Huh?

Huh?

We took some pictures of Sam for his baby announcement today. I propped him up in our bed in just a diaper. Then we got him dressed, and he looked so darn cute in this outfit, we decided to take another picture. I call this one, "Where's the remote, woman?"

Time warp

Somebody's living in a time warp!

I think the boy is in a growth spurt because he is hungry all the time. It's almost as bad as those first few days at home, before my milk came in. He took a 45 minute cat nap a little earlier, but then woke up. I managed to get him back to sleep by pacing the house with him in the snugli.

Dave has been amazing during all of this. He has really given me some good breaks right when I needed them, and he's been keeping the house from going all to hell - doing laundry and dishes, and cooking dinner. He's gotten us out of the house for regular walks and little trips to the store. It seems I married the most awesome dad ever. (But I already knew that).

Max is adjusting to being a big brother. He's not here a lot - he's so busy with school, plus he's only here half the time anyway - but when he's around, we will plop the boy on him occasionally. He does great. He even had his first spit up experience yesterday! :)

So all is well. I'm back in my smaller maternity pants already, and I can wear my regular t-shirts. (Okay, the bigger ones). I got a shower today, and I am determined to take Sam's picture for his announcement.

Whew! Mommyhood is hard work!

Awake

Awake - Click for more pictures

And here is little Samson! I think I took this picture the day after we got home from the hospital. That would make him 3 days old. I can't believe how much personality he has already!

Click on the photo or caption to see our photo stream with many more pictures of the boy!

My world...duly rocked.

I don't even know how to start this post.

Samson Gray Selig joined the world on Saturday, March 17 at 9:23 p.m. He weighed 7 pounds 8 ounces and was 20.5 inches long. He is utterly perfect.

When we got to the hospital, the labor and delivery ward was winding down from a very, very busy spell. (They deliver, on average, 30 babies a day at this hospital, so it's always busy). I had to be induced, so we were deposited in triage for five hours where I was put on monitors and given an IV with fluids. Dave and I did crossword puzzles and watched a Steven Segal movie on the portable DVD while we waited.

My blood pressure was going to be a problem throughout labor - it was spiking early. So when they finally moved us to the labor and delivery room, I already knew I was going to be confined to the bed for however long labor would last. They started the pitocin at about 6 pm on Friday.

I started having some bigger contractions, but by 5 am Saturday morning, I was still only 2 1/2 centimeters. Incredibly, the doctor offered me the option of skipping all this and having a c-section. I said, "Um, no thanks."

I was however, pretty wound up and unable to use any of my natural labor techniques because I was confined to the bed, and had to lay on my left side at all times. My whole body ached from being in the same position for hours. I went for the epidural.

I barely remember getting the epidural. I do remember that Dave and the anethesiologist were talking about some other topic the whole time. (That happens a lot. :) ) I found it annoying, but also distracting, in a good way. Dave wanted to watch them put in the epidural, but they wouldn't let him. Getting the meds was weird. It hurt, but it was over quick.

Then, I slept.

Spent most of the rest of the labor in and out of sleep. My parents came over at 1 pm on Saturday to stay with us. My sister was snowed in in Philadelphia, which is just her luck. By 5 pm, I was still only 4 1/2 centimeters. I was on my third shift of hospital workers.

I couldn't really get that much rest because I was throwing up every hour or so from the anethesia and from not eating. They finally gave me some medicine for nausea, and I zonked out just after 5 pm. When I woke up at 8:00, I was suddenly 9 1/2 centimeters! We were ready to push at 8:30.

I thought my parents would excuse themselves to the waiting room, but they stayed put. I was relieved that they stayed. I thought it would be awkward to push the baby out in front of my parents, but that was the LAST thing on my mind.

Took about an hour to get him out. It was the hardest thing I've ever done. I ended up with an episiostomy, a decent tear, and a vacuum assist. They plopped him on my stomach and all I could say was, "Oh my god."

Fast forward through the placenta, the stitches, and Ann totally whacked out on medicine.

All in all, I was in labor for about 27 hours. Wow.

So now you want the pictures, and I don't have them off of the camera yet. We were in the hospital for a couple of days, sleeping, eating and learning how to nurse. Got home late yesterday afternoon, and presently I feel like I've been hit by a bus. Thank goodness for Pharmacy Take Away.

Today, Dave and I are taking the boy out for a nice walk and to pick up a few things I thought I wouldn't need, but really really do. (Like a nursing pillow). I will try to get some pics up in the next day or two. Seriously, you won't believe how beautiful he is.

Thanks for all the support!! Love you all.

We're heading out

Sam is officially out of room (and fluid), so we're heading over to the hospital to get induced.

Love to all! See you soon!

Still here

Hi guys. I'm still here.

Yesterday, I got really depressed about the state of things. I have tried every trick in the book to get this labor going, and nothing has worked. I have reached resignation. It will happen when it happens, and not a moment sooner.

Oh my GOD!

It goes on and on.

You guys, I know. You've been waiting forever! Since before the bugger was conceived! I want to satistfy you with thousands of photos of my chubby, pink little boy!!

I've spoken with my baby and expressed my growing frustration. Every morning I look down at my belly and exclaim, "Wouldn't it be fun to go to the hospital today and get BORN?" He usually kicks me in the kidney and rolls over. I am not encouraged.

If my fluid is lower on Friday than it was on Tuesday, I may get induced over the weekend. The baby at the end of that tunnel is the only thing that could get me even marginally excited about lying in a hospital bed for three days being pumped up with various amounts of medication, possibily ending in a c-section. Woot.

