This past Monday, Nov. 30th, Taylor Christian Richard Smith was born at 4:51PM. He weighed 7 pounds and 14 ounces, and was 21 inches long, and in good health. Mama did a great job! She waited as long as she could before asking for an epidural, and they gave her one at 3:00PM. The nurse came in to check on her at 4PM, and got a big grin on her face and said "Honey, you are THERE! I've got to go call Dr. Roberts and tell him to hurry over. You are totally effaced and the baby's head is about 2" out of your cervix!" And Emily said she had the urge to push and the nurse said DON'T do it! Breathe through it. The nurse made an emergency call to Dr. Roberts, Emily's OB doc, and he hurried over from his practice in Blacksburg all the way to the Radford Hospital. And I called Michael on his cell phone and told him to hurry over - things had progressed RAPIDLY and Emily asked the nurse "am I going to have this baby by 5:00? And the nurse said YES! So Michael put the metal to the pedal and got there right after Dr. Roberts, and Dr. Roberts put on a sterile glove and checked her as soon as he got there, and said he was going to run and get into his sterile clothing, and Emily said she had to push and he said NO, wait until I get back! So Emily breathed through it again, and Dr Roberts got back at 4:35PM - he got to the hospital at 4:30PM. And Emily was finally allowed to push and she pushed with all her might and at one point she said she couldn't do it anymore, and Dr. Roberts said yes you can! The baby's head is out, and Emily couldn't believe it, and she pushed one more good hard long push and the rest of the baby came spilling out, and they wiped him up a little and put him on her chest, and she was bawling her eyes out. Tears of joy! I was operating the video camera, after having it shoved at me to be the camera person, and not knowing how to operate the camera!! I had to be given a quick lesson. The baby had a headful of black hair, and he was as cute as can be, a very good looking baby. And then the nurses took him, to clean him up real good, and to get his footprints, and to weigh and measure him, and to put the stuff in his eyes.
They put down his time of birth as 4:51PM. So from 4PM when she felt something funny about her butt, to 51 minutes later, she had the baby in her arms. She was able to nurse him, and luckily he knew how to latch on to drink. We all had tears in our eyes, and after nursing him and burping him, Emily rocked him to sleep and put him in the bassinette to call a few of her best friends to let them know she had the baby. She was scheduled to be induced that morning, but she had started having contractions on her own early in the morning. They were about 2 minutes apart on their way to the hospital. I came over at 1PM to be with her, and it had switched to back labor, and I knew what kind of hell that was, because that is what I had with her. And it was only when she felt like her spine was being ripped out of her back that she asked for the epidural. She did a real good job! We left after she ordered her dinner, and it came up, and the baby was nursing again. We had to get home to a houseful of dogs, ours and theirs, and it was late for their dinner time, and we didn't want a riot on our hands. I will never forget the site of the baby coming out of her - I tried to not get her private parts in the video, but to get as much else as I could. The whole day seemed to be surreal to me. But the hurry up and get here to Dr. Roberts, who was in with a patient, and to Michael, well, those were some worrisome minutes. After we came over on Tuesday morning to visit with them, and then left to come home, Emily called and asked me to go with Chris to get a bassinette for Taylor, as we could tell they were going to need one. It fit in the back of my SUV, and I drove it over to their house, and he carried it upstairs, for them to put in their bedroom when they got home on Wednesday. I'm bringing their dogs over to them after they call me this morning. They have a pediatrician visit this afternoon around 1:00. So if I don't hear from them this morning, I should this afternoon.
What an incredbile couple of days this has been. I can hardly wait to show him off to my friends.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Catching You UP!
Well, we are getting down to the wire. About 6 weeks left before the delivery date, and Emily is feeling mighty tired. I can't blame her, I remember how I felt when I was carrying her.
Yesterday, I went out and bought the pack n' play - Classic Pooh version. We are going to keep it in its box until we are ready to set it up. We've got to clean the den up first. I've got to wash the slipcovers on the furniture and clean the floor, and clean the doggie nose and paw prints off the French door glass windows, and dust this room really well. Vacuum it first to get the big hunks of doggie fur out of the way.
