Making Memories

It's kind of strange to use the term "making memories"... When you think about it, everything you say and do essentially becomes a memory. But I suppose there are times in our lives that we really want to cement into our brains. Really, every day since Everett was born has been like that -- little moments that I never want to forget; coos, smiles, facial expressions that I want to treasure forever. And alas, I feel like I'm already starting to forget... Those days at the hospital when Everett came into this world seem like ancient history. *sigh* I digress.

This entry is supposed to be about Jason's parents coming to visit. They flew from Texas to California the last weekend of June to meet their grandson. Of course they wanted to be here the minute he was born, but it just wasn't possible -- especially because he surprised us all by arriving three weeks early! Jason's mom is a teacher, so they had to plan the trip for when school was out-of-session. Besides, now that Everett is 2-1/2 months old, it was probably a little more fulfilling for them to spend time interacting with him, whereas if they had visited sooner, they would've spent a lot of time just watching him sleep. (Not that there's anything wrong with that -- it's one of my favorite times!)

Their trip began by spending a night in San Francisco. It's probably a good thing they canceled their plans to stay in the city for two nights, because it was "Pride Weekend", and I hear things can get a little crazy. Anyway, I'm sure it's all they could stand to be so close to us and still not have seen Everett. So it's Sunday afternoon, I'm wearing Everett in the Moby, and I'm folding baby laundry, and I hear the door open... That was the beginning of the whirlwind! The whole week leading up to the Coles' arrival, I was trying to brace myself -- I knew that having guests would probably be a slight disruption to the routine we've worked out, and therefore it could be a little draining on Everett and Jason and me. But I don't think any amount of mental pep talk could have prepared me for the next 10 days.

Don't get me wrong, it was great to see Jason's folks! And it sure was exhausting.

The first day they were here was pretty low-key. Jason drove up to San Francisco to retrieve Gary and Sandy, and the three of them spent a few hours hanging out in the city. A scenic 2-1/2-hour drive and a stop at In-and-Out Burger later, and they were home (at least it was their home-away-from-home). The afternoon was consumed by the official meet-and-greet, a trip to the grocery store, lots of photos of "Gammy" and "Pappy" with Everett, and lots and LOTS of baby-talk. Dinner was leftovers, and we ended the night with bath time.

*****
Monday morning began pretty leisurely. Thankfully, it was the first day of Jason's class break, so he had the entire week off! It was nice that we could all spend time together as a family. We passed the time that day by walking around the Del Monte Center, which is our local "mall" -- it's more of an open-air-concept shopping center. The weather was nice, so we didn't mind just being out for a stroll. Then we went to Whole Foods where Jason spent way too much time at the cheese counter (a favorite pastime of ours), and we left with fresh produce and an afternoon coffee in hand. These little outings may not seem like a big deal, but with a two-month-old in tow, even then smallest errand can be a huge undertaking.

*****
Tuesday was Sandy's birthday. We had grand plans of going to the Farmers' Market in downtown Monterey that afternoon...but the weather clearly had other things in mind.

Yes, he's feeding coffee grounds to the earth worms...

Jason did a little gardening, despite the gray skies, but once the rain started, we knew any other outdoor activities were off the agenda. So instead of a jaunt through the market and dinner at Monterey's Fish House (seriously, what restaurant is booked until 9:00pm with reservations on a Tuesday?!), we went to Costco and then headed to Cannery Row. We had dinner at a yummy seafood/Italian restaurant called Paradiso, and we were right on the bay, so we could look out over the water as the sun went down. When we got home, we had a mini celebration for Sandy, complete with a mini birthday cake (chocolate with peanut butter frosting -- YUM!).

And before we realized, it was already after 10:00 and way past Everett's bedtime. Being out of our "early to bed" routine made for kind of a rough night...but we survived.

*****
Wednesday was full of more errand-running. The weather was MUCH better than the day before, so being out and about wasn't as much of a chore. First stop: Babies R Us, which means we headed to Salinas. Sandy already admitted to having some kind of addiction to buying Everett baby clothes, so it took all of Gary's strength to steer her clear of the clothing department. We did get a little sidetracked buying Everett some toys to keep him entertained in his carseat...but the damage was minimal. We went to Monterey Coast Brewing Co. for lunch -- the food is yummy, and we're all in love with their Chocolate Porter! In fact, they sell beer by the growler-full (which is about 64 oz.), and we were due to have ours refilled. ;)  Our last stop before heading home was Star Market, a lovely, old-fashioned little gem hidden among a very unassuming shopping center in Salinas. I think Jason left the market with no fewer than four varieties of cheese (yes, we have a problem), and then we went home to prep dinner.

