Feels Like Groundhog Day

Remember that movie in the 90s where Bill Murray plays a weatherman who keeps living the same day over and over? Both Kelly and I said this morning that this is exactly the way we feel. Every night it looks like something might happen, and every morning we wake up shocked that it didn't. It's quite bizarre to feel like you are trapped in some kind of time warp that seemingly never ends.

Every day I try to think of another way we can encourage labor to start. The project of the day was breast pumping, since that is said to be at least as effective in inducing labor as pitocin (which is one of the drugs used in a hospital induction). So, we broke out the Medela Pump in Style. Luckily we had a good supply of flange sizes because I think we tried almost every one of them. We do not want to get those breasts sore before little Eleanor has a chance to nurse!! Kelly was shocked at first at how strong the suction felt, even on low, but I think the hormones worked their magic quickly and she looked pretty darned relaxed as she sat there looking at the little droplets of colostrum that were forming. Well, again, no labor, but I think it did bring on a few more painful contractions, so I'm sure it was helping to move things along.

Since everything is really in place and looking great, and there has been all this pre-labor stuff going on, I'm hoping that once active labor kicks in, this whole thing is going to move along really quickly. There's no reason that it won't. COME ON ELEANOR!!

A Preview

Well, yesterday, Kelly and Clint got to see their beautiful daughter (no, not in person yet!) Since Kelly is approaching two weeks overdue, her midwives sent her for a fetal biophysical profile to make sure everything is fine with Eleanor. I had my worries that they would see a little something and try to cart her off to the hospital for an induction or a cesarean, but thankfully it turned out to be uneventful.

The tech wouldn't say a word, but Kelly was able to read a few things on screen, including the dating of her pregnancy (41wks and 1day -- giving her a few extra days to get this show on the road) and Eleanor's head circumference (14.9 inch -- not a surprise in our family of big-headed babes). But they both got a nice long look at Eleanor's very sweet fat baby face with her big nose and kissy lips that were blowing bubbles the whole time they watched her. The ultrasound picture they brought home shows Eleanor's head already squooshed halfway down into Kelly's pelvic bones, so you can only see the tip of her nose and her lips. (Eleanor, don't you think it's time to come out?? It can't be too comfortable wedged in there like that!)

Kelly felt a little crampier than normal when she came home, but we all had another full night of sleep -- no baby. I did wake with a jolt around 5:30 with what felt like lots of baby energy. I really felt like today was the day she would be born. So far, it's late afternoon, and it doesn't look like I was right.

Eleanor, your mommy would be so happy if you'd come tonight so she doesn't have to go to another dreaded midwife appointment and try even more ways to entice you out of there. We all want to see those cute little kissy lips in person!!

Boosting the Chi

There was one natural labor induction method Kelly hadn't tried -- acupuncture -- so she gave it a go and had her first appointment ever. Though she wasn't in labor when she returned home she looked like she felt a lot better. And these days, that's a HUGE plus. She looked "fresher" too, like she had a second wind -- another thing that is sorely needed when you're almost two weeks overdue.

In the morning before she went off for acupuncture we had another great breakfast before Clint went off to work. We ate outside at Peach Valley Cafe, and I had pancakes (again) -- banana nut -- since I've been craving those comforting carbs. It was gorgeous outside. Take a look at the picture of our view:


Kelly's friend, Betty, had a dream that Kelly gave
birth to a 15-pound baby and that I delivered her. That's some big baby. We hope she isn't quite that large!

Whatever size she is, I just hope she comes very soon!!

A Lazy Sunday

The days are seeming to run together. I can hardly tell one from the other. Every morning I'm surprised that I haven't been woken up from my deep sleep with the news Kelly is in labor.

Clint had to go off to work really early in the morning so to help break up the day Kelly and I went to breakfast at First Watch. I had something called Caps 'N More which included mushrooms, eggs and hashbrowns. I also got a wonderful banana granola crunch pancake for Kelly and I to split (you know, breakfast dessert). It was humongous. Next time I'm just getting pancakes.

I made some eggplant parmesan soup for dinner, using the mini eggplants I picked up at the farmer's market (I'll put the recipe in my food blog when I get back home) but Kelly didn't really feel like it since she had taken an extra large dose of castor oil, giving it one last shot at inducing labor. Though there weren't any rapid results, she did have a more achey night and feels a lot more pressure this morning.

Please keep sending those strong labor vibes and prayers our way, and come on out Eleanor to meet us!!!!

You're Still Pregnant??

