Hi!

1. My daughter is somewhat of a non-sleeper. As in, awake from 10:30 pm till about 6 am - she has her days and nights turned around. However, my mom came in on Friday and has been helping me out the past two days (since husband is back at work), and suddenly Ellery is sleeping like a champ! Last night she was only up to feed, then back down for another 3 hours or so - thank you Lord!

2. I've been so tired that my days are sort of all running together, and I hadn't even realized it had been so long since I posted! If I keep getting to sleep a few hours at night though, I'm hoping to spend this next week catching up with all of you, I've missed you guys! And, also...for the women who have given birth out there...you'll know what I mean when I say sitting on a hard chair for a couple hours in front of a computer is not exactly "comfortable" in the week or two after, ahem.

3. I have gift bags sitting all over my apartment with presents that I really need to start keeping track of. I think I'm going to start forgetting what is from who pretty soon, thus making my thank you cards a bit hellish.

4. My mom and I went out yesterday and I bought a new pair of flip flops, they are heavenly. I think someone else has them, or a pair similar, because they looked very familiar, but they are wonderful. I've been wearing them all day.

5. Oh wow, I'm quickly realizing that my life consists entirely of baby related stuff...holy. I really need to get back on track, or I fear soon everyone will forget about me!

6. Hope you're all having a wonderful weekend, love and hugs from me to you. Hope to catch up soon!

And FINALLY! Without Further Ado...

Ellery Anne Elizabeth
Born May 13th, 2008 (her due date)
6lbs, 4 ounces
19.5 inches long

And in this picture she's yawning, not screaming, I swear :)

She's a perfect blend of husband and I both, though I see more of him in her, than of myself.

And here she is about 30 minutes ago, just after we walked in the house, for our first night at home.

Right now I'm operating on about 3 hours sleep in 3 days, so I'm going to feed her, then crawl into bed while husband watches her until the next feed.

For now, all I will say is she's perfection, a joy, a dream come true, all I've ever wanted, and the love of my life.

And I will be back soon with more of the story.

Love you all, sorry for the wait.

xoxoxox multiplied by about a million

You Guys Rock!

Oh man, before I say anything else, I have to tell you all how much I love you! And *ahem* it's an entirely inappropriate amount - like way, way too much :)

Butterbean is not here yet - but will be shortly. Very shortly.
After spending hours in the prenatal assessment unit at the hospital yesterday for my never-ending migraine, they decided it had nothing to do with the pregnancy and sent me home. I had this migraine for 44 hours people. Forty-four hours! By the time we left the hospital I was in tears...blech.
Last night my blood pressure was crazy high, but I decided just to go to bed, since going in to the hospital wasn't getting me anywhere anyways, and I had a fitful night of sleep.

This morning though, they called me and asked me to come in for induction. Husband and I had the fastest showers ever, jumped in the car, and headed to the hospital. We spent 6 hours there today, me getting molested, baby getting monitored, and finally, getting the induction started.
Only thing is they gave me the slower acting stuff, to hopefully ease me into labour, and sent me home. It's a little frustrating, but okay too, because at least things are moving now, yay!

So now we wait.
Either for me to go into labour tonight, or if that doesn't happen, to get a phone call from the hospital again tomorrow morning, where they will have me go back in to stay and give me the harsher stuff. Oddly enough, I'm wondering if Butterbean might actually be born on their due date, which is Tuesday.

Anyhoosers, I've sent husband for a nap to try and get some extra rest for the next couple of days, but I'm all hopped up on adrenaline and can't sleep. Can't wait to be able to post with pictures and details of our beautiful baby! Yay!

And Happy Mother's Day to all the beautiful mommies out there!