Jason grilled some super-thick-cut filets of tenderloin (and topped them with blue cheese-butter!), baked a few sweet potatoes, roasted some of our home-grown zucchini, and opened a bottle of Rocco Reserve from the local Parsonage winery -- DELICIOUS! And we settled in for the evening. We would need our stamina...

*****
Thursday we knew was going to be rough. Jason planned for us to drive up to Fairfield to visit the Jelly Belly factory. It's about a 2-1/2 to 3-hour drive, including the stop along the way for coffee. We left between 7:30 and 8:00am. Jason and I have made a few trips to San Jose and back since Everett's been born, and we've even driven up to San Francisco for one of my doctor appointments...but he's never been strapped into that stupid carseat for that many hours at one time. Add up all the time we spent driving to lunch and then heading home, and it was just a long day spent crammed in the car. Anyway, back to the Jelly Belly factory.

They *made* us wear these stupid hats!

They have free tours of the working factory, they give you samples along the way, and as the tour ends they invite you to visit their "sample bar and gift shop" (which is really a huge sugar-coma waiting to happen). Everett slept through the entire tour, but at least it was fairly entertaining for the other four of us! Lunch was almost a debacle. I'm all for finding a little "local joint" that's kind of off the beaten path...but the little Mexican place where Jason wanted to eat looked a day away from abandonment. Seriously, the entrance was a screen door being held to the door frame with duct tape. No bueno. We ended up at some place called Blue Frog Grog & Grill, which was pretty good, and then we settled in for the long drive home. Sandy, Everett, and I fell asleep pretty quickly in the back seat, and Jason and Gary chatted and listened to classic rock. Dinner that night was pretty low-key -- just a spread of cheese and crackers with various veggies, fruit, and spreads. A very cranky Everett (as the result of spending all day in the car with no quality Awake Time) called Jason and me to bed a little early. It was tough getting him to fall asleep, but his spirits were well-restored overnight.

*****
Friday, the weather was beautiful!

We stayed local and planned to spend the day on Cannery Row. Sandy was scheduled for a one-hour massage (her birthday present!) in the middle of the day, after which we all met for lunch at a little place called Sea Harvest.

We love the small, local feel of the place, and the seafood is super fresh and delicious! After lunch, we walked along Cannery Row (where Gary and Sandy went for a short jaunt on the beach) and made a few stops: first, the Ghirardelli store was a must for an ice cream treat, and second, Jason and I have been dying to shop at The Little Hat Shop since way before Everett was born. But it's hard to shop for the best cute little hat when you don't know whether you're having a boy or a girl, so we waited.

Everything in that store is so adorable, it was hard to limit ourselves to only buying three hats, but we managed.

*****
Saturday was wine-tasting day!

Over breakfast, Jason planned our itinerary. Before a couple months ago, we had no idea just how many wineries were so close to Monterey -- you could spend days stopping at every tasting room and/or vineyard in the Carmel Valley, Salinas Valley, and in Monterey-proper!

Since Jason had already sampled a few wineries in the Carmel Valley (an outing that occurred when my Mom was visiting back in May), we spent our day visiting four locations in the Salinas Valley: Pessagno, Wrath, Hahn, and Paraiso. Our final stop was the Ventana tasting room in Monterey.

Everett and I were really just along for the ride and the scenery (which was lovely, by the way).

The other three had a pretty good time wine-sampling...evidenced by Sandy's *condition* at the end of the day. ;)  We were all hungry and kind of tired. So, after a very delicious dinner at Tarpy's Roadhouse, we went home and put ourselves to bed.

*****
The highlight of our Sunday was the dinner Jason prepared: roast duck and mushroom risotto! Jason really loves to cook. Since Everett joined our happy home, his days of lavish cooking have been all but eliminated -- we just no longer have the luxury of hours spent in the kitchen and sitting down to an extravagant meal. But while there were extra hands on deck, Jason took advantage of the occasion and the opportunity to make something special! I definitely didn't complain. :)

*****
Monday was the 4th of July. We were looking forward to an afternoon of grilling and an evening of fireworks on the beach......until we looked online to see what time the fireworks were starting. And that's when we discovered that "due to budget cuts, etc., etc." there would not be a fireworks show on The Peninsula this year. Bummer. To be honest, the weather was so crummy that I didn't really want to drag Everett down to the beach anyway, but I was still kinda bummed about the canceled fireworks.