But we have decided that today is clean up the kitchen day. So that it is. We will work hard and have a lovely kitchen in return. In case we get it done early, we will turn to the den and work in here next. Or in the living room/dining room. Then we'll pick what room we do tomorrow. And just take it one room at a time until we are done. My studio will be last on the list. And I'll ask Michael to help me with it. Actually, last on the list will be the whole downstairs, but that whole mess can wait till after New Year's to be dealt with, as can our rearrangement of my studio and our master bedroom. Right now we are just going to get them cleaned up.
I've got to order the cake and the vegan cupcakes for the baby shower that Paul, her "man of honor" at her wedding is throwing for her. I'm in charge of the cake, and the balloons to be put at the intersections directing the people to the party - so on party day, I've got to go have the balloons made up and have the dowel sticks ready and tie the balloons to the dowel sticks (actually I'm going to duct tape the ribbons to the dowel sticks, along with a piece of cardstock with an arrow on it showing the way to go, and on party day, I will go out early and push these into the ground before the party starts. The party starts at 7pm, and so I'll go around 4:00 - 5:00 and put the balloons up. At 4:00, I'll go pick up the cake and cupcakes. Then come to their home and put up the balloons and arrows. Which I'll have made up earlier and have ready to go. And I'll go pick up the balloons at 3:00 or 3:30. I've got to drive out to their place to count the number I'll need and the number of arrow signs I'll need. WHEW! This is a lot to do! And my friend, Janet, will need directions to get out there, or else she can follow me out there, when I come back to the house after putting up the arrows and balloons, and delivering the cake and cupcakes. She is being awesome and is bringing her famous Mexican dip and scoops to hold everybody till everything is ready off the grill. Plus she is bringing her stadium seats - our extra fold up chairs, and I'll bring ours too, for it looks like there will be about 20 people at the party. And not enough seats for everybody. But surely some of the guys will volunteer to sit on the carpet. Emily, being the pregnant one, is claiming the recliner.
I keep getting the feeling that her water will break at the party and it will be a rush job getting her to the hospital. I'll have to grab her dogs and put them in my car and take them back to my house and then go to the hospital. And the show will begin!!!!!!!! Well, that probably won't happen, because that would make her 20 days early on her pregnancy, and I have a flair for the dramatic, but I can imagine it all!!
That is all for today.
Yesterday, I went out and bought the pack n' play - Classic Pooh version. We are going to keep it in its box until we are ready to set it up. We've got to clean the den up first. I've got to wash the slipcovers on the furniture and clean the floor, and clean the doggie nose and paw prints off the French door glass windows, and dust this room really well. Vacuum it first to get the big hunks of doggie fur out of the way.
But we have decided that today is clean up the kitchen day. So that it is. We will work hard and have a lovely kitchen in return. In case we get it done early, we will turn to the den and work in here next. Or in the living room/dining room. Then we'll pick what room we do tomorrow. And just take it one room at a time until we are done. My studio will be last on the list. And I'll ask Michael to help me with it. Actually, last on the list will be the whole downstairs, but that whole mess can wait till after New Year's to be dealt with, as can our rearrangement of my studio and our master bedroom. Right now we are just going to get them cleaned up.
I've got to order the cake and the vegan cupcakes for the baby shower that Paul, her "man of honor" at her wedding is throwing for her. I'm in charge of the cake, and the balloons to be put at the intersections directing the people to the party - so on party day, I've got to go have the balloons made up and have the dowel sticks ready and tie the balloons to the dowel sticks (actually I'm going to duct tape the ribbons to the dowel sticks, along with a piece of cardstock with an arrow on it showing the way to go, and on party day, I will go out early and push these into the ground before the party starts. The party starts at 7pm, and so I'll go around 4:00 - 5:00 and put the balloons up. At 4:00, I'll go pick up the cake and cupcakes. Then come to their home and put up the balloons and arrows. Which I'll have made up earlier and have ready to go. And I'll go pick up the balloons at 3:00 or 3:30. I've got to drive out to their place to count the number I'll need and the number of arrow signs I'll need. WHEW! This is a lot to do! And my friend, Janet, will need directions to get out there, or else she can follow me out there, when I come back to the house after putting up the arrows and balloons, and delivering the cake and cupcakes. She is being awesome and is bringing her famous Mexican dip and scoops to hold everybody till everything is ready off the grill. Plus she is bringing her stadium seats - our extra fold up chairs, and I'll bring ours too, for it looks like there will be about 20 people at the party. And not enough seats for everybody. But surely some of the guys will volunteer to sit on the carpet. Emily, being the pregnant one, is claiming the recliner.