A Super Lame Update

Thursday at my weekly check-up my doctor decided that since my blood pressure is continually creeping up, and since my headaches have been getting worse each day, it was time to put me on the induction list. Thank you Dr. R!
But here's the catch - I was on the list for yesterday, but it can be any number of days, depending on what other emergencies come in, the availability of beds, and all that fun stuff. Since it's now 3:15am the following day, you would be correct in guessing that I did not get in for Friday. Booo! So now we wait.
I have to tell you, it's not a fun waiting game. I almost thinks it's worse than just waiting to go into labour naturally. Because now, instead of just watching my body for signs, I'm waiting for my phone to ring, and it could change at any point during the day!
For instance, if they have already called me in the morning and said that today wasn't the day, but they manage to get through all their extreme high risk cases, they can still call me in the afternoon and go "Hey! Now we can take you - get your ass down here." And then I go.
I know, this makes me sound whiny doesn't it?
But it's just as well Friday wasn't the day - I was up most of the night with one shit-kicker of a headache, and it's now evolved into a full blown migraine, still pulsating 24 hours later. I was in bed with the curtains closed and a cold cloth on my head for most of the day yesterday, and even popped as much Tylenol as I could, which I've been trying to avoid.
And for any of you that get migraines, you'll know that it's hard to concentrate on anything else when you have one. I'd rather my head feel better and have a fighting chance of concentrating on labour - because migraines make me incredibly selfish, and unable to think of anything else.
I feel bad for husband too. He's trying to be sweet, and supportive, and helpful, but I'm just kind of at that "irritated at everything beyond any rational thought" stage. But the nurse reminded us that that was normal, and that it would all be over soon.
And it will be, we know. We've just never been patient people...

The Murder and Pillage of Kevin Bacon

Meet my friend, Kevin Bacon. He and I have been buddies for just over a year or so. He used to hang out with me in my office at work, but has since quit his job in publishing to spend time with me while I'm on maternity leave. What a great pig!
Each day at work I would feed him pennies, nickles, dimes and quarters from whatever was left after my daily spending, he was quite the lucky little pig.
Just last week he and I were brainstorming over coffee for ways to bring some extra money in. Soon there will be a baby in this place, and as you know, babies take a lot of money. Kevin kept insisting that he would try to get another job...but really, how much could one little pig contribute to the household, right? It's not like he can move or anything (rumour has it he was in a terrible trough accident years ago and just hasn't been the same since), but he's good for company, and storing my change.

So, imagine my shock when I couldn't find Kevin for a few days! (What with him not being able to move and everything.) I searched high and low - mostly low because he was kind of chubby to get too high - and couldn't find a trace of him! But then...yesterday...in the mail...I got a package. A package of hideous, grotesque images, straight out of an episode of CSI.

If you can't bear to read on I'll understand...

Inside the package was a slide show of my beloved Kevin Bacon - sliced open and murdered for all the shininess of his insides!The husband's first reaction after crying out in horror was to make mention of the fact that the hand pulling out the guts looked surprisingly familiar...to which I quickly told him that nobody we knew could be capable of such carnage!
The final image below was almost more than I could handle. I thought about calling the cops but figured I should just lay low for awhile. After all - there are two other little pigs living here with us - and the last thing I need is to have to worry about their safety.

But, just when I thought there was no hope for any happiness in my life again, after a trip to the bank today I was surprised to see a deposit of $98.50 to Butterbean's bank account!

Silly bank, must have messed up on their deposits again...

RIP Kevin Bacon, you will be missed.

Ramblings of a Bed-Rester

1. I'm actually getting used to being home and doing nothing. That is just about the saddest thing I've ever admitted, but it's true. The day goes by incredibly fast between naps, the occasional load of laundry, peeing, eating, and nurse visits. Sad, sad, sad.

2. I finally had a sex dream last night - hallelujah! In between the husband snoring, my stomping out of the bedroom, then going back in to kick him out, I squeezed one in sometime between 3 and 6 am, and it wasn't complicated at all (as in: no flying horses, no babysitting, no barns) yay!

3. I can not believe how many solicitation calls we get in a day! And companies call everyday - sometime like three times! I've been trying to ignore them, but as they wake me up more and more often from a nap, I've begun answering in an incredibly bitchy tone, and being about as un-Catholic as I can get. It's not pretty, but some of them have actually quit calling.