No worries -- we still dressed Everett in his "Mommy's Little Firecracker" beach outfit and fired up the grill!

*****
Tuesday was the final full day of the Coles' time in Cali. We were keeping our fingers crossed for good weather that afternoon, so we could introduce Mom and Dad to the Farmers' Market. Fortunately, we lucked out...but that's later. Our first outing that day was Crystalfish -- my and Jason's favorite sushi restaurant in town.

After almost filling our bellies, we headed to Pacific Grove for some ice cream, where we continued our diet-derailing indulgences. :)  Then we went for a little drive along the bay to Asilomar State Beach. We walked down to the water to get a few pictures, but it was so windy and damp and chilly that we had to make it a very quick stop.

Jason, like a moron, decided to dip his feet in the water -- of course it was freezing -- and then we hurried back to the car. I was wearing Everett in his carrier, and he was completely bundled from head to toe. I'm all for commemorating our time here on the coast, but not at the expense of my two-month-old's warmth and comfort!

Gary and Sandy were hoping for a little different "beach experience", so we drove a few miles north to Del Monte Beach and took a few pictures in the sunshine. (It's amazing what a difference in the weather five miles can make...!) From there, we headed for the Farmers' Market. Since it's summertime, and the weather was pleasant, the market was packed! But it's okay -- it just made for a more *colorful* experience. We strolled up and down the street, sampling fresh fruit, getting our fill of Sparky's root beer and the fresh-made kettle corn, and then it was time for dinner. One of my favorite things about the market is the wide array of food vendors -- you can eat anything from sushi, to tamales, to falafel, etc. On my menu that night: rotisserie chicken. You can pretty much smell the Roli Roti truck from anywhere at the market! I just had to get my hands on some of that roasted chicken and delicious rosemary potatoes! Sandy followed suit. Jason headed toward the Mr. Falafel tent, and I think Gary ended up with a gyro. Some fresh-dripped coffee from Plumes was a great way to end our outing. The evening wrapped up with Gary and Sandy spending a little more quality time with Everett...which included lots more photos, and LOTS more baby talk.

*****
Wednesday morning was bittersweet.... Jason had to return to class, and Gary and Sandy were readying themselves to leave. Everett spent some time that morning saying his good-byes to Grammy and Pappy on the sofa. The Coles rented a car to drive themselves back to San Francisco to catch their flight home, so they loaded up the car and then they were gone. And just like that our whirlwind week came to a close. And all of a sudden it was very, very quiet.

And Everett and I cuddled up together and took a nap. *sigh* :)

"Miss me a little, but not for long..."

The quote comes from a poem called A Scot's Farewell.

My mother, the strongest woman I know, read that poem last Wednesday as a tribute to her father.

Saturday, June 11th, Dadaw's earthly life came to an end, and he was welcomed into Heaven to share an eternity with our Lord.


We knew the day was coming. Dadaw had COPD from years of smoking and working the docks at the Houston Ship Channel, and he recently became pretty dependent on an oxygen tank to supplement his breathing. Dadaw also had lung cancer. At first, it seemed beatable -- a few rounds of chemo and some radiation had shrunk and stabilized the mass in his lung. Unfortunately, the cancer metastasized and spread to his adrenal gland. Unwilling to endure the trauma and uncertain outcome of more chemo treatments, Dadaw embraced his fate. And so we waited....

I'm so grateful for the advances of modern technology -- without Skype, Dadaw would have never met his great-grandson, and I would have never said my thank-yous and good-byes. It's times like these that make it so difficult for me to accept the reality of being a military family. Maybe if Jason wasn't in the military, I/we could have been there...in person. Then again...maybe not. I just don't know.

I am also immensely grateful for Frequent Flyer Miles, and for my parents' unending generosity. When Jason and I got word that Dadaw had passed, my parents did not hesitate to book me the first nonstop flight to Texas that I could get on. And three days later, when Jason got leave, they booked him a flight, too. I am so glad I got to be with my family, to grieve with them, and to share the happiness of my new baby boy with them.


