next step is to get Mike comfortable with the wrap. I fear that may go as well as his blog posting though.

Finally, this week 2 other big events happened. 1. Rooney lost his umbilical cord. My nephew, Cuyler, was very relieved about this. He thought the little, brown umbilical cord nubbin looked like a big raisin sticking out of his belly button. 2. Rooney got his 1st official bath. He did get a sponge bath previously but this time I was able to soak him...and inadvertently myself.

Happy Birthday to Me!!!

(Not my body)

Today is my 32nd birthday. I think I have officially passed the age where I should be lying about it. I should be telling everyone I'm 29, right? This one really snuck up on us and that is a good thing because now I have the greatest birthday gift (Rooney) to focus on & not this whole getting old & dying thing to think about.

I have next year for that.

The 1st Week

Yesterday was the 1 week birthday of sweet little Rooney. I can't believe it's been a whole week. Of course, we did spend half of that in the hospital. However, when I flash back to being in labor (I try very hard not to do that) it seems so long ago.

Being a Mom has so far been terrific- if not very surreal. I cannot believe how much you can instantly love & @ the same time be in awe of such a pruney little baby. And I know I shouldn't do it but I already find myself thinking of the future and him growing up so fast. I told him I did not want to miss a second of his life. Then I remembered my teenage years and decided maybe ignorance will be bliss @ some points.

The most difficult part of the week has been dealing with the discomfort of my swollen body & getting Rooney's diaper to fit correctly. Since he's a newborn nothing really seems to fit right & we've had difficulty with him leaking through when he pees. We've done more laundry this week, just in baby clothes & bedding, than I do all week for the rest of the house. I think we're getting a handle on it but I don't think we'll actually ever get the upper hand.

Our 1st two babies (Courage & Rocco) are handling the new addition quite different. Courage is obsessed with Rooney- especially when Mom is with him. He wants to give him kisses constantly & wants to be a part of whatever is going on. Rocco is staying away. Every once in awhile he'll sniff Rooney, without getting too close, and then run away. I think both the boys are feeling a little deprived of attention, although truth be told, I think they are probably getting more. I think they are preying on my guilty conscience. Hopefully they do not teach this manipulation to Rooney.

To cap the week off we had our 1 week MD appt. yesterday. The MD prescribed Lasix to help deflate my feet & hands. They seem a little better & there is hope that I will be able to wear shoes & my wedding rings in the near future. Maybe next week we can venture out of the house.

Pop Quiz...

In honor of the one-week anniversary of Rooney's birth, I thought we would play a little game I like to call "Spot the Non-Rooney".

It is a game that takes a moment to learn, but a lifetime to master. Simply identify which of the following photos is not a picure of Rooney.

( ) A

( ) B

( ) C

( ) D

1st Bath

Today was Rooney's 1st bath by Mom. It's been about 9 years since I've given a baby a bath. They're tricky. I had to stay clear of his belly button & circumcision but wash & hold w/one hand. I can't say he cared for it much. He was so cold when I was going to get him dressed that I had to slip his little puppy robe on.
Ok, Ok it's entirely possible this post was a thinly disguised reason to post these pictures. However since I'm posting I'll fill you in on the homefront. Mike & I are doing well. Strangely enough we feel we've been getting enough sleep. Since getting in & out of bed is the most difficult thing for me Mike took on nighttime. Because I get more sleep @ night I am up a little earlier than Mike & I've been basically handling the daytime. Seems to be working. Also, I think so far we've been very lucky & Rooney seems very easy. He wakes up to eat & get his diaper changed but there isn't alot of crying out of him. We haven't been up consoling him for hours yet. I have my fingers crossed that we won't have to. He seems to love to have his hands, thumb, sleeves...anything in his mouth. We let him suck on a pacifier & he is so happy. When I go to feed him I am constantly playing "Beat the Hand" when I try to get the bottle in his mouth. It's pretty cute.