4. I miss my family, my dad in particular. I was upset the other day because he hadn't called me, or been home when I'd called for about 3 weeks. But then, like clockwork, the phone rang and the machine picked up and I heard his voice saying "Hi babe, I guess you're not home, but I just wanted to call and say I love you and that I've been thinking about you..." before I got to the phone. We only talked for about 10 minutes, but it made me so happy. I can not wait to see him with the baby in his arms.

5. What do you get your mom for Mother's Day? This has been a yearly struggle for me with my own mom, and of course, now I have to worry about my mother-in-law too. Usually we pick them up big, beautiful plants from a greenhouse since they both love flowers so much, and then they last all summer - but since we haven't been home in ages, I haven't gotten them anything.
I'm always amazed at the commercials where they advertise getting your mom a complete luggage set, or a new set of dinnerware, or a $300 trip to the spa. First of all, I'm not made of money, and second of all - I can't see my mom feeling particularly loved with a new suitcase...but maybe that's just me.

6. Surprise! I'm tired. And hang on...what's that? Oh yes, I hear my bed calling...

39 Weeks

So here I sit, 39 weeks, still pregnant, and ready like you wouldn't believe for this little miracle baby to make their way into the world. I still don't think I'll make it to 40 weeks, but only time will tell...

We're ready for you Butterbean!

Some Stuff I Need to Get Off My Chest

*Warning: I'm feeling particularly surly, hence this whiny, pity-party of a post, so feel free to skip it - it's nauseating.*

1. Why is it near impossible for a restaurant (fast food or otherwise) to cook bacon properly? In a sit-down restaurant I specifically ask for very crispy bacon because I loathe the fatty white part...in my opinion it's better to just char the whole piece. To this day, I usually just get so annoyed when they bring it back just a little less congealed that I say it's fine, then don't eat it.
But fast food restaurants? Blech. It's like they just wave it at the fryer on the way by saying "no time for you, the stupid customers love raw bacon anyways!" It's disgusting.

2. I'm about at the end of my rope with the husband's snoring. I know it's not his fault - he doesn't do it intentionally, he wears nasal strips, he props his head up on two pillows, he uses this gross nasal spray from the doctor...but still he snores.
But now we don't have a spare bedroom, and we also don't have a full size couch in our living room, so it's not like I can just kick him out, or go sleep somewhere else on my own. The other night for the first time ever I broke down in bed after 3 nights of no sleep and actually woke him up with my sobbing.
Tonight, after asking him repeatedly to roll over (by the way, he even snores on his stomach , so position doesn't make much of a difference) and him ignoring me, I finally said "I bet you'd hear me if I punched you in the face..." and surprise! He heard that one - and had no trouble yelling right back at me, so I stomped out and he went back to sleep.
I'm at the end of my rope - it's not his fault, but I can't help but blame him. I figured that when the Bean comes I'd be so tired at night that if I had half an hour to sleep I wouldn't notice his snoring, but I'm beginning to have my doubts...

3. My home visit nurse this week annoys the crap out of me. She's really nice, and tries to be super helpful, but she's one of those amazingly unorganized people that drives me up the wall. I think I may have been spoiled last week when my fantastic, sweetheart nurse would show up between 9:30 and 10, get in and out, and let me get on with my day.
This nurse calls me at about 10, then hopes to get here around 12 or 12:30, then doesn't show up till 1 or 1:30, then has to ask me 200 questions about "my case" because she has me confused with other patients. You're holding my file in your hands for shit's sake!

4. I am impatient beyond belief for Butterbean to get here. It might have to do with the bedrest, but that baby can not get here soon enough. Everyone keeps saying "oh, enjoy this time while you can, you'll never have peace like this again." Well you know what? I don't really like peace and quiet that much, it's not like I'm sleeping anyways, my back aches, my head aches, I'm peeing every hour on the hour, Braxton Hicks plagues me every day, and now real contractions are making themselves known more and more, so bring it on already!

Whew! I feel much better after blabbing about all that...so, I think I'll go have a shower, kick the husband out of the bedroom, and fall refreshed into my big comfy bed until the nurse gets here at about 2 this afternoon.

Hope you all have a wonderful day - and weekend!