You might be wondering, "What was it like having Everett on the plane?" Well, first you would have to ask, "What was it like getting through security at the airport...?" THAT was quite an undertaking. I checked one large suitcase that was packed with a week's worth of my and Everett's stuff, and I still managed to have three carry-ons -- the computer bag/Everett's diaper bag, my overloaded purse, and my breast pump. Oh, and I guess technically Everett was considered a "carry-on item" as well. I had Everett strapped to my chest with the Moby Wrap. So imagine me, wearing Everett, heaving three carry-ons onto the conveyor belt (one of which required removing my laptop from the bag), kicking off my sneakers (which someone else ended up putting on the conveyor belt for me), and all just minutes before my plane started boarding. I was questioned about the liquids I was carrying (bottles of breast milk), and I had to get a "modified thorough pat-down" because I couldn't remove and then retie the Moby Wrap onto my body while still holding Everett. Then the nice TSA agent lectured me on getting a more convenient baby carrier for the next time I fly. *sigh*

Once I got my bags back in order, slipped on my untied shoes, and got Everett calmed down and situated, we practically ran to the gate. He started fussing a little during the security debacle, and we were quickly approaching his feeding time. Fortunately, we got to board early. And fortunately, we had one of the "Economy Plus" seats with extra legroom (which of course we paid an extra fee for -- don't even get me started on stupid airline fees). I fed Everett as soon as we were on the plane, and he was content to fall directly to sleep once I put him back in the Moby Wrap. And thankfully, he slept almost the entire flight. He only woke up a few times to alert me of dirty diapers and an empty tummy. I thought changing a diaper in the airplane lavatory would be near impossible...but it really wasn't so bad. I was so relieved when we landed in Houston! And Everett was no worse for wear. :)

That night was the first night I was a "single mom". Even with the two-hour time difference, Everett's bedtime routine went fairly smoothly. I was bracing myself for a sleepless night, but was pleasantly surprised -- Everett slept and ate right on schedule. I, on the other hand, was kind of a wreck. I just missed Jason. And I sure missed the help with nighttime diaper changes. After I called Jason for the fourth time in less than an hour, I convinced myself that we'd be fine, and I settled in for the night. When morning came, I felt surprisingly rested! Still, I was really looking forward to Jason joining us in Texas.

On Wednesday, Jason woke up around 3:00am to catch the 6:15 flight leaving San Jose. Everett and I were running errands and getting ready for the first of many family gatherings. That evening was the viewing, memorial, and Rosary for Dadaw. It was also the first opportunity that any relatives and family-friends would have to meet Everett. The evening was overflowing with emotion -- sadness and grief for Dadaw, excitement and surprise that Jason and Everett and I were there. I remember one of my cousins said, "it sure is hard to be sad looking at that little guy." Indeed. And that was exactly one of the reasons that I wanted so badly to be there. I wanted to share the happiness and optimism of this new life with those that might otherwise not be able to look beyond the despair of losing Dadaw. I was glad that Jason could be there to support me the way I was there to support so many others. And I was glad to see Dadaw and say a final good-bye.

Thursday morning was hectic. We arrived at the church almost 30 minutes late (which is kind of "par for the course" with a 7-week-old in tow). After a somber mass, the usual funeral hymns (On Eagle's Wings being a special request of my grandmother), and plenty of tears, we moved on to a reception where friends and family could gather and reminisce about Dadaw -- the wonderful man he was, and the wonderful life he led. My little sister put together a slideshow of photos and music, which was being shown repeatedly throughout the reception. I wish I knew the stories that went with so many of those pictures. Dadaw had such a full life, and he touched so many people. Eighty-six years he was on this earth, sixty of which he spent married to my grandmother.... He set an amazing example of dedication, hard work, perseverance, and love. What a gift and a blessing that I knew him at all.

Jason, Everett, and I were staying at my older sister's house while we were in town. This was particularly exciting because it was the first chance Jason had to meet my sister's new baby girl, Hannah, and also the first opportunity any of my sister's family had to meet Everett (well, except for a few Skype sessions previously). Going from a family of three, to living with a five- and three-year-old is quite a change! The kids were super excited about "Baby Cousin Essitt", and my sister was thrilled to have some sister-time with me and auntie-time with Everett. Things were a bit chaotic for the week, but I know I'll look back and be glad we had that time together. :)

Saturday came too quickly. Although we had been in town for almost a week, there still seemed to be not enough time to spend with everyone we wanted. As we headed to the airport, I kept thinking, "maybe we should have visited so-and-so, and maybe I should've given so-and-so one more hug, and maybe so-and-so would've liked more time to hold little Everett...." Again I was reminded of the consequences of being a military family -- particularly, having to leave everyone I know and love to be with my husband wherever duty calls. *sigh*

Getting through security the second time was much easier! First of all, I had Jason with me to help with my bags and Everett. Secondly, there was absolutely no line to get through the security screening, so there was no pressure of feeling rushed. (Apparently, Saturday evening is a pretty good time to fly from Houston to San Jose.) Getting to the gate was easy. And even boarding the plane was pretty stress-free. Once we were on the plane, however...things started to unravel.