. . .

Connect the dots
La la la-la
Connect the dots
La la la-la

Did I mention I have a doozy of a cold too?

Oh look, 40 weeks 1 day.

A few contractions, but all false so far. In short, still no baby. :(

To top it off, I have a terrible chest cold. I am coughing all day and all night (big, phlegmy coughs) and my nose is running.

We are all on pins and needles waiting for something to happen. Everytime anyone comes or goes at our house (and there are a lot of us since Danny is home for spring break and Max is here this weekend), it's all "if you're not home when I get back, I'll assume you had the baby!" But Samson continues to disappoint.

I know it's dumb to be bummed out, but I am.

Another doctor's appointment on Tuesday. I'm starting to think I'll be keeping it.

PS: Obviously, the blood work was normal.

Got scheduled for an induction

My due date is tomorrow, but my blood pressure was a little high at my appointment today. Got some blood work - it if comes back abnormal, that would indicate preeclampsia and I go tonight. Otherwise, we wait and see. I get induced on the 21st if he isn't born yet.

Here's hoping the blood work comes back normal, but we still go tonight - because he says so. :)

Slept til 11

I am taking everyone's advice and sleeping a lot.

Actually, I'm sleeping weirdly. Didn't sleep much at all last night - the baby was very busy and I was tossing and turning, convinced it meant something. After Dave left for work I fell asleep for a good four and a half hours. Which means I woke up after 11. Which I never do.

As far as I can tell, there is still nothing going on. My mom and sister are calling every other day for an update, but I kind of dread it because there's nothing to say. I've got nothing to do but work, which I don't want to be doing, but it's better than going crazy.

I have another doctor's appointment tomorrow. Hopefully she'll say I've at least effaced some, if not dialated a centimeter or two. It wouldn't mean that labor is imminent, but it would mean that I'd have one or two fewer centimeters to go at the end.

Well, que sera sera. This is one thing I can't control. Not even a little bit. Maybe I'll just try to sit back and enjoy that.

Yes, I will try to blog it when I finally go into labor. Unless it's an emergency deal, of course.

Why I love Taylor Guitars

I had never heard of Taylor Guitars until right before I went to buy my first acoustic. On a whim, I decided to look up what kind of guitar Dave Matthews plays, and that's how I learned about Taylor.

(yes, I live a sheltered life)

Anyway, I bought my first Taylor a few years ago - a 310 dreadnaught. I started taking lessons on that guitar. It was basic (by Taylor standards), and a little big for me, but it was my baby.

A year or so later, I got "sick birthday pricing" on a Taylor 814-CE from Guitar Center. We have a "guy" at guitar center, or so he would like us to believe. He hooked me up. The 814 is a grand auditorium-style guitar - a little smaller, with the expression system for plugging in. It is also one model below the guitar Dave Matthews plays on stage (the 914-CE). The only difference is that the 914 has a whole lot more decoration, which actually just seems gaudy when you're playing a very small room, like, for example, your living room.

The 814 is beautiful. Everytime Dave and I went to Guitar Center to noodle around, I'd play some other guitars, but I was always going for the 814. Sometimes, I would spot it out of the corner of my eye and think, "That's my next guitar!" And then I realized it was actually my last guitar. And that made me so happy.





Anyway, I was heartbroken when I discovered to not-unsignificant cracks on the back of my guitar. I actually wanted to crawl in a hole an die. Oh, the agony!

At first, I assumed it was my fault, but the cracks were on opposite sides of the center, with one at the top and one at the bottom. My teacher suggested that it could be a defect and that I should call Taylor.

I called Taylor and they agreed to take a look at it. They sent me an empty shipping box to usher it safely back home to California. I sent it off a few weeks ago.

Why do I love Taylor Guitars? Because they just called to let me know that my guitar is on its way back to me, the cracks in the back repaired, and with all new electronics. Seems I had kind of ancient electronics, and they just figured they'd replace them while they were in there.

I love Taylor Guitars.

PS: FOUR days!

Not yet...

Still here.

I'm pretty bored. I'm checking in with my belly 40 times an hour. I'm seeing a lot of movies, and watching a lot of A&E. I am missing people, but also dreading the ringing of the phone because, no mom-dad-katherine, nothing's happening.

My back hurts...

...and I'm cranky.

Waah.

The tiniest fireman

This morning, at the ungodly hour of 8 am, I went over to the car seat inspection place to have a fireman install the car seat.

Yep, we have a "car seat inspection place." It's actually a pretty kick-ass service. For free, an actual fireman will install your car seat. For FREE! My tax dollars at work.

At least I think he was an actual fireman. He was wearing the official Fire Service hat. He certainly talked like he was a fireman. You know the type - all technical when it isn't even necessary. Like on Cops.

I kind of dig firemen. Not in a sexy way. I just think it's neat that they fight fires and stuff. I also think it's neat that they will drop everything and come roaring down your street at 9 pm, right in front of all your neighbors, lights flashing and sirens blaring, flying over speed humps, just because you think you might smell gas in your house. Even if it's actually just cat pee.

Anyway, he was in fact the tiniest fireman I'd ever seen. He tried to make up for it by talking big. He lectured me for quite some time about making sure I don't have anything in the back seat that could fly around and "strike my child." "Those things aren't tested the way the seats are," he said.

In the end, I was really glad he was small, since it allowed him to crawl inside my Corolla and demonstrate how to lean over the back of the rear-facing seat and put your weight on it to hold it in place while you tighten the belt.

Yep, I'm glad he was small, even though I still can't see saving Kurt Russell. Or even carrying a hose.