Introducing......

Reagen Nicole.

07/12/07, 12:59 PM

8 lbs. 11 ozs.

What a porker!! I cannot fathom where all that baby was in the momma's skinny body...

Poor DIL2B ended up with a C-section after about 10 hours. Labor went great, everything progressed nicely, but in the end, Ms. Reagen's head would not come thru. DIL2B apparently has some sort of funky tailbone and it wouldn't give or break to let her come thru. RaeGae spent many hours stuck in the birth canal and her head was actually crowning when the C-Section was decided. She couldn't get past DIL2B's tailbone. Too weird.

She had the ultimate conehead.

But it's gone down. And RaeGae is doing great. She's been home 2 days now and is doing everything exactly as she supposed to. Including keeping everyone awake.

Let me see if I can fill you in on her routine.

Step 1. Cry.

Step 2. Scream.

Step 3. Eat.

Step 4. Pee and Poop.

Step 5. Sleep a little, but not enough to give mom and dad a decent rest.

Step. 6. Repeat from Step 1, 24/7.

But it's still great.

Sincerely,

The Mother of the Baby's Dad

(In other words, Not The Grandma)

Stressed Out

This Momma is stressed out.


DIL2B is at 2 centimeters at 36 weeks. Her doctor took her off of the Procardia yesterday, so I guess she can go anytime. We are still planning a baby shower this weekend. Maybe she'll be there and maybe she won't. Hell, if she's having the baby at that time, it's likely that I won't be there either! You just never know with these things. She could stick like this for weeks. So we're kinda on pins and needles.


Husband had his super Parish Picnic Saturday. It was a huge success. And a huge time and effort investment on our part. Both of us took off work all week just to prepare. Husband was literally up there 24/7. Hard work for everyone involved. And there were a lot of people who really put their hearts into it. I sure hope everyone gets the recognition they deserve.


Now I'm paying for tagging Sara! She tagged me. The gist is to reveal 4 new things you've learned or experienced in the past 4 years and then to name 4 new things you want to achieve, try or accomplish in the next 4 years.


So here it goes..


4 Things for the Next 4 years.


Number 1 - Retire. June of next year is my slated early retirement date. I will leave gov't service with 23 active years. It's been a fine ride but I want to go do something else for a while.


Number 2 - Start a new career. Something part time that pays like full time. Doesn't everybody want something like that? If anyone knows the career path for this, let me know.


Number 3 - Get involved in foster parenting, or Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Something along those lines. It breaks my heart to see or hear about neglected kids who have no positive direction or advantage in their lives. Children don't ask to be brought into this world, they are innocents.


Number 4 - Gut my kitchen and back end of my house or travel a lot more. I'll have to choose which one. Unless I hit the lottery, I won't have the money to do both.


Now for the other side of the coin. 4 things I've figured out in the last 4 years.


Number 1 - Having a preteen daughter is both a trial and a blessing. I've always heard that raising a boy is very different from raising a girl. They weren't kidding. Hormones, drama, hysterics......Then at the same time we can have a really good time together. Peaks and valleys... But, man...those valleys can get deep. She's my daughter and my best friend.


Number 2 - I'm realizing I did a pretty decent job of raising my first child. Many times over the years I have questioned whether I have been a good parent. But, amazingly, he's turned out pretty darn good. He makes me proud.


Number 3 - I have come to realize that I'm aging. OH NO! This is not supposed to happen. I was talking to someone the other day about my upcoming birthday and totally got my age all wrong. I was counting myself a couple of years younger than I am! When I realized I had it all wrong and what my actual age will be next month, I was really taken aback. Aii Yii Yii...

Number 4 - I need to take more time for myself. Over the years, I've let my hobbies slack off and the things I like to do. So I started crocheting again. Also, I like to garden and cook. So I've been taking a few classes here and there, when I see something interesting. I let myself get stagnant there for a while and that's not good.

So there.... I'll have to think on who to tag next... My brain is still fuzzy.

The Waiting Game

We are waiting.

DIL2B went to the doctor this morning and she was 2 centimeters and 80 % effaced. I guess she could go anytime but we are hoping for another week or two. Her OB-GYN guessed Miss Reagen to be about 5 lbs.

It's so funny, because around Easter time, DIL2B said at family dinner that she didn't want a scrawny baby... she wanted a good 8 pounder. All of us veteran moms sat around snickering. Sure, go ahead, push that 8 pounder out, honey....Well, now I am praying we get another pound or so on Reagen in the next week or two.

DIL2B is doing good. She is doing everything she's told to do. She looks like she is carrying a very low bowling ball. I can remember feeling like that. Son is taking care of everything. Her every wish is his command. I am so proud of the way he's turned out.

Thanks to my internet buds who have kept us in their thoughts. I so appreciate the fact that individuals who have never met us, are thinking of our situation.