We were some of the first people on the plane, which is fine, but then you have to wait a pretty long time to get everyone else on board. And we were delayed a little because of a connecting flight. And then we were delayed a little more because Catering was still restocking the plane. All the while, it was about 100 degrees outside, and the plane had minimal A/C on the ground. Everett, bound up in the Moby Wrap, was starting to sweat. I was uncomfortable, Jason was uncomfortable, and Everett was getting increasingly cranky. Everett needed to eat right when the plane started taxi-ing to the runway. And just about the time we took off, there was a dirty diaper in need of changing. Just our luck -- you can't get up to use the lavatory until the plane has reached cruising altitude. So we did the best we could -- we changed Everett's diaper on my lap. (Thank goodness for that $80 extra legroom!)

Everett alternated between bouts of sleep and bouts of fussiness for the remainder of the flight. I think we had three diaper changes by the time the plane landed (all of which were performed on my lap) and two barely-productive feeding sessions (too many distractions on a plane, I guess). Once we touched down in San Jose, I could finally breath a sigh of relief -- we had all survived our first trip as a family!

Now we're trying to readjust back to our daily routines. Jason's going back to class. And Everett and I are doing...whatever it is that Everett and I do. It's quiet here at home...and a little lonely. Yes, I have friends here, but it's just not the same. I have a big, loud, sometimes obnoxious family, and sometimes when I'm visiting I say to myself, "man, I can't wait to go back home!" But even amid all the chaos and hullabaloo, I know that when I'm with my family, I am surrounded by an absolute outpouring of love. I really miss that.

I better get going.... There's so much to be done now that we're back. I think I'll start with watering the vegetable garden -- it makes me happy to see beautiful things growing. And it reminds me of Dadaw.


A Scot's Farewell

When I come to the end of the road
And the sun has set for me
I want no tears in a gloom-filled room
Why cry for a soul set free?

Miss me a little but not for long
And not with your head bowed low
Remember the love that we once shared
Miss me but let me go.

For this is a journey we all must take
And each must go alone
It's all a part of the master plan
A step on the road to home.

When you are lonely and sick of heart
Go to the friend we know
And bury your sorrows in doing good deeds
Miss me ... but let me go.

"Don't you want to turn the light on?"

J: "No, I can see just fine." 
S: "Okay, if you say so."
 *Pfffftt*
S: "Was that a toot...?"
J: "Yeah..."
*Poo launching*
J: "What the...?!!"
S: "I bet you want the light on now, huh?!"

See, we've been trying to keep the nighttime feedings and diaper-changing as mellow as possible, so that hopefully Everett doesn't get confused into thinking it's "awake time". We usually turn the bathroom light on and leave the door barely ajar during diaper changes, but Jason thought he could manage the 5:30 call-of-duty in the dark. I remember he asked me just how dirty was the diaper. And I said, "it's just pee...but that doesn't mean the poopy isn't far behind." When will Jason learn...?

Fortunately, the "redecorating" was kept to a minimum -- all the poop managed to stay on the changing table. We got it cleaned up fairly quickly, and once Everett was re-diapered, he went back to nursing like nothing ever happened. In fact, he was pretty proud of himself and let us know it by flashing a big, gummy smile. (Of course, we were too busy taking care of the poo situation to even anticipate the smiley photo op.)
After a couple more hours of sleep, it was time for another feeding and diapering session. Everett's dirty diaper was a little too distracting for him to eat well, so I woke Jason up to take care of it. Apparently, while we were sleeping, Everett had sufficiently dirtied his diaper, which explained the discomfort he was experiencing. Because we had just cleaned up a messy poo episode a couple hours prior, and his diaper was full, what happened next came as a shock to both of us.


[Jason made me promise to use the following phrase, so I'm sorry for it's vulgarity...]

**The Fountain of Feces**

Seriously, it looked a lot like this... (But instead of a tortoise, picture a baby. And instead of water, imagine poo.)

That's right... Just as Jason lifted Everett's bottom to take away the dirty diaper and slide in the new one, Everett's abdominal muscles performed a feat even I was impressed by (even after experiencing several other projectile-poop episodes)! That little, tiny baby again spewed poop out of his body with such velocity that, had Jason raised his tushy to any steeper angle, I swear the poo would've hit the ceiling! As I crawled out of bed to assist in clean-up efforts, I asked Jason, "what the heck happened?" All Jason could say was, "but there was no warning!"

