The Sun Will Come Up Tomorrow

This picture was taken this morning and will be the last time you will see Emily's belly this big, at least for a year or so. The next time I post on the blog, it should be from the hospital as we are going thru labor. We are both pretty excited, nervous, anxious, and excited again. Hopefully everything goes as smooth as possible and by dinner time tomorrow we will finally meet our little one.

Since it is Halloween, here is a fun link to the greatest Halloween show ever. Pay particular attention at the 0:16 mark and the 2:21 mark. If you were around when I was training for the New York City Marathon, you will recognize these two scenes. I have been told I do a great impression of both.

OK......that is all for now. Check back again, often, tomorrow for updates.

Monday Monday...(Dah Dahhhh Dah Dah Dah Dah)

Yes......Emily is still pregnant. We had a pretty big doctor's appointment today. They did a non stress test and another ultrasound. The non stress test is pretty simple. They put a heart rate monitor on Emily's belly and check to make sure the baby's heart rate is constant. They also check for steady movements. They do this in 20 minute intervals for an hour. So basically you get 5 non stress tests. If you pass the first one (heartbeat between 120 and 170 bpm and 10 movements) you are cleared to go. If not, they do it again for 20 more minutes until the hour is over. Well, we passed on the first test. That was a relief.

Next we did the ultrasound to make sure everything looked good with the baby and the fluid level. Again, everything looked great. The baby even has some hair (I am already jealous). The technician said the baby should be between 7.5 and 9.5 pounds.

Finally we went to our regular doctor visit. This is when things really got interesting. Our doctor, again, put a monitor on Emily's belly to check the baby's heart rate. Once again everything was normal. She then told us we would probably be back in on Thursday for another non stress test. If everything was normal again, we would set an induction date for next Monday (Nov. 5Th). So, while we were extremely happy that the baby is very healthy in the womb, we were a little upset thinking there had been no progress in terms of dilation and that we would have to go another full week before anything happened.

Our doctor was basing these thoughts on our previous visits the last few weeks. So after she had told us all that, she did the internal examination and we got some really good news. Emily's body is ready. So ready in fact, that the doctor was willing to schedule an induction tonight if we wanted to do it. It was a complete 180 from what she had thought before the examination. Well, needless to say, it was a good visit. We are scheduled for induction on Thursday November 1st at 5am, if the baby does not come beforehand, which is very possible.

So, I just spent my last weekend as a non-parent. I wish the Bengals would have beat Pittsburgh, that would have been something I would have never forgotten. :)

I will be blogging from the hospital, so keep checking the blog for updates. Keep us in your prayers this week.

Clocks

Still waiting.....(No, this is not Emily!)

Induction Junction...What's Your Function?

Today was the day the doctors thought we would be parents. Well, not so much. We saw the doctor this morning, and our baby is just as happy as can be in the womb. To our little Baby A, mommy's belly is like a 4 bedroom 3 bath house overlooking the ocean and Pebble Beach Golf Course.

So, next Monday we are scheduled to have another Ultra Sound and a Non-Stress Test to make sure everything is still on the up and up in that womb. If the fluid level is good and the baby's heartbeat is normal, we get to wait yet another week until they induce labor. As you may have guessed, this was not the news we were expecting when we walked in to the office today. We thought they would schedule the induction for next week. Not that we want to be induced, we just want to meet this little person that has been kicking Emily's ribs for the last 2 months. Oh well, the waiting continues. I guess it just shows how great a host Emily is. Our baby just does not want to leave the well lit and beautifully decorated womb that Emily prepared for him/her.

Ok Computer

Emily and I had been sharing her MAC as our home computer. Well, this weekend the only news to come out of the Anderson household was that the MAC is down and out. We took it to get fixed and they said the battery won't hold a charge, but it should work fine if plugged in to the wall. So, we got home, did that and out of nowhere, this horrible noise came shrieking out of the computer. The sound reminds me of the Banshee that I had a link to in the post below. Very high pitched and very annoying. Also, it does not stop when we shut the computer down. That's right, the screaming computer lives on even after we turn the power off. Not quite sure how that happens, but hopefully we get it fixed today. If not, the hospital room blogging I promised may not happen. Also, all of Emily's email addresses are on that computer, which is a problem when you are expecting a baby any day now and you want to be able to tell all your friends about it without racking up a major phone bill. Keep your fingers crossed that we get it worked out.

Doctor's visit tomorrow morning, I'll have an update for you all afterwards.

You Are My Dear My Darling One

So the news from the doctor was more of the same. We are scheduled for one more visit, next week on what the doctors originally thought was the due date (Oct. 23rd), if there is no change then, we will schedule a day for Emily to be induced. Meanwhile, Emily will continue to eat really spicy food and go for long walks throughout the day.

Since we are getting close to Halloween, I wanted to share a clip that used to scare the banshesus out of me when I was a kid(right at the 1:00 mark). In case you don't know where this came from, it was my favorite movie growing up....Darby O'Gill and the Little People. It stars a very young Sean Connery, here is a clip of him singing the song that inspired this post.

Oh the movies of my youth! By the way, if anyone can find this movie on DVD, please let me know where I can buy it.

