3:45AM. Nap time for papa is over. Serious contractions have started and firm lower back massage is the order du jour. We’re up to 4 cm and contractions are regular so things are progressing well. The IV has been started and the epidural is on order.
All settled in – the wait begins
1:18AM – All is quiet in the hospital room. We’ve checked in, so we’ll be here for the duration. They’ve monitored both mommy and Junior and all is well. The contractions are still mild to moderate, but we’re 80% effaced, so we’re progressing well. Jen’s in the bathtub, soaking. I’m preparing to take a nap.
On our way to the hospital
9:30PM Contractions are down to seven-eight minutes each. Cookies for the nurses are in the oven. When the cookies are done, we hit the road and head up to the hospital.
Jen’s Water Broke
On Thursday’s exam, Jen was already dialated 2cm. That’s a very good sign, meaning her body is getting prepared for a healthy natural pregnancy. Her water just broke (7:30PM). It looks like things are progressing towards a slightly early delivery. We just packed up our hospital bags and now Jen’s trying to rest up for the big event.
Stay turned, more details to follow.
Look what I found!
Somebody had a very thoughtful and loving way to say “Happy Anniversary” this morning. 🙂
Jen has an outie!
Another milestone in Jen’s pregnancy has been reached. Jen’s bellybutton is now an outie!
Home Maintenance
We’ve been working away at the house a fair bit lately. Nearly all the drywalling is done and we’ve finished up all the mudding and sanding. How do you know if you’ve been working with mud for too long? We’re not sure, but we figure it’s at the point where you begin looking for holes to fill that aren’t in the wall.
We’re in the home stretch now, all the walls are finished. Nearly all of them are primed and a few are painted.
The countdown
As of today, we have 34 days to the due date for little junior. The pregnancy is going as good as could possibly be expected. Jen is carrying the little Michelin extremely well, but you can finally tell that she’s pregnant.
Until this last week, she’s been gaining a mere 1/2 lb per week. This is the babies “plumping up” period and the weight gain has accelerated. Mama has developed a bit of amnesia, something other fathers have told me is quite normal. Personally, I think it’s quite fun.
Today she had the very first contraction that she felt. As I understand, it’s quite normal to have them sporadically in the last 6-8 weeks. I can tell exactly how far along she is by her answer to the “are you ready to get him out yet?” When the discomfort level exceeds the fear of giving birth, I’ll start keeping my hospital bag packed.
Baby News
We are 7 weeks and counting to Junior’s due date. I am excited and nervous both and feel like these last weeks are going by slowly. My belly feels large enough as is, and all the other mothers at work smile and say things like, “Just wait and see. It will get even bigger.”
Martha, Matt’s little sister, is hosting our baby shower in May. For those needing advanced warning, we are registered at BabiesRUs and Target. And no, we still don’t know Junior’s sex. We still want it to be a complete surprise.
This past weekend we experienced Junior hiccuping. The number of things you feel when a baby is growing inside you is quite amazing.
rogue waves
To myself, an inexperienced boater, I find the prospect of rogue waves fascinating. Violent water is “typical” in many areas (Cape Horn, Cape Hatteras, etc) and is expected there. There are geographic reasons such as underwater topography, tides, and other factors that create to turbulent water. Other reasons for huge waves is simply weather patterns, particularly storms. Within the class of violent weather is a class of waves known as freak, or rogue waves.
Only recently have scientists begun to understand their frequency, and the more they learn about them, the more light becomes shone on past events. They are closer now to having plausible explanations for things that defy a simple explanation, like the unexplained disappearances of 200 ocean going ships, and the Bermuda triangle. However, there is much still to be understood about rogue waves.
Many scientists believe that there may be as many as 2 to 10 of these rogue waves generated each year. The 965′ ocean liner Norwegian Dawn had just weathered out a storm through the night and as dawn broke and the seas calmed, a 70 foot wave arrived and blasted the ship. The captain of the ship had 20 years of ocean going experience and had never seen anything like it.
Although sailing through the storm may not have been the wisest choice (it tends to make passengers “uncomfortable”), navigating his ship through a violent storm and a 70′ wave with only a couple broken windows to show for it a remarkable achievement. My hearty congratulations to the captain. Many a ship has simply disappeared under such conditions.