Once I was up, I surveyed the damage...and it was extensive. While the changing table, the wall, and the carpet were expected casualties, I definitely had not anticipated that poop would be dripping down the footboard of our bed, soaking into our comforter, and staining Everett's bassinet. Yuck.

After Everett's diaper was changed, I took him back to the bed to continue nursing, and Jason got started on clean-up. I felt kinda bad that I wasn't doing more to help. But as Everett finished eating, I just couldn't help but think that Jason's version of "cleaning" wouldn't be nearly as thorough as mine...so I handed off the baby and spent the next half-hour spraying everything in the line of fire with either Oxy-Clean or Resolve. *sigh* What a way to start a Sunday. (Fortunately, Jason was downstairs making me pancakes and bacon, so that kind of made up for it.)

Anyway... I know it seems like all we talk about here is poop, but that's not entirely true. Sure, it's a much more consuming part of our lives now than it ever has been! But it's just part of the wonderfulness that is parenting, and therefore a "point of interest" along the course of our New Adventures!

There are two morals to this story:
1) Always treat a gun as if it's loaded.
2) Whether there's warning or not, chances are pretty good you'll be cleaning up poop.

"Pfffffttt..."

When you sound it out, that may seem like just a funny little noise. And to most people it probably doesn't mean much. But when you're a new parent, that "little noise" takes on a whole new meaning. Jason and I have learned that the hard way. *sigh*

To us, that little, innocent, oh-so-unassuming noise is......a warning.

[Again, I'll try my best not to get too graphic. BUT it's kind of difficult to discuss poop using nothing but euphemisms. That's right -- I said poop. Consider yourself warned. During the course of this post, you will be confronted by words such as poo, poop, poopy, spit-up, pee, and projectile. Sorry -- sometimes it's just gotta be talked about. And let's face it... Isn't it a lot less offensive that these terms are being used in reference to my itty-bitty 5-1/2-week-old baby?]

Like I said, this "pffffffttt" noise should always, always, always be considered a warning. Even if it is a false alarm, you should be on-guard. The second you start thinking it's no big deal, you end up sitting on your bedroom floor at 2:00 in the morning blotting the remnants of the latest projectile poop episode out of your carpet. Which is exactly where I found myself last night.

The first time I was "christened" during a diaper change, there was no warning. I'm not even sure I would've known what to do if there was. All I remember is one second I was positioning a clean diaper under Everett's tush, and the next instant I was standing frozen, mouth agape, staring at the child in disbelief. Yes, I was covered in poo. And my dear mother was standing next to me laughing her butt off. Seriously, she could barely stand she was laughing so hard. I almost cried. Upon reflection, I feel okay admitting that I probably would've laughed too in her position. And now, when something unexpected happens during a diaper change, I usually laugh it off. What else can you do...?

Anyway, since that first time, there have been several projectile poop-ings. Fortunately, Jason and I now know the warning signs -- tiny noises eminating from Everett's bottom, certain grunts or funny faces, the sudden quiet stillness that overtakes Everett right before.... That last one is also a good indication that Everett's about to pee all over the place during a diaper change, usually once the old diaper's off and the new one's not quite on yet. And somehow, even though Jason and I have each had our share of "surprises", I find myself reminding Jason on a regular basis: "he's gonna pee on you if you don't cover that thing" or "careful, he's been trying to make poopy for a while now..." Last night was once such instance.

As Jason so kindly got up to change Everett during a late-night nursing sessions, I sat in bed half-watching. I think Jason reached to get something (probably a rag to wipe the spit-up that was running down Everett's cheek), and that's when I heard it. "Pffffffttt..." And I said, "was that a toot?" Jason said "yeah..." (Of course I'm thinking, when I hear that noise, I grab whatever I can and block Everett's nether-regions.) At that very moment, Everett launched poop all over Jason's arm and the carpet and the wall beyond the changing table! (Apparently Jason didn't heed the warning.) And what did I do next?

I laughed.

And then I got up and helped clean the carpet.

"Life is just what happens to you..."

"...While you're busy making other plans."

Sunday, April 24, 2011.


Easter Sunday.

3 weeks, 1 day until Due Date.

To-Do List:
- Church at 7:45am
- Prep lamb, etc. & start making bread
- Tidy living room, dining room, bathroom
- Guests arrive at 2:00/2:30pm for Easter Dinner
- Clean up, do dishes
- Pack overnight bag for hospital
- Make contact list/ phone tree for when Baby arrives
- Finish typing Birth Plan


That's sort of how the day was supposed to go. And yet, here I am, holding my sleeping 25-day-old son in my arms, typing this blog post one-handed.