Rooney also went in his swing for the 1st time yesterday. He seemed very relaxed while he was in there. He just stared out the window like he was deep in thought. It was really sweet & I tried to capture it on the digital camera but it doesn't come through. We really need to get a video camera. Then we can bore all our friends w/every cute facial movement Rooney does.

Finally, I thought I'd share one more photo with you. Seems hormones are still running rampant throughout my body & I am still swollen up like a balloon. I know you've seen a gazillion pictures of my feet but here is one more. All I can say is that it looks like my feet are wearing a fat suit.
So until this passes people can come & visit but we cannot go out & visit.

New Pictures

Rooney's Story

Sunday night had come. Seemingly I was not going to have this kid by myself this weekend. I was starting to get a little nervous about being induced on the next day, Oct. 3rd. I was excited though because I could be induced & have my epidural ready...dare I dream @ the same time? Mike & I decided to go to Annie & Dana's soccer game. It was the their 1st game & we had alot of friends playing so we could see everyone before the big event. Their team ended up being short on players so Mike stepped in & helped out. Since Mike was playing we stayed for the whole game & we were there until 8pm. On the way home we decided Mike should call his folks & let them know that it seemed I would absolutely would be induced the next morning. While Mike was talking w/his Dad about Jim's new laptop I noticed I started not to feel that great. I've had alot of weird "pains" for the last month so I did not think much of it but it was unpleasant whatever I was feeling.

Once we got home I headed for the restroom while Mike finished talking w/his parents. I still wasn't feeling well. Having some pains & I thought I'd lay down & wait for Mike to finish. These pains I was feeling weren't going away like they normally do so I decided to try to find a rhythm & decide if they were contractions. But they were coming kind of quick to be real contractions. However, Mike finally comes in & finds me doubled over the bed. The pain was getting worse. Mike decided to start trying to time them. The contractions were coming about 2-1/2 min apart. Before we could go to the hospital they were supposed to be around 5min apart & last for 60-90 sec. (for @ least an hour). Mine were coming much closer together but there still wasn't a strong pattern established. Finally around 9:30pm we decided to call the hospital. They told me since I was a 1st time Mom to basically stay home & wait until they got worse. I really didn't think they could get worse & now they stole the only gauge I was given as to when labor has started (timing). Mike & I waited another 1-1/2hrs & the pain really did get worse, so we said screw it @ 11pm & decided to go in.

We live about 2 miles from Valley Medical & I managed to have 4 very painful contractions on the way to the hospital, I had to stop walking while I had one in the parking lot & had 3 in the wheelchair from the ER to the Birthing Center. They got me in a birthing room, checked me out (I was 4cm)& decided to admit me. Personally, all I can say about contractions are that they are absolutely the most painful thing I can imagine. Prior to ever having contractions I could never imagine that something could hurt so much. The best description I could give is that it felt like what I would equate to having the lower half of my body explode...slowly.

I let the nurse know that I would appreciate an epidural as quick as possible. Within a half hour I had the epidural & felt great. However, those minutes I had to wait to receive the epidural & for the epidural to kick in were absolutely the longest few minutes ever. I actually thought time stopped several times. By the time the epidural kicked in it was about 12:30pm & it was time to check my progress. I WAS COMPLETE!!!! I was ready to start pushing Rooney out (I got that epidural right on time) & the oncall MD wasn't there yet nor the resident! I got excited because I thought this was going to be real quick & I couldn't feel anything below my waist. Then I was worried because my sister had not got to the hospital yet! Finally the resident MD got there & I was about to start pushing when my sis got there. Everyone was floored & excited & let's start pushing!

Now I'll speed up the story...after the oncall MD finally got there & 3hrs of pushing it was determined that Rooney still had not got through my pubic bone. I had 2 options: Option 1a. try vacuuming him out & b. if that did not work a c-section or option #2 got straight to the c-section. I opted for option #1 & unfortunately the vacuuming didn't work & they wheeled me in for a c-section.