Everywhere we go, people look at Kelly with amazement/pity, and then shock when they hear she is now 11 days past her due date. Even the guy behind the bakery counter asked if she had "done everything," meaning did she have sex to try to bring on labor. It's very odd when strangers start asking you those sorts of questions, and when talk about bloody show and mucus is part of everyday conversation. I guess this is why Kelly likes to stay inside more than usual. (That, and the way "real" clothes feel so uncomfortable, cutting into all sorts of parts on a very pregnant body.)

We kept pretty busy yesterday. Visited the local farmer's market in the morning and picked up some Italian or baby eggplants and some sweet potato pasta. Kelly got some fresh eggs. Then we had wonderful panninis at Delanos. After taking a little break at home we headed on down to take a look at their Whole Foods. Wow, what a teeny little store compared with our Walmart-sized Whole Foods in Georgia!! It looked like it belongs in Manhattan, where as much as humanly possible is crammed into a miniature space. Where we have 100 or so fresh cakes they had two or three. They did have some humongous cupcakes and Kelly bought a key lime for herself and a coconut cream for Clint. (As you may have already noticed, food has become a key part of our life recently!)

Kelly had lots of contractions through the day but they weren't painful. In the evening she timed them for an hour and they averaged seven minutes apart. Can you believe that there is an online contraction timer -- Contraction Master????!!

I really thought I'd get woken up last night, but I slept like a rock. I didn't even hear Kelly and Clint when they got up around 4:30 and had some breakfast before he went off to work. (Kelly did go back to bed.) That's unusual for me to sleep so well. Okay, Eleanor, now we're well rested, so come on. It's time!!

P.S. Didn't have a Kelly pic today so thought I'd include a picture of a "lake" about a minute's walk from Kelly and Clint's house. Florida really is so beautiful!

Life in Slow Motion

You know how when you are having lots of fun, like when you go on a wonderful vacation, the days just FLY by. Well, we are living in what feels like a very slow motion limbo. It's really hard to describe, but for those of you who have had babies, and have been overdue, you probably have a very good idea what I'm talking about.

Yesterday, like every day recently, there are lots of ups and downs. Fun times, interspersed with sad times where Kelly feels like she just can't do this anymore and worries that labor will never happen on its own. And then there are the times when she trusts that everything IS moving along, just not at her desired pace. Her body is testing out all the systems and getting ready to "eject" this little one from her cozy uterine home.

As Kelly's mom, and as someone who does trust in the body's ability to give birth, I know that this process is something neither of us can control, as much as we might want to. I know that I have to surrender and trust, and that is so hard. It's so easy to move into the doubting mode, especially since it seems like every woman you talk to has been induced. It's harder than ever to believe that your body is meant to give birth on its own when nobody around you believes that.

So, we wait and hope and pray!

9 Long Days Overdue

Kelly says she is less tired than she looks. She smiles for a picture and then is surprised when she doesn't seem so happy. That's just the way it is when you are NINE DAYS OVERDUE and overdone!

Yesterday was the very dreaded appointment with the midwife. It turned out much better than expected. She got to see the senior midwife, Jenny, who is kind of semi-retired and may be doing more research now than clinical work. Jenny totally believed her original due date of the 15th and did some blood work and then ordered a biophysical profile next Tuesday if Kelly hasn't given birth by then. That made Kelly feel a lot better knowing Eleanor was not just going to be ignored in there for what seems like forever.

Jenny suggested they try to "get things moving" since Kelly is ripe and ready, and Kelly already had thought about asking her to sweep (strip) the membranes, so she was all for this idea. (Doctors often do this without even asking when they do an internal at the end of pregnancy.) It hurt, like it always does, but she had some cramping and it looks like she lost her mucus plug over the next few hours.

We tried to accelerate things a bit with the only natural labor inducer she hasn't tried -- the romaine lettuce and balsamic vinegar salad. (There are lots of labor inducing salads but these two ingredients are considered to be the ones that help get things moving along.)

Kelly was so hopeful (and excited) that last night would be the night. She felt more pressure and felt a little nauseous. Then she said she tossed and turned all night and it felt like Eleanor was moving even lower. Still, labor didn't start.

I think she is in the very beginning of labor. Maybe things will putz around for the next day or two, but I'm sure hoping to have wonderful news to report by the end of this weekend. Please send prayers and lots of positive labor vibes our way!!

Gene Had to Leave

Yesterday was Gene's last full day here. I was kind of holding out for a last-minute birth so he could see his brand new granddaughter, but it wasn't Eleanor's time. He's headed home now to normalize things for everyone back at our house (especially grandma, who at almost 87 is exhausted from taking the dog out for her frequent pees -- they are both old!). He'll be starting his new job Monday, so that doesn't leave a lot of time left for coming back to Florida right now. I know we need the job, but the timing sure could have been better!