I keep getting the feeling that her water will break at the party and it will be a rush job getting her to the hospital. I'll have to grab her dogs and put them in my car and take them back to my house and then go to the hospital. And the show will begin!!!!!!!! Well, that probably won't happen, because that would make her 20 days early on her pregnancy, and I have a flair for the dramatic, but I can imagine it all!!
That is all for today.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
A New Size
Hi! Well, I had to go out and buy new jeans. My old ones were falling off of me. I was in a size 26 when I started Weight Watchers in March. Then, when they got too big, I had a pair of size 22's I found in my closet, and they fit fine. Then, they got too big, and so I went jeans shopping again. I went to Lane Bryant, and picked out a pair of size 20 jeans, figuring that would be the size I would need, and they went on fine, but were large in the waist, and in the thigh area. I thought to myself, surely this cannot mean that I should try on a size 18 pair of jeans! But I made myself go back out to the jeans, and I found ONE pair of size 18's and brought them back into the dressing room, and cautiously tried them on - I just knew I was going to be embarrassed at trying them on - if even I could get them up, they surely wouldn't button or zip up. But I did get them up, and lo and behold, they buttoned and zipped up easily! You could have knocked me over with a feather. ME wearing a size 18!!!!!! If I knew how to do a cartwheel, I would have done one! Well, those suckers were MINE, and I could hardly wait to tell Michael and show him. So I bought them, and got them home and put them on with a fitted top and came in to show him and he was WOW! You really can see that you have lost weight! I told him what size they were and he was so proud of me. Heck, I'm proud of me! When I got on the scales this week, I only registered one pound lost, so that was disappointing, but I'll take it. It is better than a gain or a .2 loss. If it takes me a year to lose the weight, then it does. I'm sticking with this until my goal weight, and then beyond that, because I don't want to put the weight back on. After I reach my goal and become a lifetime member, I'm still going to go to the weekly meetings - they will be free for me, and I will continue to count my points and get my tracker, and keep track of what I am eating all day long. This is a lifelong battle, and I have to keep my guard up. Unless I can work up to some exercise, this is going to take me a year and a half more to get to my goal weight.
Friday, October 2, 2009
I'm down to making the sleeves on the sweater. Otherwise it is done. YAY!!!!! Gotta go get a little help from Sandy at Mosaic for the sleeves, because they look pretty darn big and long enough now, while I should be doing another set of 9 rows. I'll see what Sandy says. And I still have the cuffs to do on them. I'm using the magic loop method instead of 4 DPNs. Those were driving me crazy. I may end up buying a longer size 7 Addi Turbo today to make it a little easier on me. I'm using a 16" one now, and it is a little tough to use. I'll see today and get Sandy's opinion on it. They are $18 each, and I gotta decide if that is how I want to blow another $20! The little sweater is so adorable, and being newborn size, it is so tiny and delicate! Just so precious! This is one to hand down to the next generation.
After I finish the sweater, I've got to finish the jester hat, so that is off the needles too. Then I have a kimono sweater to finish up. And a baby blanket to knit. I'll work on that after the baby comes, and I am babysitting him while Emily is at work. I can sit and knit while the baby sleeps - hopefully. I'll drive over to Emily and Chris's place and bring my diet cokes and a few snacks, and my knitting and glasses, and will use the time to get my knitting caught up. Hopefully, Emily will be able to keep the same job she has had, but the firm is splitting up and Emily is thinking that they are going to eliminate her position. So she'll have to go back to being a hearing reporter, which is fine with her, it just means that some days she will work 4 hours, some days no hours, and some days all day. But she makes good money doing this work. And she works at her own decision - they call her and ask if she is available for X day and Y day, and she can take both of them, neither of them or one of them. But I think she'll take as many as she can get because the money is good for her in this job. She is considered an independent contractor.
Well, more later. I'll take a pic of the sweater when it is done and post it. And the overalls that go underneath it, which Sandy is making for me - bless her heart! Sandy is tops in my book!