At 5:09 a.m. Rooney Evan Wade was born. Annie & Mike were in the operating room with me & got to see him right after he was born. Because he was a meconium baby Rooney had to go to the NIC unit & Mom (that's me!) finally got her hands on him @ 8am. He was finally given a bath @ 9am & I was finally able to kiss him. I am probably being bias when I say he is absolutely the most beautiful baby boy in the whole world. He's totally amazing.

Finally, after 3 long nights in the hospital & 1 @ home Mike has already shown what an amazing dad he is & will be. I couldn't imagine going through this without him.

A couple pictures...

I finally got the camera working (this software guy was too quick to blame it on hardware...)

At long last...

Rooney Evan Wade decided to join the real world recently. Born October 3, 2005 at 5:09 a.m., he weighed in at 8 pounds 0.5 oz, and 21 inches. Mom and baby are both doing fine: Susan had to have a C-section to get him out, but seems to be recovering nicely (aside from the itching).

It turned out there was no need for inducement, but that's a whole story, which will have to wait until we get back from the hospital (Mama and baby should be released Wednesday).

Unfortunately, now our camera is being stubborn, so you will have to wait until later to get pictures.

They Say It's Gonna Happen

Mike, Rooney & I made it to our 2nd Nonstress Test appointment today. This was going to be our last prenatal check up one way or another. This 2nd test was to make sure the baby was still doing well so that I could be induced on Monday. I have been assured that Rooney is doing quite well, and was possibly showing off for the machine today. A little showboater just like his Dad. My little chip off the ol' block.

We got more good news...seems magically I have dilated to 3cm & I am 90% effaced. It is very possible that I may go into labor all on my own this weekend. If I don't, then Monday morning I am scheduled to be induced. This kid really is going to come out one way or another in the next 3 days! I'm still hesitant to believe it but they tell me it's going to happen so it must be true.

For the induction it seems we are basically on call with the hospital. We have been told to call them @ 6am to make sure we can go down but the hospital could also call us @ 2am & say they are ready- so we have to be ready. As exciting as this news is I received even more exciting news...they have now changed their epidural rules & even if I stay @ 3cm when I get to the hospital I can get the epidural right away!!! Woo hoo!! They used to make you wait until 4cm dilated but according to the ARNP they found it does not actually slow down labor prior to 4cm like they used to think.

Maybe Rooney really knew what it was he was waiting for.

Evacuation!!!!

I've been grumbling so much lately about Rooney not being born and condo issues (of which I had more this morning) & then it takes something like this to remind me that 1. Rooney's impending arrival, no matter when it will be, will be joyous & 2. not only do I have one home but I have 2.

"Raging Fire Threatens LA Area Homes"

My younger brother Casey, his girlfriend Rebecca & their dog Siren were one of the families evacuated @ 3 a.m. this morning. Right now they are holed up @ my mom's house, with a few possessions they could load into their dog's kennel & are waiting to see if they will be able to return to their home.

Makes me very grateful I can basically manage both mine from my bed.

No need to panic...

Even though there have been no posts here in 2 days, its not because labor has started. We've simply run out of things to write about. We're still holding out hope that the child will be born tomorrow, as then he would share a birthday with his great-grandma Wade. (We have kicked around the idea of naming him Marjorie as an homage). However, we have basically given up hope that this kid will be coming out voluntarily, and are now setting our hopes on his getting induced.

Anyway, in case you were wondering what a 41-week pregnant woman looks like, here's a snapshot...

The Two Libras

Mike and I went to our weekly MD visit. I don't think either of us really thought we'd be making this visit but lo & behold. The receptionist had told us she was hoping she wasn't going to see us. We didn't take that personally because we felt the same way. The good news...the baby's heart beat sounds really good, he's dropped further & I am almost fully effaced. Bad news...I'm still pregnant!!! Hee hee hee.