That morning, I woke up well before the alarm to make one of my many trips to the bathroom, and I noticed an unsettling sensation. Trying to dismiss it, I went back to bed...only to be awoken again a half-hour later by another odd feeling. After another trip to the bathroom and back to bed, I woke Jason: "Hey. Um... I think my water may have broken?" This being my first pregnancy, the announcement came out more like a question. Jason, doing the best he could to make sure I wasn't just overreacting, responded: "What makes you think that?"

[For the sake of you readers, and because I'd like to maintain some modesty, I will do my best not to get too graphic in my accounting of this story...]

Let's just say that some of the things that happen to a woman's body at the very earliest onset of pre-labor were happening. We decided to skip church, because I wanted to avoid the possibility of being in the middle of the service and feeling and/or looking like I all-of-a-sudden wet my pants. At this point, we were still set on having dinner guests, so we headed to the kitchen to get an early start. As we were having a quick bite of breakfast, I started to notice some cramping -- it felt like mild menstrual cramps. My first thought was, "huh...that's sorta weird." And my second thought was, "wow, these cramps seem to be recurring pretty regularly every few minutes." Let's start the Timeline here: 6:45am.

I called my mom to explain the situation. See, Mom had a flight booked to arrive in California on May 10th -- sixteen days away. I thought she should consider bumping up her flight. Mom recommended I call the hospital, and of course Jason thought doing so was unnecessary. 7:30am -- I called the hospital. I spoke to a very nice nurse, Joy, who told me, "Okay, call back in an hour and let us know if anything's changed. And if nothing's changed, still call back in an hour and let us know." At the same time, Jason was on the internet researching "Braxton Hicks contractions". Jason's expert recommendation: "lie down on the sofa, put your feet up, and drink some water; the cramps should stop in 30 or 40 minutes." Not wanting to be that spastic pregnant woman that overreacts to every little thing, I agreed. I reluctantly sent Jason on an errand to buy me some maxi pads (after all, I was sort of leaking), and I headed for the sofa. Not two minutes after I laid down, I had that "uh-oh" feeling again, and I ran to the bathroom. This time, things seemed a little more abnormal than what I would have expected of normal, run-of-the-mill labor. I was still having cramps (we'll call them contractions, even though, at that point, they didn't really feel very intense or painful), and I had started bleeding. I frantically called the hospital back, informed them of my newest symptom, and they suggested I come in to get checked out...just in case.

By the time Jason got home from the store, I was pretty panicked. He went upstairs to pack our overnight bag, which I said we didn't have time for, and he argued that it would only take a second and we should probably have it with us...just in case. We started haphazardly throwing things into a suitcase. We grabbed the laptop, the cameras, the birthing ball, our suitcase, and some towels for me to sit on (...just in case) and rushed outside to the car. 8:30am -- we're on our way to the hospital. I called to tell them we were in transit and to expect us in about 10 minutes. Once we got there, I hurried to the Family Birth Center (labor/delivery ward) where I was greeted by Joy, the wonderful nurse I spoke to on the phone. First thing's first -- they have to verify you're actually in labor before they admit you and put you in a room. Okay.

8:45am -- first exam at the hospital. The verdict: yes, I was most definitely in labor! This fact was made abundantly clear when the nurse announced, "Wow, you're 5-6cm and 100% effaced! Let's get the doctor on-call." Oh yeah, this would be a good time to point out that my body decided to go into labor the one weekend that my doctor is out of town -- awesome. Luckily, I'd heard good things about the on-call doctor, Dr. Alexander, so I didn't worry too much when he walked into the room and said, "Looks like we're gonna have a baby today!" That was Jason's que to retrieve all of our "just in case" stuff from the car. In the meantime, they moved me to a room. According to the monitors they strapped to my belly, I was contracting every two minutes or less and the baby's heartbeat was in good shape. At that point, I was definitely feeling the contractions more intensely, and I had to rely on Jason to keep me focused and breathing. Thankfully, I was able to walk around my room while I was laboring, and I only had to get back in bed long enough for Joy to put the monitors back on and check my progress.