Kelly has done everything in her power to make this baby come. Yesterday she decided to make it a marathon morning at Mall of Millenia. Normally, when she's not pregnant, that would have been a fun day, but it was meant as a workout to stir up baby Eleanor and get her moving down and out! She did lots of steps and lots of walking and totally exhausted herself. Luckily, even though Clint had a VERY long day of work, he was able to meet her between jobs and they went to lunch at PF Changs. So, at least something fun came of all that work.

Kelly has a book, The Secret Language of Birthdays, that tells the characteristics of people born on each day of the year. I was looking at it and it seems that April 25 fits Eleanor pretty well. That day is termed "The Day of Physical Substance" and says people born on this day have a "marked physical presence." "... A great deal of their energy goes into establishing themselves in life as soon as possible." One of the most interesting characteristics is "stubborn to the extreme." Sounds like our sweet Eleanor is going to have one powerful personality. Wonder if she'll be born on my predicted day. I just hope she comes really soon. Her mom is tired!!

Enjoying Those Last Days

Clint was off work so Kelly and Clint got a chance to hang out together. They enjoyed eggs benedict that Kelly made for breakfast and then spent some time sunning and swimming at Wekiwa Springs. And it was an absolutely beautiful day to be outside -- sunny and just hot enough for a dip in the cool springs. Kelly said that when you're this pregnant everyone is staring at you like you shouldn't even be leaving the house.

Gene and I wanted to give them a chance to be together so we went on a search for the Birkenstock outlet on I Drive, but it no longer exists. So, we looked around the area a little and then drove back. Gene had never eaten at Dexters, where Kelly and I ate a few days ago, so we went there and sat outside enjoying the gorgeous weather. Afterwards, a little strolling around the plaza and then some more relaxing with a blended coffee (I'm getting addicted).

I had ANOTHER dream that baby Eleanor was a boy. Now that would be a surprise, especially with all the pink stuff and girly clothes that are waiting here for her!

I hate that Gene has to leave tomorrow, as it looks like he'll miss Eleanor's birth. There really isn't much choice since Matt needs help cleaning out that dorm room Friday, and he may even have to start his new job Monday. And, who knows, Eleanor may decide to sneak in at the last minute tonight so she can meet her grandpa!

Quick Trip to Flagler Beach

Kelly wanted to stay close to home, so Gene and I went to visit our old friend and chiropractor, Pat, in Flagler Beach. It was a longer drive than I remembered but it was really nice getting to see him and get adjusted too. I think it had been four or five years ... We used to get together with him and his wife Deb many Friday evenings, going out for pizza at La Bella (now reopened as Rocky's). We both miss having them as close friends!

As you can see from the picture of Gene, we were on the beach, but it wasn't really beach weather -- it had been storming. Still, it was nice actually getting to see the ocean and feel the sand in between my toes. It made me remember all those relaxing days when Gene and I lounged for a few hours, listening to the crashing waves and watching the sea gulls in formation above us. And then, it was only around an hour from home (now Kelly and Clint's house).

Now that Kelly has quite the baby bump, and is overdue, she is getting bombarded by people who ask her how she is possibly going to give birth to a baby of this size. It's amazing how almost all women have lost faith in any woman's ability to give birth to the size baby her body grows. That's kind of crazy, isn't it: Why would a mammal grow a baby they couldn't birth? Another thing to remember is that bony tissue (skull size, etc.) is genetically determined and that is the only thing that really matters when making your way through the birth canal. All of that extra fatty tissue (those cute little leg rolls) that is built up in the last couple of weeks will just slither on through. Kelly has faith in her body's ability to be able to give birth to Eleanor. She just wants this whole thing to get going, and she definitely does not want to go to her Thursday midwife appointment!!

Not Today

Another morning and no baby but we do have a more crampy and achey mom-to-be. So, maybe Eleanor is on the move, getting everything all ready for her appearance in the next day or two. (Kelly does not expect her to be born today because April 20 has some negative connotations -- Hitler's birthday, Columbine, etc. -- and Eleanor would not want her birthday to be on this day!)

At least Eleanor's "delay" has given us extra time to enjoy our favorite area food, including another breakfast at Toojays as well as goodies (black and white cookies, rugelach and napoleons) to take home for later.

Kelly and I ran back to Old Navy to pick up a couple of things we didn't get on the first visit. It's nice for her to have a few new things to squeeze into now and then wear right after Eleanor is born. You get so tired of wearing the same old stuff.