We are scheduled for another appointment on Tuesday. The Tuesday appointment is for a Non-Stress Test. From what I have read this seems to be a pretty normal procedure if you are overdue. The MD said if I am still pregnant on Tuesday & after the results of this test they may plan to induce on Friday. Seems hard to believe but I could actually have the kid in October! That's not even the right month! I, of course, am holding out hope to have the bambino this weekend. However, my boy will be a Libra just like his momma. Our birthdays will be kind of close together now. I wonder if that will be too much cake in such a short time frame? Let's just hope he likes chocolate.

2 Libras signing off.

Punk'D

Ok, where's Ashton? Where are the camera's hidden? I am absolutely positive I am being Punk'D.

Seems the joke is I'm not really pregnant...I'm just getting really weirdly fat and the big laugh is to see how long I can be strung along.

Come on out Ashton the jig is up. Show yourself & we'll have a good a laugh, a beer and plan a Punk'D for Britney.

What's it gonna take?

Well, its official: I think we've tried everything to get this kid out. Taking long walks. Nothing. Laughing the kid out by watching uproarious comedies. No dice. Eating spicy foods. Jumping on a trampoline. Bubkes.

We've also tried direct communication with the child. Asking politely. Reasoning. Singing (including the occasional falsetto number by yours truly). Begging. Threatening.

All that's left is bribery. So Rooney, we're asking: what's it gonna take?

Property Management Hell

You thought we were done with home improvements.

I haven't written about this but @ the end of July I got bad news from my friend Christine. She had been renting my condo, loved it & was going to sign another year lease however she just found out that she got a new job up north & was not going to be able to renew because she needed to find a place closer to work.

It was bad news on 2 fronts- 1. we were losing a reliable renter & 2. she would be moving out @ the end of August. This was bad because it was not long before my due date & there were things that would need to be done to clean up the condo. I had just contacted our property management in August about the new rent, the condo clean-up & how I wanted the ad to run when Christine called me & asked if she could stay another month (I had previously offered her month to month until she found a new place). The townhouse she wanted to rent in Lynnwood would not be ready until mid-September. I don't know about you guys, but as far as I know apartments are always rented by the month not week. Aren't those motels? Anyway, I said that would be great because that would give us some breathing room time wise due to the baby's impending arrival.

Now, since I haven't written about the condo I also have not written about the property management company that is supposed to be "managing" my property. There has been an ongoing battle with them re: communication & managing my property in my best interest. There have been several terse emails sent in the 10 months they have been our management company and things never seem to get better- we just keep getting new staff.

Well in early September I called Christine (after I left a message with our property manager the previous week) because we had not received our rent check. That was odd because Christine always paid her rent early. I wasn't sure if there was an issue w/the Labor Day holiday, if Christine paid it later than normal or if she was still living there even. I had not heard back from Christine nor the property management co. if she was going to stay in September. The phone call was very enlightening with Christine. She did clear up that her rent check was mailed & cashed (we actually received it the next day). That was good news. The bad news was Christine had also called the management company & still had not received her call back. This made me pretty mad. I also found out that Christine pro-rated her rent because she was moving out on the 18th!! Hmmmm I did not authorize this. I was a bit confused but Christine had been a good tenant so I figured what is done is done & I will have a word with property management. I felt had they been doing their job they could have cleared this up & let Christine know that this is not how apartment rental goes.

That week I wrote a very angry email to our property manager but I really didn't want to deal with any of this. I was very close to my due date, already disappointed we had not had the baby & knew we were going to have to do something to get this condo ready for rental. How? When? Who? Well Christine moved out the day after my due date, what an awful time. This gave us no breathing room & had I known I would not have OK'd her staying longer because we could have used that time in early September to get the condo in shape. After my angry email, property management wrote back, apologized, assured me they would make an appt w/Christine to do the final walk through etc. Well Christine called me on the 18th, wanted to drop off the keys to me because she called property management on Monday & they still had not called her back & guess who told Christine to prorate her rent...the property management company I hired!!!! Unbelievable. A very emotional, very pregnant woman does not to be dealing with this!! I told Christine to mail the keys to property management & I would call them. So now she's out.