Believe me, you are in my thoughts and prayers . I think of you guys often. And am anxiously awaiting your own children.....

Sara, you better put that poncho on that child!

Cease and Desist Order

Even if no one has missed me, I feel the need to vent regarding my recent silence on th Web.

In the last week we have made 3 hospital trips with DIL2B. She started having contractionss last week at 32 weeks along. She's on bedrest and has had 3 sets of shots Breathine to slow/stop the contractions. She is also on an oral med (Procardia) every 4 hours that's supposed to hold off the contractions. It's all helping, but it's not going away.

The first time we went to the hospital she was told her she was definitely having contractions and her cervix was starting to "soften". Not too bad if they can stop it.

But she was at her OBGYN yesterday morning and had started to dialate. Not good. Later that afternoon, she started with full blown contractions. DIL2B was in tears, Son was on a UPS delivery truck miles away and her mother and I were nervous wrecks. So we packed her up and took her to the hospital again. More shots of Breathine and an increase in the oral med.

L&D nurse and OBGYN both feel that the exam in the morning stirred up the contractions again.

She will be 33 weeks this Thursday and I am worried sick. Son is a bundle of nerves and DIL2B is scared to death. This is just such a reality check for me. I just wish I could fix it all for them. No matter how old your kids are, the instinct to fix or save them from any trauma never goes away. And recently, since we have really been getting ready for the baby to come, I am more and more excited. We've had two baby showers and have another one planned for the end of the month. SIL#1 and I don't know if the Mom and the Baby will be there, but we're still planning it.

DIL2B's OBGYN wants to hold her off for another 2-3 weeks. Dr. feels like DIL2B is fine and the baby is doing fine too. It's DIL2B's uterus that's not cooperating.

SO HEAR THIS, I AM OFFICIALLY EXECUTING A "CEASE AND DESIST ORDER" TO DIL2B's UTERUS.

QUIT WITH THE CONTRACTIONS ALREADY! OR THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY FROM THIS EXPECTANT GRANDPARENT!

Here are some pics from the first shower.

The is Son and DIL2B before Son skipped out on the hen party.

They're kinda blurry, but you can see that they are a fine looking couple.

I love them both so much..

Here's DIL2B holding up our girl's first UofL Cardinal's cheerleading uniform. She'll be going to the ball games with the rest of the family!

Here she is again opening more loot.

DIL2B has always been a tall drink of water at 5'7" and 120 lbs. Now she just looks like she swallowed a watermelon.

She is so cute pregnant!

So, if anyone is out there, please keep my big kids in your thoughts. And if you have any left after that, hold on to a few for the very penitent paternal grandparent.

Pic-A-Nick

I've mentioned before that we're Catholic. It's more tradition than a Faith with us. I won't go deep into our position with the Catholic Church because it would get messy.


But we both grew up with the practice of Catholism and were educated in the school system. I myself went thru Catholic Colleges for both undergrad and graduate school. Our children are educated thru the parochial and the archdioscese education system.


So we've lived in our neighborhood for 20 years and have belonged to the neighborhood Catholic parish during all this time. We've always been active in the parish, primarily because of the school. Because of the discrepancy in our children's ages (24 & 12), we've have a kid in school there for 15 consecutive years. Without a break. That's 15 years of tuition folks. Of course we're going to do everything we can to keep down the costs.

This year, Husband is the annual church picnic chairman. For those of you unfamiliar...shame, shame. Nothing like a Catholic Church Picnic. Beer drinkin', gamblin', prize booths, fried chicken, fish and bratwurst... Mmmmm... Gambling isn't a sin if you're doing it for a charitable cause...like the church.. And since so many Catholics are of Irish, German and Italian descent, you surely can't rule out drinking. This is the place to be in the summer. On some parochial grade school grounds catching up with your neighbors, family, people you haven't seen in years, people you went to grade school and high school with... Typically, a Church's picnic is the biggest annual fundraiser for a parish. So you're drinkin' and gamblin' for a good cause.

It started out simple enough. Years ago Husband started out helping because Son's basketball coach was Chairperson. Within a few years he found himself running one of the popular gambling booths. He did a good job and kept doing it for a couple of years. Before you knew it, he was knighted as Gaming Chairman. Head of all gambling. I guess they figured since he was Italian and Catholic, it was a natural transgression, kinda like Al Pacino in The Godfather. He'll make you "an offer you can't refuse".

He held that position for a couple more years. Then the most recent picnic chair couple had to resign for personal reasons. No one stepped forward. Once again, before he knew it, he was asked to be Picnic King. He pondered it a while... asked if that meant he got his own walkie-talkie and golf cart and when powers that be said "sure thing" he readily accepted. What a schmuck.