Your Kiss is on My List

Nothing new to report. We have a doctor's appointment tomorrow, so I will have an update on Thursday. Also, in what I consider good news, Emily has agreed to let me blog from the delivery room. How lucky are all of you? So when the big day arrives, I will post up to date news as much as I can from the actual room. Pictures will not be included.

I did find this list and wanted to pass it on to all my soon to be or currently expecting fathers. I highlighted the ones that, in some non-thoughtful moments, I have actually said:

TOP THINGS NOT TO SAY TO YOUR PREGNANT WIFE

"Not to imply anything, but I don't think the kid weighs forty pounds."

"Y'know, looking at her, you'd never guess that Angelina Jolie had a baby!"

"Well, couldn't they induce labor? The 21st is a home game."

"Steve at the office passed a stone the size of a pea. Boy, that's gotta hurt."

"I'm jealous! Why can't men experience the joy of childbirth?"

"Are your ankles supposed to look like that?"

"Get your *own* ice cream!"

"Got milk?"

"Retaining water? Yeah, like the Hoover Dam retains water."

"You don't have the guts to pull the trigger, Buddha."

"Sure you'll get your figure back -- we'll just search 2006 where you left it."

"Keys are on the fridge, honey. I'll see you at the hospital at half-time."

"Honey -- Come show the guys your Brando impression!"

"Sweetheart, where'd you put that Victoria's Secret catalog?"

"Hey, when you're finished pukin' in there, get me a beer, willya?"

"That's not a bun in the oven -- it's the whole friggin' bakery!"

"I know today's your due date, but John just got a 10 point buck and that's a reason to celebrate, too."

Same Old Story....Same Old Song & Dance

The update from our doctor visit yesterday is pretty much the same. Emily had a little more dialation, but nothing too news worthy. They did write her a note so she can stop working next week (Tuesday would be her last day) and start taking it easy. Besides that, not much more to report.

On another front, our friend Tracy Gonsior (her and her husband John hosted the couples shower I blogged about earlier) and her son Will are local celebrities now. Take a look at this video from Channel 19 news this morning. I think Will has a future in Hollywood. His dramatic pauses and curious looks remind me of a young DeNiro.

The Waiting Is the Hardest Part

I apologize for not updating the blog the last few days. As the title of this post will tell you, we have been dealing with waiting the last couple of days.

First, we have the ongoing waiting for the baby. Even though the due date is still a few weeks away, Emily is ready. Her feet and hands are swelling, when the baby kicks, it now kicks her rib cage, and her tummy is reaching maximum density. Add to that her ever changing hormones and let's just say the last few days have been fun. Even with all those things, Emily is still very happy and excited. Her only complaint is not knowing when the baby will arrive. Does anyone like waiting and not knowing?

The second bit of waiting we were dealing with (that directly affected this blog) was at the hospital this weekend. My dad had a little breathing episode on Friday and was admitted to the hospital that day. From Friday evening at 5 to yesterday at 5 we basically all had to wait around for stuff. Wait for a nurse to bring him food, wait for a doctor to tell him what is going on, wait for an appointment for an Angiogram, wait for the Angiogram, and finally wait for another doctor to tell us about the Angiogram. Honestly, it was close to unbearable. I have never sat in a waiting room for over 5 hours before with no answer or word from anyone. Add to that the fact the an Angiogram directly involves his heart, and it was a little nerve racking. Well, they finally got to us and everything is 100% fine with his heart. He basically has an infection or high blood pressure and that is what is causing his breathing issues. So, 84 hours after checking in to the hospital, my dad gets to go home with some new medicine and a hole in his groin. Good times!

Tuesday Night Is All Right for Eating!

When Emily and I were first dating (2003), I tried to impress her by making us dinner one night. Everything seemed to go off great. I was feeling pretty good about myself. Well, apparently my 90210 Chicken Dinner (Chicken Breasts baked in Cream of Mushroom Soup) and Bob Evans Microwaved Mashed Potatoes was not as impressive as I thought. As we got to know each other better, I realized that Emily comes from a long line of great Chefs. Her mom is awesome in the kitchen. She will make just about everything from scratch, it tastes great, and is usually healthy for you. Apparently, Emily's grandma made delicious cookies. Emily inherited this trait as well. Our regular weekday dinners are usually better than what I can get at most restaurants. So, microwaved mashed potatoes had to go if I was going to impress Emily.

That year for Christmas, Emily got me a cookbook. I think I had used it once since she gave it to me. Basically I was the griller, Emily was the Chef. Well, with her being pregnant and low on energy, we dusted off the old cookbook and decided I should try making something from it every Tuesday night. Last night was my first attempt. Here is my creation:



Obviously I was very happy with it. Emily was as well. It was Chicken with Noodles, Broccoli, Carrots, Mushrooms and Cauliflower, served in a cream sauce. What do you think?

Pictures From Our Couples Shower

Last Friday the Gonsiors and Atkinsons hosted a couples baby shower for Emily and I at the Gonsior's house. Like most men, I have never been to a baby shower. I can tell you, if they are all like the one we went to on Friday, I am down for more baby showers! We played some trivia games, opened presents, had some great food, and, oh yeah, drank some beers(not Emily, just me). We had a great time. Here are some pictures from the event, including(if you look real close) some updated shots of Emily's belly.