We went by the condo last night because we have to get going on this so the condo will be available for renting in October. The place didn't look bad- we are repainting the bedroom (I let Christine paint it) & putting new carpet in. Little clean up & the place will be back to it's shining glory. We went to Home Depot, got paint, primer & ordered carpet last night. I had to change the carpet selection because if I did not get the stuff on special we would have to wait 3 weeks!!!! That would really not work w/the early October timeline. Ok that was all done. Mike went to the condo this morning to prime the walls & ceiling. I got a call from Mike a couple hours later & he was having problems primeing the ceiling & he broke the paintbrush (thus resulting in a skunk stripe on the back of his head). He wanted to buy a sprayer.

I'll end this story here. I will say Mike has not bought a sprayer, the condo is still not primed @ this time & my husband will be spending his free time primeing & painting.

I'm sure to go into labor now, right?

No baby today?

Ahoy, me hearties! So Rooney wasn't born today. I think that be probably for t' best. I wouldn't want him t' have been born on December 25, January 1, or July 4, either. Could you imagine havin' t' share your birthday with International Talk Like a Pirate Day?

No Dice

I didn't want anyone to be sitting in suspense- I thought I should let everyone know that we are still waiting.

Looks like on due date #2 we also will not be of the 5%. I liked the teens for a birthday but it looks like we'll be creeping into the 20's. We'll shoot for the 21st or 22nd.

We'll keep you posted.

It's Come & Gone

Well September 17th has come & gone yet I am still pregnant. So it seems for the 1st date I will not be of the 5%. September 19th was the other due date I was given. I was never really attached to this date but @ this point I am clinging to it. Mike is sick today, and I believe laying in bed as I write this, so maybe it'll be today. I thought, to add a little more fuel to the fire, I would forego shaving my legs for today.

These last couple of weeks have been really tough. I'm basically sequestered to the house, @ least if I'm bymyself. Since Mike is still working & I cannot get my sister to visit me for anything, it is basically me & the dogs staring out the window. Yesterday Dana, Renae, Natalie & Felix came to visit. It was such a nice diversion. Mike & I would have basically just sat around waiting. Well I would have been waiting, Mike would have been playing Unreal Championship. As they were here I was a little saddened when I realized the swing we got so many weeks ago now had dust on it!!! The nursery seems like it's been empty so long now- to think a couple months ago I was stressed if we were going to get it done.

So not only am I basically homebound, I feel like a sloth. My brother said I seem pretty agile for my state but I feel so limited. Bending, walking, getting dressed are difficult. Since Rooney has dropped in the pelvis I can barely lift my leg and I walk as if I have a head in my pelvis. To see Renae, who had Felix 6 months ago, moving & seemingly feeling and looking normal, I am so jealous.

I think I'll go dust the nursery.

So close...

Today Mike & I went for our weekly OB appointment. I have to be honest I did not think we would be making this appointment. Then again I thought I was going to have this kid 2 weeks ago. Seems everyone is getting prepared for Rooney's arrival- I know people have been getting jittery about phone calls & yesterday my sister called to say she is officially on "maternity leave". Um...no pressure there. I hated to tell her they made another MD appt for us next week.

Although the MD did not fill me with a great hope that I would have Rooney before next week she did say I was "very thin" (in terms of effacement). So I am maintaining my glimmer of hope. My official due date isn't until this weekend (they have me down to give birth between 17th-19th) so I'm not actually late yet. Also, the MD did say that if I was still pregnant next week than "we can see what we can do".

I have my fingers crossed we won't have to see about that (you have them crossed too)!

Britney Stole Our Birthday

I'm going to reveal a little secret...I've been harboring a secret battle with Britney Spears since I found out we were both pregnant.