After I finish the sweater, I've got to finish the jester hat, so that is off the needles too. Then I have a kimono sweater to finish up. And a baby blanket to knit. I'll work on that after the baby comes, and I am babysitting him while Emily is at work. I can sit and knit while the baby sleeps - hopefully. I'll drive over to Emily and Chris's place and bring my diet cokes and a few snacks, and my knitting and glasses, and will use the time to get my knitting caught up. Hopefully, Emily will be able to keep the same job she has had, but the firm is splitting up and Emily is thinking that they are going to eliminate her position. So she'll have to go back to being a hearing reporter, which is fine with her, it just means that some days she will work 4 hours, some days no hours, and some days all day. But she makes good money doing this work. And she works at her own decision - they call her and ask if she is available for X day and Y day, and she can take both of them, neither of them or one of them. But I think she'll take as many as she can get because the money is good for her in this job. She is considered an independent contractor.
Well, more later. I'll take a pic of the sweater when it is done and post it. And the overalls that go underneath it, which Sandy is making for me - bless her heart! Sandy is tops in my book!
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Up and Down!
Well, I did my usual at weigh-in the next week - I was up 2/10ths of a pound. But the next week, I was down 3.4 pounds. I think I am going to go every other week, and see if I can hit it on the weeks where I lose the weight. I was very pleased to be able to fit into size 22 jeans - I went from size 26 jeans, to size 22 jeans! Now it is just keeping it up. The day before yesterday, I really blew my diet - I had to use the 35 extra points we get each week. The kids came over to work on the yard for us, and I came out and helped some. But they wanted to order pizza and Papa John's had this special going on that if you ordered a medium two topping pizza, you could get his special cinnapie for free. So we ordered that, and then it turned out that this was the first time we ordered online, so we got a free medium cheese pizza on top of that. !!!! Anyway, I had two slices of pizza, and several pieces of the cinnapie - all delicious. But it came to 36 points for the day, so I had to dip into those 35 points to make it. Yesterday I did much better and had 6 points leftover at the end of the day. I have GOT to get out there and start walking! But I dread it so much - fear of falling, mostly. Maybe we'll end up getting me an exercise bike to use indoors. I also have fears for my safety on the trail. Maybe I'll look into exercise bikes and see how much they run.
I just had my oatmeal, so I am good to go until noon. And I'll have a zero point Progresso soup. I'm thinking tacos for dinner, so I want to save as many points as possible for them. No falling off the wagon this week. In fact, I want to clean out the fridge of any red light foods - just toss them, so they don't seduce me.
I just had my oatmeal, so I am good to go until noon. And I'll have a zero point Progresso soup. I'm thinking tacos for dinner, so I want to save as many points as possible for them. No falling off the wagon this week. In fact, I want to clean out the fridge of any red light foods - just toss them, so they don't seduce me.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Thanksgiving Day
Well, they have moved the due date up to Nov. 27th - Thanksgiving Day. Now we wait and see if he is timely or not. I hope he is fairly on schedule, and not too late. She needs as much time as possible with him before returning to work. We will be taking care of him from about 2:00pm - 5:15pm Monday-Friday, as her husband leaves for work about 2:00pm, and she gets off work at 5:00pm. We've got to buy a pack and play - a miniature play pen, that comes with a snap on changing table.
Michael and I have a lot to do before the baby arrives. We've got about 10 weeks to do it in, so we'll be starting this weekend. I've got to spend today working on the baby sweater, or I'll never get it done in time. We've got clutter to get put away, floors to clean, etc etc. Because once the baby is here, one of us will always have to be in the room with the baby, to watch over him with the dogs curious about him.
They have thought of a new name for the baby, which I'm not going to reveal, because they are not going to decide until the baby is actually born to name him. So you'll have to come here and see what the name is sometime after Thanksgiving.
Michael and I had our 32nd anniversary yesterday - wow! The years have flown by. I made Michael a handmade card, and he bought me a dozen peach roses. It was fun to reminisce.
Michael and I have a lot to do before the baby arrives. We've got about 10 weeks to do it in, so we'll be starting this weekend. I've got to spend today working on the baby sweater, or I'll never get it done in time. We've got clutter to get put away, floors to clean, etc etc. Because once the baby is here, one of us will always have to be in the room with the baby, to watch over him with the dogs curious about him.
They have thought of a new name for the baby, which I'm not going to reveal, because they are not going to decide until the baby is actually born to name him. So you'll have to come here and see what the name is sometime after Thanksgiving.
Michael and I had our 32nd anniversary yesterday - wow! The years have flown by. I made Michael a handmade card, and he bought me a dozen peach roses. It was fun to reminisce.
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