Do I look Canadian?

And come on, I haven't dyed my hair in 18 years....

That said, I'm happy that Jen considers me to be worthy of blogging about. And yes, that beautiful trophy to the left will be sitting on my nightstand for the next year, as I did win the COTU 2006 Final last night. $500 toward Xmas, can't complain about that.

And that tropy is spelled C-L-A-S-S-Y. Oh, you should see what it looks like from out here!!!

Look out WPT!

So Lee is off to the COTU championship game tonight. For those who are uninitiated that stands for "Championship of the Universe". I think it was originally organized by one of the guys Lee works with and it just took on a life of it's own.

Today when I got home I was confronted with the WUT on our kitchen butcher block. (World's Ugliest Trophy) It's a silver-tone hand with gold-tone fingernails holding a full house. Gag. Lee asked where he could put it in the house when he wins and I suggested the trunk of his car. Maybe he could put it on some velcro and stick it to the dash of his car.

Anyways, they started at 6:00 and it's 6:45 now. With any luck Lee won't be home until after midnight, this ensures he's stayed in long enough to get some money. He is the current chip leader going in to tonight's game, but he faces stiff competition from the other players. He is at a disadvantage tonight however, because he did not stop and get a strawberry slushie from Sonic as there is not a Sonic on the way to Andy's house.

On another topic, thinkgeek.com sent the wrong items today so instead of a couple of gifts which must remain nameless we got these stuffed, plush black knights. Hutch was delighted and then crushed immediately as we tried to explain that the toys were a mistake. I thought it would be fun to let the screaming crying toddler call the customer service hotline.

Later! Jen

A Good Time Was Had By All...

You don't even want to hear the story of how I convinced this McDonald's to host Hutch's party. In any case the boys had fun and Hutch LOVED all of his gifts. Happy Birthday, Hutch! 

Another day at the office.

I swear, I'm so tired of these casting calls............

 

The Wiggles!

Here we are at the Wiggles concert. Thanks to a friend of Hutch's we got to see the real live Wiggles. It was a great concert. Hutch was riveted. More later... 

Hello!

My this seat's tasty!

 

Ain't It Cool?

Four words: Go see The Prestige.

It's not often that Jen and I are able to get away to a movie now with two children. Heck, it's hard just to watch an adult movie at home nowadays (by "adult" I mean something without a Muppet or someone dressed entirely in a primary color).

So when you have a chance to go see a movie, do you pick Borat, which is not necessarily a movie that requires constant attention, or do you pick something a bit deeper? Glad we picked this one.

If you've seen Memento, you know just what Christopher Nolan can do with plot twists & how he can make a story unfold before your eyes, only to show you at the end that nothing was quite as it seems. With Batman Begins (Jen, watch this!), you saw that he was able to turn the dark into something redeeming, and saw how he could set the entire franchise on a new and promising journey.

If you liked either of these, you've got to see this movie. Like I said, go see it! Borat will wait till DVD (you like?). But you need to be in an enclosed room with no distractions for this one, I promise you.

And then you'll want to go see it again.......

Baby Face...You've Got the Cutest Little

Here's a challenge for you...two are Hutch and two are Maggie.

 

Fall Fantasy Fotos

 

More comparison shots

Bath time...which is Hutch, which is Maggie? 

This made me happy!

for comparison...

Stormtrooper meets Dragon

Hutch's daycare hosted a costume parade today....this is Hutch in his "astronaut" costume with his buddy Jace. 

Bright Eyes

Can you tell we just downloaded a slew of pictures from the camera?? Last one for the evening...Miss Blue Eyes.

I'm mad!!!

Have you ever seen a cuter mad baby?? I was trying to capture Maggie's perfect little pout. I almost got the shot with her lip completely out, but it's hard to catch. She ramps up pretty quickly from lip out to full on wailing.

Surf's Up!

Hutch went to his first pool party last weekend. He enjoyed "surfing" on the kickboards.  

Guess Who

Hutch's fascination with rocketships and astronauts has not waned. Thanks to Greenie and Hutch's after school adventures we now have an astronaut outfit that will hopefully make it to see Halloween. It's pretty much become Hutch's second skin. Greenie and Hutch had to go to three stores to get the complete mask and outfit costume. The yellow gloves are per Hutch's request becauase as every 2 year old knows an astronaut needs "glubs".  

Yes, it is a pink pacifier.

So they say that your older child regresses a little when a new baby arrives...

Mind you Hutch has NEVER used a pacifier for more than 3 sucks until this last week or so! Last night he joined me (mommy) in bed around 2:30 and said "I'na my pacifier." Thankfully he was easily convinced to wait until morning to retrieve it from his room upstairs.

Otherwise things are running smoothly for my first week back to work and my first week with both children while hubby's out of town. Of course it's pretty easy to be super mom when your own mom and dad are staying with you and doing all the cooking, cleaning, and chauffering of toddler! Thanks Greenie and Greendaddy!

Also today is Lee's birthday. Sadly, I'm the world's worst at planning surpises on even the smallest scale. Hutch and I did paint a banner that said "Happy Birthday Daddy!". Anyways, HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEE!!  

