morning of

I was scheduled to be induced on Tuesday evening provided the hospital had room for me. Monday night Jesse and I relaxed, had dinner (cowboy stew from a soup place) and went to bed early. We planned to get up Tuesday and button everything up for our trip to the hospital. Well, on about my third bathroom trip of the night, I noticed wetness that I didn't think was pee. You kinda lose touch with your bladder when baby's been sitting on it for 10 months. I went back to bed and got up again in a few hours - noticed the same thing. Then I couldn't get back to sleep so I just laid in bed, resting for a couple of hours. When I got up (I was scheduled to work [from home] that day) there was a lot of wetness. I woke Jesse and said I think my water broke! and got in the shower. 

I called the doctor as soon as their office opened and they told us to come to the hospital - don't lollygag. We put our bags in the car, took Luna to the kennel/doggie camp and got some breakfast on the way to the hospital, checking in just before 11am.

The nurses showed us to the labor and delivery room - really nice - and told us that it had been a busy morning with five babies born in the last hour! The nurse, Kellee (a young blonde with a good sense of humor), confirmed that my water had broke and started an IV to get my contractions going (I was having some contractions that I couldn't feel). They don't want to wait too long after your water breaks to deliver because there's a risk of infection.

Within hours I was having contractions 2-6 minutes apart and they were getting painful. I got an epidural (which wasn't painful) and the contractions stopped hurting. In fact my left leg went so numb that I couldn't move it except barely wiggle my toes. Barely. It really freaked me out because I was afraid I'd never be able to move it again - it was heavy and worthless like Mom's legs.

more overdue

Thought I'd take this opportunity to update you on the Bumpuses. Apparently they only keep males from their chick-hatching escapades in order to fatten them up into noisy, confused roosters and then eat them. They had one a few weeks ago (on top of two noisy dogs and some grumpy geese, a turkey... I digress) but it seems to be gone now. Kim of the firefighters calls them occasionally to keep things under control. We were going to write a letter about our desire for peace and quiet - especially with a little one - but we didn't get around to it with everything going on. Apparently the other neighbors handled it this time and we'll get involved the next time it's necessary. Which I'm sure it will be at some point. As long as it's this cold our windows are closed so the noise isn't quite as bad as when you're trying to sleep in on a lazy summer morning. I wonder if I'll ever have a lazy summer morning again?

This is the cutest little hand-knitted hat and sweater set that arrived yesterday from my brother John's mother-in-law, Jan. Our friend Liz sent a gorgeous handmade sling (to carry the baby) and changing pad - I'll put it on later to carry my belly and make Jesse take a pic. Another handmade thing (I'm forgetting something here) we've received is a beautiful wool blanket from my bossman's boss, Sherri. We've gotten SO many great gifts and giftcards - it's shocking but I think we *might* have everything we need! Who am I kidding, I have no idea what we need. I'm sure the little runt will fill me in after he/she arrives. Doubtful that it's a runt anymore given that I'm more overdue every day!

overdue

So... Sunday came and went with no new arrival. As did Monday. From midday Saturday to Sunday night we got over a foot of snow which is beautiful! Snowing again today - we have maybe four new inches from last night and will likely get another couple today.

Last week I got to see my cousin Eric who was visiting from Kansas. On Friday Jesse went snowboarding in Vail with Eric and his buddies. I talked Jesse into going up to Vail again on Sunday since Eric was still there - and it's a long way to go for a day of boarding on your own.

Jesse's so nervous now that he barely lets me out of his sight! Bags are packed... car seat installed. We're as ready as we're going to be. Casey's food will be on a timer (he's lonely and needy, poor guy) and Luna will go to camp/kennel. If we have to leave at a time when we can't take Luna to camp, the firefighters have offered to handle her. They have a puppy, Lucy, who plays well with Luna which wears them both out.

Getting awfully excited for sushi and a glass of wine!

TTFN - ta ta for now

Olive

Olive was a real trooper with her near-week of hospitalization, frequent vet visits, chemo treatments every 1-2 weeks, nausea, pills getting shoved down her throat, all of it... She got a treatment on Jan 3 that the doctor said she "wouldn't call a last resort" but it obviously was. We were unable to get the cancer into remission. Her kidneys again went into acute failure, she stopped eating and we had to help her go - and say goodbye - last week. She was only 8 years old (we had hoped she'd live for 20). We miss her terribly, our little squash-eating, fireplace/sun-loving, meerkat-sitting, silent-meowing, tail-tip-wagging, food-loving, stomping, Bubby-dog-loving, Q-tip-stealing, string-obessessed, burrowing-under-the-covers, black-toed, big-bellied, bony-cow-butt girl. So much of our time was dedicated to her care these last few months - especially Jesse's time. Jesse picked a perfect spot to bury her on our property under a big oak tree and we certainly feel her presence in the house. Haven't built a fire (her recent favorite) since she's been gone... it's just too hard. We're soon to be very focused on baby... but there's guilt with moving on. Luna misses Olive as evidenced by her now constant harrassment of Casey. Casey misses Olive - he demands much more attention now than before.

We'll never forget you. Love you, Olive. Miss you.