Approximately 10:30am -- second exam at the hospital. Joy again seemed surprised and was happy to inform us: "You're about 8cm!" See, the first exam was a surprise, because up to that point I hadn't even felt like I was in labor (whatever that was supposed to feel like). And the second exam was so shocking, because I never expected things would progress so darn fast! I spent most of the next hour-and-a-half laboring in bed. The doctor wanted me hooked up to an IV because I had bled quite a bit, and my fluid levels needed to be maintained for my and the baby's sake. I had the monitors on me constantly. Jason and I could tell when another contraction was about to hit, because there was a slight acceleration in the baby's heartbeat. My contractions were getting longer and stronger, and they were coming right on top of each other. All I could do was breathe and moan...and pray that my body was not going to rip in half!

Around 12:00pm -- third exam. Joy smiled and said, "Oh yeah, you're 10...with a little lip. You can probably start pushing any time you feel pressure." At that point, I was starting to feel tired and a little delirious. What the heck is the difference between the pain I've been feeling and "pressure"...?!! Joy told me that I had to stay completely relaxed during the next contraction so I could identify my body's natural tendency to push. I was sure she was on crack cocaine -- what do you mean "stay relaxed"?!!! Well, sure enough, I kept my body as not-tensed-up as possible, which resulted in me letting out a blood-curdling yell, and I promptly confirmed, "yes, it is definitely time to push!!!" That contraction hurt so bad I was practically levitating off the bed! I remember being quite concerned about two things after that moment, and I had to ask Nurse Joy: 1) Has anyone ever broken the rails on these hospital beds? and 2) Is my screaming scaring other patients in the rooms next to me? During the next few contractions, I demonstrated my best "practice pushes"...which turned out to be quite productive. It wasn't long before Joy had to go fetch Dr. Alexander. While the doctor was suiting up, I experimented with pushing in a couple different positions so that I could do what was most comfortable for me ("comfortable" here is a relative term of course, considering I'm trying to push a baby out of my body) and also most productive for getting the baby out. After a few more minutes of pushing, Jason, Joy, and Dr. Alexander all started to notice that the baby's heartrate was decelerating during the contractions (which is normal)...but it wasn't really recovering very well. Dr. Alexander tried to explain that it was urgent we get the baby out ASAP. Like I said, I was kind of delirious, so things weren't really making a lot of sense to me at that point. I just kept right on pushing! Because everything was happening so quickly, my body didn't really have a full opportunity to "accommodate" the passage of the baby, so the doctor had to give me a little snip to make more room for the baby. As soon as that was done, the baby came out with the very next push! And - OH MY GOSH - I have never felt in my entire life such a sense of relief! Euphoria really does consume you at that moment. I heard Jason say, "It's a boy!" and I looked up and saw tears in his eyes. Jason was really a trooper -- he stayed right by my side the whole time, offering encouragement and letting me squeeze the heck out of his hand every step of the way. We heard our baby boy crying right away -- the most beautiful noise we'd ever heard. Jason got to cut the cord, and they put the baby directly on my chest. I laid there, dazed and exhausted, holding my precious baby boy...

Because we didn't know the sex of the baby prior to delivery, we went into the room with two names in mind, one boy and one girl. Once Jason made that announcment, we finally knew who we were dealing with: Everett Thomas Fleming Cole. He was born at 12:40pm.

Once Everett was born, Dr. Alexander was able to identify what was the cause of all the bleeding I had experienced during the labor -- partial placental abruption. Basically, the placenta, the baby's life-line on the inside, was starting to separate from the wall of my uterus, which could potentially be a very bad thing. In a normal situation, this is supposed to happen after the baby's out, when the baby doesn't need that organ any longer. In my case, it spontaneously started to happen some time that morning (as far as we can tell), which is probably what initiated my labor. I guess my body just knew something wasn't right and it was time to get the baby out! Thankfully, a crisis was averted, and we were left holding our perfectly healthy (albeit 22-day-early), 6-pound, 18.5-inch-long baby boy, Everett.

Not exactly the Easter Sunday we had planned.... Oh yeah, Jason was able to send our expected guests a text message, so they knew dinner was cancelled. Too bad -- that lamb sure would've been yummy. And thankfully my mom was able to get on a plane that afternoon, so she got to meet Everett on his birthday. My dad flew out to Cali early the next morning. We spent the next couple days recovering at the hospital. Once the doctors and nurses were satisfied that Everett was absolutely perfect, they let us go home. It was nice to be home, and yet so surreal -- three days earlier, Jason and I were just going about business as usual...and now we have a baby! What a blessing that Mom and Dad could be there with us to help "soften the blow". And here we are, almost a month later (Wow, I can't believe it's already been a month!), Mom and Dad are back in Texas, and it's just me, Jason, and Everett trying to figure things out as we go...

So far, so good!