Look out Bobby Flay

Here, Hutch demonstrates the proper formation of biscuit dough for Greendaddy. 

Awwwwww....a little smile!

 

Hutch in action!

Another one from the doula picnic... 

We attended the doula picnic/reunion this weekend. Maggie won a prize for being the youngest baby there! She slept the whole time we were there but Hutch had a fabulous time playing on the huge playground adjacent to the pavilion.  

WHen Toddlers Photograph

Here's one of Hutch's first attempts at photography. He couldn't quite get the hang of looking through the view finder with an OPEN eye. Oh well, he'll learn!  

Hello, baby!

Yes, we're still here. More posts coming soon! 

Maggie's birth story...finally published 9/1/06

[ This picture was taken just moments after delivery...at first I didn't want to post it, but actually I love this picture...with the sweat and blood and Maggie is bundled under the blankets nursing.]

I awoke at 6:30 with a crampy feeling and thought this is "the day". I didn't want to bother Lee or Hutch (who had joined us in bed around 4:00am) so I snuggled in for a few minutes more. Lee had to get up soon to check in at the track and get a program under way so I waited for him to wake up. I was having breakfast not fifteen minutes later when I realized that "Hey, during this one bowl of cereal I've had like 3 contractions...how long does it take to eat a bowl of cereal??". I called the doula around 7:00 to let her know that "things were on the move". Teresa, our doula, had jokingly e-mailed on Friday that Saturday would not be good for her since she had a childbirth and breastfeeding class to teach so perhaps I could wait until Sunday...ha ha ha! She told me over the phone that the contractions needed to be a minute in length to be making any real changes to my cervix so perhaps I was just in the very early stages of labor. I told her I'd call the midwife and then call her back later.

I hopped in the shower and again thought "Hey, during this shower I've had about 4 contractions and I know it doesn't take that long to get a shower...these are coming pretty fast..." Same thought process while I was blowdrying my hair...it doesn't take me but 5 or 6 minutes to dry and during that time I think I counted 3 contractions.

Lee got a quick shower and was off to the track. My mom and dad were up and moving by this time and helping to play with Hutch as I was a bit distracted by the contractions at this point. I started to make a pile of clothes for Lee to put in his hospital bag and made sure I had all my toiletries packed. During this time I began feeling a little anxious...I tried to lay down and then tried to sit outside in one of our rocking deck chairs...but to no avail. I was basically pacing the house looking for distractions until Lee got home around 8:20. Mom and Dad hugged me and Lee and I jumped in the car.

The car ride to the hospital took about an hour and it was not pleasant. It wasn't like a tv drama with Lee peeling around corners and I didnt' have my legs braced on the dashboard. I just opened my mind and let the contractions come. I'd count through them and they were lasting at least 45 seconds each. Lee started to time when I'd first sigh to the time I reopened my eyes. I believe I began to moan during the car ride.

Upon entering the hospital I grabbed a wheel chair to walk behind, no way was I going to sit down. The people behind the desk seemed a little concerned that the sick person who should have been riding in the wheelchair was not there...then I suppose they noticed my huge belly and realized "this girl's in labor". They pointed me through the doors and Lee moved the car into a parking spot. He rejoined me not far down the hall as I was having to stop and focus every few feet.

We checked in and my labor nurse checked my vitals and then hooked me up to the fetal monitor to check on the baby. She checked me after taking me off the monitor and said I was at 6 cm. Since everything was fine she let me get up and move around off the monitor. I sat on the birthing ball and proceeded to enter "laborland". Lee sat facing me and would hold tight to my hands during each wave. He matched my strength and gave me encouraging words. It felt good to squeeze his hands and press my forehead against his. I told myself to relax and allow everything to open up. I could imagine my cervix getting wider with each contraction.

Kay, the midwife on call, arrived at some point and quietly joined us. She sat nearby on the couch and occasionally would hold the fetal monitor on my belly during a contraction. At one point, while on the ball, I thought my water broke. It hadn't and in retrospect I think it was my cervix reaching full dilation. It wasn't long after that popping sensation that I was struck by the urge to push at the end of each contraction.

Teresa, the doula, arrived sometime in this time frame. She rubbed my back to let me know she was there and added her words of encouragement to Lee's. After one of the pushing urges I looked at her and said "I think I was pushing". She just laughed and said "I think so!".

I couldn't sit on the ball anymore I had to stand. Teresa raised the bed (which has more controls on it than the space shuttle)so I could stand and lean on the end of it. Kay asked to check me at this point and when she did my water broke. Thank goodness I was standing on several layers of towels and those blue backed absorbent pads. For the next few contractions I hung on Lee. I could tell he was afraid I was going to collapse to the floor because I wasn't giving him much to hang on to. I just sort of slumped into each contractions and let my legs go soft.