Right after I found out I was pregnant & started spreading the news, out comes Britney with her big pregnancy announcement. The media focused on her and stole the spotlight from my child. I started getting pregnant belly & there's Britney showing off her bump. She even had a designer making her maternity daisy duke shorts while I settled for clearance items @ Old Navy.

So far Britney 2- Susan 0.

For a short while there I was definitely sure that Britney was looking "more pregnant" than me.

Britney 2- Susan 1

However, it quickly became evident I was "more pregnant" than Britney.

Britney 3- Susan 0

As my baby shower was being planned and I was deep in the throes of RSVP stress my new People arrives & who is on the cover with her fantastic baby shower?!? Britney!! I couldn't get all my "friends" to come to mine due to their previous engagements & Britney gets international media exposure (no doubt ensuring all her friends RSVP's but also a bagful of dough).

Britney 4- Susan 0

The one thing I thought I had over Britney was that I would be announcing my childs arrival 1st. I was absolutely certain I would have my baby before her. Not only did Britney have her baby before me, she had a boy & HAD HIM ON OUR ANNIVERSARY!!!

Britney 6- Susan 0

I officially hate Britney Spears.

Happy Anniversary

Two years ago tonight Mike asked me to be his wife. It was that night that we decided to make our little ragged band of riff-raffs a family. It was good timing for Mike to ask because the next month I was turning 30.

Now 2 years have passed & who would have guessed that I would be tap dancing on the verge of having our first child and solidifying us as a family. It's all very surreal to me. It seemed having Rooney today would be very apropos.

I don't think it's going to happen.

I Hate Tuesdays

I don't know how many of you are familiar with the Boomtown Rats song "I Don't Like Mondays". It's been running through my head all morning but I've been substituting Mondays with Tuesdays. I may have mentioned this before but Tuesdays are trash day @ our house. Normally that is a good thing. Purging crap from your house feels good. And if you recycle you feel extra good because you are helping the Earth because you've sorted and rinsed your crap. However, Tuesdays @ Tiny House mean 3 garbage trucks (1 regular crap truck, 1 yard crap truck & then 1 recycled crap truck) and that is 3 instances of absolute barking hell! The trash trucks pull right up to our back fence, they are big & loud & they set the dogs off like nobodies business. If you can imagine all the hate, frustration & anger you have ever felt & channel it through the body of a 20lb dog you would know exactly how Courage feels about these trucks. What's a dog to do? He has managed, over time, to take his frustration of not being able to get to the truck out on our fence. I'm pretty sure he's gnawed 1/2 way through the poles. I've walked outside to find him hanging by his teeth from them. Rocco isn't as angry. He may be used to the sounds of the trucks from his days as a little dump dog in Puerto Rico. He does like to instigate the anger in Courage though, and often gives him the "trash truck warning bark". I'm sure you can imagine how much we all appreciate that. Especially when the 1st truck arrives before 8am.

We've consulted a dog trainer about this. The easiest thing she suggested was to keep them in the house when the trucks go by. We agreed that would be the easiest thing and the bonus for me is that the garbage men wouldn't have to see me in my jammies & bedhead while chasing the dogs around the gazebo. Our fence has stopped taking such a beating but these boys have great hearing & they are @ the back door a block before the truck even gets to our house. Of course Rocco is leading the charge. We've been dealing with this & I have been trying to work on "quiet" with them but as the pregnancy has progressed it's become a little harder. As it is I have a little head wedged in my pelvis so getting up, down & general walking isn't as easy but the nursery window also faces the back fence & Courage knows this. Even though I have kept the blind down and the window closed he will still force his way into the bedroom (we should really get this door fixed to close tight) and stand in front of the closed blind/window & bark his little floppy eared head off. What's a Mom to do?

The trucks are gone now and it's quiet around the house but after all the chaos this morning I cannot get this song out of my head!

Get Out of My Belly!!!