As Picnic Czar, he is responsible for everything no one else feels like messing with.. It's hard work. There's way more to it than either of us thought. And it's a thankless job. It's one of the jobs where you just can't please everyone all the time. Don't let anyone ever tell you that politics and religion have nothing in common. Not sure which one spawned the other, but they're definitely closely related. Everyone vying for their interests. And you don't get much help or cooperation. There are so many people who figure that if they pay their money for tuition and tithe to the church then they don't need or want to do anything else. Some people don't see both sides of the coin. It's events like this, organized and managed by the church/school families that keep those costs down. I know the cost is still high, but every little bit helps.

Now all while he's Picnic King, let's remember that I am on our school's board as well as the athletic board. So right now, all of our spare time, (except when I'm blogging) is spent at church/school. We've rescheduled our annual June vacation because of this. No wonder we don't go to church every Sunday! We're there all the time anyway!

So this blog is dedicated to Nick, my husband.. who is selflessly giving all of his time, effort, muscle and smarts to church until mid-June. And is ready to pull all of his thick Italian hair out.. Someone should recognize this and I figure it might as well be me.

But Melinda??

I was surprised Melinda was voted out last night. MSNBC says that she was too good. Voters began to think of her as a professional rather than amateur.

I'm not so sure about that. What I think is that her being voted off says a lot about who's really doing the voting. All three finalists have their own niche. But let's face it, Blake and Jordin are more appealing to the young set of viewers and I'll bet that's who doing the majority of the voting. Kids have nothing but time on their hands. Besides, being the technical idiot that I am, I don't even know how to text message. Duhhh.

Blake is my personal favorite and well as Girly's. He's just as cute and as bug in a rug. He really has stage persona.

I've Been Tagged..

I can't believe it. I've been tagged by D, formerly known as .hohndel.org/randomthoughts/. It surprised me because I really don't fit in with his crowd. But I love to read his blog. He and his wife have the cutest set of twins! He is constantly telling of their antics and posting the resulting pictures. It gives me a lot of joy to read his honest account of their journey thru parenthood. By tagging me he's either telling me he likes me or he's trying to chase me off. Mmmmm.....

The gist of the tag is to list 7 things about yourself that few people are aware of. I had to be selective about this... There's a lot of skeletons in my personal closet. I don't want to give the impression that I'm a total whackjob.

So here it goes..

1. I have a weird way of reading the newspaper. I start reading all the articles on the front page which interest me. Then flip thru the section page by page, continuing and finishing each article I started as I come across them. It just seems more practical than flipping back and forth.. Don't mess with my system, it'll throw my entire equilibrium off as well as put me in a bad mood.

2. I've never had stitches (except as a result of surgery or birthing babies) and have never broken a bone. I guess I was a couch potato even as a kid.

3. Too much wine makes me mean and makes me puke. Hard liquor too, although I can do my share of Bloody Marys. Husband has banned me from drinking wine at social functions. I'm already sarcastic enough, no enhancements are necessary.

4. I am a salt 'ho. I like extra salt on everything. I put extra salt on my fries and salt in my ketchup. No wonder I have to take blood pressure medication.

5. I'm very superstituous. You know, "step on a crack, break your mama's back".. So far, my mother has retained her spine... thanks to me.

6. Husband married me because I'm hot. On our first date we went to a college basketball game. I ordered some nachos and asked for extra jalepenos. He says he knew right then and there I was the gal for him. We have 11 different pepper plants in our garden this year. I LOVE hot and spicy food. Make me sweat, baby. Probably why I had to have my gall bladder removed 5 years ago.

7. Last but not least...I am really not ready to be a grandma. I'm not old enough. This wasn't supposed to happen yet. I still want more kids of my own. (Not physically possible, but I have a deep interest in adoption/foster parenting.) I'm mad at my son and DIL2B for letting this happen. They're not old enough (translate that to "mature enough"). I shouldn't be angry and I feel guilty about my selfishness. But I guess I'll just have to get used to it. It doesn't mean I'm not going to love this baby. I already do. But the timing just sucks. Why couldn't they have waited until they were more established?

There, I did it. Now it's time to pass the curse on to other fellow bloggers. D didn't tell me what would happen if I didn't pass the tag along. But surely I'm avoiding some catastrophic event by not breaking the chain. Remember, I'm superstituous.

But I am taking D's advice and cutting back on the # of bloggers I'm blessing with the tag. My blogging network is pretty durn small. So the few of you that are getting this are of a unique group. Really. I promise.

http://threedumplings.blogspot.com/ - Monica

http://buckeyesinchina.blogspot.com/ - Robin

http://lanechinaadoption.blogspot.com/ - Sara

http://victoria-grace.blogspot.com/ - Stacy

Sorry Stacy, I saw on your blog someone had just nailed you the other day.