I stood and swayed at the end of the bed for a few contractions but then had to get up in the bed. I contemplated laying on my back in the traditional "as seen on tv" delivery pose, but as soon as my rear touched the sheets a contraction hit and I flipped onto hands and knees. This position worked great for the next several contractions. I remembered being at the beach and letting the waves come. The contractions slowed at this point and I was able to get a quick breather between them. Pushing was natural and I felt the baby moving downward.

Lee was getting more excited and was really cute and sweet at this point. Teresa and Kay encouraged Lee to come to the "other end of the bed" so he could see the baby's head peeking. He was a little reluctant but glad in the end that he had taken a look. They told him to tell me what he could see. He reported back that he saw the baby's hair and I told him that I knew the baby had black hair...I had seen it in a dream a few weeks back. I was deep into "Laborland" at this point, but between contractions I felt very lucid and would tap into the various conversations going on in the room.

It seemed that I wasn't making as much progress pushing as I'd like and I felt Maggie slip back up a couple times after she made good progress downward. Teresa leaned close and told me to hold my breath at the top of each contraction and then curl my body around my baby to help make better progress. This helped quite a bit as I had been arching my back too much. After a few pushes and a few rests I changed positions again and this time kneeled in the bed. I wanted to feel the baby's head. As I pushed I reached down and was able to feel the hardness of the baby's head coming down closer and closer as well as lots of blood and goo. I could feel my skin tightening and thought back to the video we had seen in our birthing classes. I placed both hands between my legs and cupped the baby's head as it crowned. I remember saying "here it comes" as I felt that I couldn't slow it any further.

The head emerged and Kay asked if I could stop pushing for a second so she could suction the baby. I said, "Sure!". The next contraction brought a screaming pink wet baby into my hands. I quickly pulled it in front so I could see if I had a girl or boy. "It's a girl" I cried as she wiggled and screamed in my hands. They clamped the cord and whisked her away while Lee and I smooched a couple times. There was a brief moment of panic as they realized I was sitting on a pair of scissors...but I quickly got up and flipped over so Kay could deliver the placenta. (By the way, the placenta was pretty amazing...it was much bigger than I imagined.)

Maggie was taken to the other side of the curtain where the "pit crew" cleaned her up a bit and checked her vitals. I had my own "pit crew" cleaning me up and Kay added just a few stitches to repair what she called a "minor" second degree tear. They brought Maggie to me and she had managed to poop on her little hospital blanket already! I stripped of my tank top which had made it throught the entire process...and here I had been worried about not having any pants on before all this started! Maggie immediately latched on and nursed.

Teresa helped the nurse to change the sheets on the bed and then got a washcloth to clean my hands...there was quite a bit of blood under and around my fingernails. She was insistant on making me presentable so that my mom would know I had been taken care of. Not much after the clean up crew finished a lunch tray was delivered right to the labor room! Apple juice on ice has never tasted so good!! I ate some of the pasta and a roll, but once we made it to the recovery room and mom and dad had arrived Lee headed out to Sonic for burgers.

I continued to drink juice on ice and managed to get up and go to the restroom on my own a few hours after getting to the recovery room. I felt so good after delivery. Recovery was MUCH faster than with my c-section with Hutch. I wasn't drugged and neither was Maggie. I could walk and sit up and get around really well. Of course those awesome hospital ice packs felt SOOOOO good and I made sure to take a few home.

Today is Maggie's two week birthday and we're all doing great. The second child is so much easier than the first. There's just not as much adjustment. We have all the "stuff" and know what to do with it. Thanks to family and friends Maggie's wardrobe has grown exponentially since she was born. I love that we didn't know what we were having until I delivered her into my own hands. I could not have asked for a better experience. I love that no one in the labor room told me what to do, instead I was allowed to progress naturally. There were no time limits set on my progress and I never saw a doctor. The hospital exam lights were not turned on until Kay examined me after delivery. I was not tied to a fetal monitor or blood pressure machine. Thank you Lee, Kay, Teresa, and Tracy! And thank you Maggie for being such a cooperative partner in labor and delivery!

"I'na holda bebe"

Hutch is a great big brother! He can't wait for Maggie to play "racecars fast" with him.

Say hello to Maggie!!!!

So here she is!!!

We'll post much more words tomorrow, but until then, here's all the pics we have!!! Maggie & the Gang

Panda Watch!!!!!

Three days to go, according to the little cardboard wheel of power and knowledge. In reality, it could be tonight or ten more days.

Jen seems to be doing just peachy. I'm looking forward to seeing another little miracle of life (and I mean that in a Carl Sagan way, not a Randall Terry way). It is amazing to look at Hutch scarfing down cheese dip and then looking at the lump in Jen's lap, and realize that Hutch came from such an amazing place to......well, eat cheese dip. But it is good cheese dip......

We do have names, and we're pretty happy with them. There are so many amazing names in the world, but only a few seem right. Hutch is a Hutch, no other name would have worked. I think that's kinda the way it is with most names, isn't it. Look at the guy down the hall tomorrow. Then picture his face, and put your own name with that face. Doesn't work too well, does it? Unless you have the same name......wow, look at the time....

Anyway, that's the news from our house. You stay classy, Flowery Branch!

And for all of you without child.........