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Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Crib? check! Changing Table? Check! Baby? ...........check??


Wow! five words that will stun a full grown man like a stunned mullet......."I Think My Water Broke"..............and the best response I could muster:"really?" Only to have the response come:"Maybe?" To which the best response is "Huh! OK. I guess we should call the doc."

"Come on in" she says so we take a little time wrapping a few things up like: packing the "GO BAG", calling Kim for the puppies, writing down notes for anyone who might need em, Putting keys under the doormat (they are not there now, dont worry) final treats for the dogs, putting our leave in for the rest of the week, emptying the dishwasher, filling the dog food container and making sure we "have everything".

We hop in the car around 10pm or so and head off. Not sure if this is a "practice run" or the real thing. Good thing we practiced all those alternate routes to the hospital. We just hopped in the interstate and were here in no time. Although I'm sure that had we not practiced it would have happened at the height of rush hour during a snowstorm with accidents everywhere that would have eventually necessitated the use of four wheel drive and a good stint of off road driving. However, no such luck(?). Trip took maybe 15 uneventful minutes.

We walked to the front desk and checked in and got sent upstairs for evaluation. Upon arrival we were asked "are you scheduled?"

Huh, is it just me or are we just really calm about this so far?

Are you having contractions? "Hmmm, I dunno" Kate says. She gets hooked up on a couple of onitors and hey, look at that........what are those waves? The nurse" Those are your contractions; about four minutes apart." Ok; I almost laughed out loud. Dilated 1-2 cm.

So up the the delivery suite we go. a bed for her and a chair that turns into a bed for me. Its about midnight now. Looks like we are going to be a while.

We get read into the protocol of the L&D suite and get settled in. By about 230am she was dilated to about 2cm and contraction every 3-4 minutes and getting strong.

"I think Im gonna have the epidural.... This might be a long party" Doc comes in a few minutes later and a few minutes later Kate is all set. Bye bye pain! We watch as the contractions get stronger and stronger over the next hour and the nurse come in to check around 4am. 7cm!!! Yes!!! Kate decide to take a nap and I think thats a really good idea. The nurses come in around 5 or so to let us know Kate is just about ready and the doc is ready to go. Everyone assumes their positions and the pushing commences around 5:30. Now, not having been here before (and really only hearing the horror stories of 29 hour labors and pushing for 8 hours) I figured we would be here for a while..........26 minutes later Patrick James Morse came into this world and changed our lives forever.

19 inches. 6lbs 1 ounce. ten, ten, two and one. WOW!

Mom and baby are doing grat and recovering well. Home in a few days. lots of on the job training for the next few weeks. Lots more to come.

A few pics for now

Thursday, January 7, 2010

BUSTED!!!!!!


Its a couple weeks old but still a great story. So as most of you know, the DC area was blanketed with snow just before Christmas. We got about 20 inches without the drifting.

So I go out to shovel, for the third time, to clear pathways and sidewalks and catchup with the neighbors outside doing the same. Holy crap! Thats a lotta snow!

After clearing the front steps, the sidewalk and shoveling out most of the car, I wander around back to start on that. And what do I find?????????...... anyone????????



There she is with a snow shovel in her hands and a big grin on her face. Thankfully I had cleared the back pathway the day before so there was only a little snow AND it was all powder. I guess its true, you can take the girl out of New England but you cant take New England out of the girl.

I guess sitting on the sofa eating bon-bons just isn't her thing.

Cheers, N

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Brrrrr,its chilly out there

OK, so it is down right wicked cold outside. Kate is off to Prenatal Yoga. We are about 3 1/2 weeks away from the new addition and things may "go at any time" according to Dr Wolf. You hear about women going into labor when temps drop due to the change in barometric pressure. Nothing like that here (yet).

The baby's room is almost ready. Waiting on the crib to arrive and we got notified the other day that it was ready to be shipped. Yaaay! Baby might not have to sleep in the dresser drawer (although I don't know whats wrong with that)

Thanks to everyone asking how things are going. Lots more to come!

Cheers, Nelson