It seems after not writing for several days that I would have tons to write about. However, this weekend really consisted of alot of waiting & wondering. As you've been reading I'm real interested in getting this birth on. To be a "normal" person again would be fantastic. Saturday, Mike & I took Couragito & Roccosani to the dog park. We really weren't sure when we'd be able to take them again & I thought the walking might be helpful in bringing on the big event. Well Sunday I woke up & I was still pregnant but the boys seemed happy.

Sunday was 9/11 as everyone knows. Mike was real worried about my having the baby on that date. I guess he didn't want his child to have to grow up with his birthday always being in the shadow of such a horrible day. I understood that, & 9/11 would not have been my preference on a birthday. If it was between the baby being born & not being born though, I may have leaned towards being born & coming up w/something like "beautiful miracle" happening on the anniversary or something. By afternoon I knew we didn't have to worry and we took the boys for a walk & maybe we'd be able to shoot for 9/12.

Last night was rough. I had problems going to sleep, I was up about every 30min, Rooney was moving all over & finally around 3am I started having what I thought were "contractions". It was kind of exciting & of course scary. I tried to still get sleep, because they advise that, & the "contractions" were erratic so I was pretty sure any birth would be a while. Although I have not ever had contractions before & I was still trying to get back to sleep I was also trying to time the contractions as best as I could. Once they were more regular I thought I'd wake Mike up. It was 4-something in the morning now, still too early to call my sis, so I laid there, counted & actually eventually fell back to sleep. When I woke up @ 8am, no contractions and no baby I realized I had "false labor". I can't tell you how disappointed I am.

I thought I'd be holding my son now, my legs were already shaved & Mike would have been well rested. Seems last night would have been a great night to have a baby.

Good Things Come To Those That Wait

Mike and I had our weekly MD appointment today. I was really hoping to hear I was dilated 4cm. I know this was a tall order since I haven't had any contractions but maybe I'd be one of those women that have no idea they are in labor. Unfortunately, my not-so-secret dilation hopes, were dashed. The MD said I had not dilated any further but I had made progress on effacement. That's something. Technically I still have a chance of having Rooney early but I am much less hopeful than I was a week ago and we made our MD appt. for next week.

Hmmmm...this week may call for some long walks and housecleaning.

We Can Eat!!

Since I've been pregnant Mike & I have been pretty lazy about what we've been eating. The 1st 3 months I was nauseous the whole time & seemed to only want Mac & Cheese and Grilled Cheese sandwiches. By the time I was feeling better from that we were both still working & were extremely tired. Me, due to pregnancy. Mike, due to breathing (just kidding Sweet Pea). So needless to say neither of us felt much like preparing dinners. We've muddled through and even kept our Caesar salad night on most Wednesdays but anything that required the oven to be on was seriously dismissed.

We wondered if we felt this way pre-baby what were we going to feel like after the birth? Undoubtedly, we would be less motivated to prepare decent meals. We decided to try one of those places where they prep all the dinner & you package it. There are alot of different places but we chose Designed Dinners because of it's close proximity to our house. We received 24-2 person meals. After Rooney is born we will be feasting on such meals as Tiger Shrimp Paella, Mushroom Asiago Cheese Quiche, Flat Iron Steak etc. We decided this idea was so good that it may be worth while to just go there on a regular basis. We also realized these meals are portioned correctly & they provide all the nutritional value info. This will be a huge help whilst I'm trying to shed pregnancy weight. I suppose the real test will be in the tasting. I'm pretty picky so I have my fingers crossed. From what I could see through the packaging it looked pretty good.

Also on the agenda was to squeeze in another pedicure before the baby was born. I thought I was out of luck on that earlier this week. Unless I go into labor tonight or tomorrow morning I am proud to report I have a appointment for tomorrow. After the pedicure I think we will be as fully prepared for the child as we can be.

Keep checking for updates and maybe new feet pictures.

There's a Disco in My Belly

Since our last MD appt on Friday I have been hopeful that Rooney would be making his grand entrance early. Being pregnant has been wonderful and a amazing experience but at this point the puffy round body, not being able to bend over & having numb arms every night is wearing a bit thin. Plus now that I feel pretty prepared I can't wait to see my son!!! Sunday I kept dreaming that I was going into labor but that didn't happen & then this morning I thought maybe the unveiling would be today but now I get the feeling that may not happen.

I woke up around 3-something a.m. this morning & Rooney just started moving all over. Since there is so little room for him to move now any movement he does is a huge ripple across my body. I don't know what was going on in there but for the next 3+ hours he was dancing or something. I had a mental picture of him trying to get comfortable & get out. I wasn't in any pain but there was so much movement I thought for sure it would be no time before I had to wake Mike up. Around 5:15 a.m. I realized I was not going to be able to go back to sleep for awhile, and both arms were numb so I went out on the couch. I was kind of hungry & thought I better grab a snack before I had to go to the hospital & was not able to eat anything. I watched the Morning News, cuddled Courage and Rocco and ate some Mini Wheats. Finally, I went back bed after 6 a.m. let Mike feel the roller coaster in my belly & eventually fell back to sleep after 7 a.m..

Rooney has quit squirming and it seems everything is back to normal...for now. We'll see what happens tonight.

Baby Shower Pics, Thank You's & My Sincere Apology

I've finally received some baby shower pictures! I eagerly popped in the CD looking for pictures to post. I ran through all 70+ pictures and let me share with you there is only a handful of photos that I will share with you. For obvious reasons I am in a good deal of the photos & there doesn't seem to be one where I am not talking, making some weird distorted face and in most cases, both. I won't go into it too much here but this is generally why I refuse to take photos- especially candid ones. I beg of all home photographers please wait until people stop talking, are done shoveling food in or waving body parts around before you take pictures!!!







Let me thank everyone yet again for the wonderful gifts, for coming & a special thanks for Annie,Renae & Brandi who put it together.

Now to my apology. I am in the process of sending out Thank You notes. Many of you should receive yours on Tuesday so you'll soon understand what I'm apologizing for. I have had a problem for months in which I will wake up with numb hands. It seems to have escalated in the last couple of weeks to where my wrists will hurt all day. I asked the MD about this & apparently this is normal. She said that fluid is pressing on a nerve. The problem for the people receiving Thank You notes is that my handwriting was already questionable (something I attribute to years of computer use) but with my wrists & hands hurting so much it may be completely illegible. Let me assure you that I only wrote good things on each one and I am so sorry I haven't figured out how to print them.

I may dictate the rest to Mike.

We're Making Progress

Mike and I had our weekly MD appointment today @ 10:45 a.m.. It had to be our longest appointment yet. That was not because there was many procedures happening- they just let us wait, and wait & wait. I'm not sure how familiar many of you are with what happens @ the OB appointments but each visit starts with a urine sample. That means when you come to the appt. you should probably have to pee already. Normally not a problem. Today, however, it was a problem. They let us wait so long before we saw the MD or anything that things were getting a bit critical. Who would leave a pregnant lady waiting to use the bathroom???? So when we finally get in the room I insist on the urine sample first. Good thinking, right? Seemed that way. We got all the preliminary stuff done w/the nurse- weight & BP. She gets me ready to be seen for the MD & I'm waiting. I'm waiting, waiting & waiting. I have now waited so long that who has to pee again? I was a little afraid this may interfere w/the exam. Good news is it didn't. Bad news is we didn't get out of the office until a little after noon!!!! The interesting news is that I am now 1-1/2cm dilated. What does this mean? Well we don't exactly know. We know the baby is coming soon, but how soon? It's a crap shoot. The MD did tell us who was the on-call MD this weekend but we also made an appt. for next Friday. All we know is that we have to make sure we get the 4th season of Curb Your Enthusiasm before I go into labor.

Keep reading for updates.