Kelly tried some castor oil again last night in her "favorite" concoction, where it is made like a bloody mary. The thought of it, and the making of the drink is even worse for her than actually getting it down, which she said went better this time with her nose closed. It makes me kind of sick myself just thinking about it. She did get the usual results a few hours later, and some contractions throughout the night. We can hope some good inner work is taking place! Kelly said it was the second night she was tossing and turning, and moaning and groaning all night. Luckily, she can nap when she needs to now that she isn't working.

Come on Eleanor -- the 21st seems like a great day for a birthday!!

Everyone's in Place

Clint was off, and the three of us spent the morning at the Daytona Beach Farmer's Market after having bagels at Einstein's. The Farmer's Market a huge place, so we did lots of walking. They have lots of junk (t-shirts, touristy stuff, etc.) but also some good looking inexpensive veggies and fruits. Afterwards, we went to the Lake Mary Farmer's Market, which is much more upscale, though smaller. A nice little local place. There's one booth with tons of unusual pastas and we bought some rosemary garlic linguine to try. I'll have to go there again and buy some spicy pasta to take home for Matt to try. I'm sure he'd love it.

It wasn't long after we arrived home that Gene came. He'll be spending most of the week here until he has to go back Thursday and help Matt get all his stuff from school since this is his last week and the week of finals. (I can't believe school is over already!) I miss Matt and Josh. It seems like forever since I've seen them.

We had another of the $25 restaurant.com gift certificates and finally used it for dinner at Mykonos Greek Restaurant. Kind of rude service, but a very good meal and tons to take home. My favorite thing there is the avgolemono soup and as the first course I really could have stopped right there but I had ordered the combination plate with moussaka, pastitsio, stuffed grape leaves and gyro. I ended up taking a lot of it back home.

Kelly thinks she is going to stay pregnant forever and is not happy with that thought. She has decided that she is too well nourished and that her prenatal supplement with DHA and the Omega fatty acids prolong pregnancy, after reading that in a study online. It seems they are advising pregnant women to stop taking it in the 36th week to avoid postdate pregnancy. (Of course, she never got that advice.) Interesting, if this is true, that they are giving this supplement to women and it's also in a lot of foods today and then they are inducing huge percentages of women (up to 75% in some hospitals) because they haven't given birth by 41 weeks. (So typical of the medical establishment.) They still don't know the exact trigger for labor and there are lots of hypotheses, but I think a good one is the health of the placenta, so it would make sense that the more well nourished you are, the longer the baby hangs out inside.

Kelly thinks she has tracked down the date she conceived -- July 26th, her Dad's birthday -- and I'm sure she is right. So, her due date is right on track, with what she thought in the first place. Guess baby Eleanor hasn't gotten that news yet!

Keeping Busy

After the stress of Thursday Kelly and I kept ourselves really busy. We got some more Indian food -- I can't get enough of it -- at a lunch buffet at Kohinoor. Then, we went to a Jewish bakery and got chocolate babka (LUSCIOUS!) and poppy seed roll (not so great). Like I said, I'm eating way more than I do at home, and Kelly said she is eating way more since I've been here. At least my jeans still fit -- amazing, isn't it!

We went home for a while to let that food settle and then headed out for a wonderful coffee drink at The Coffee Cafe. I had Mac'Nut Mocha Blended Coffee and it tasted almost like a chocolate peanut butter milkshake. I usually just get plain coffee or americano so this was a real treat! It was unusually cool for Florida so it felt wonderful sitting outside. Then we went in some of the other cool stores within Colonial Town Park. I bought a tunic top that was on sale and Kelly got a couple of tops to wear right after Eleanor is born. Then we went to Old Navy. I hadn't been in any store in so long it seemed that everything in there looked good to me. I love the top Kelly is wearing in the picture here, and want to go back and get one for myself. (No, it's not maternity!)

I kind of thought that after all that busyness maybe Eleanor would come but the time is still not right.

A Bad Day

Kelly had her appointment with the midwives. She really hoped she would have given birth already so she wouldn't have to go all the way over to see them.

The morning was stressful, from the mom of twins plus one who was ready to pop -- and was not happy at all -- in the waiting room, to the midwife who would not listen to Kelly when she said she knows the date of her last menstrual period, and instead, insisted that the ultrasound showed her due date at April 30. (So much for these midwives actually listening to the mom-to-be!) Eleanor's heartrate was up some (160 instead of in the 140s) and the midwife said it was just from moving her around. The other midwives waited for the heartrate to go back down, but this one didn't. So, now in addition to it seeming like they'll let Kelly stay pregnant forever (going by THEIR due date) Kelly is concerned about the raised heartrate. To put it simply, she isn't trusting this practice anymore. She doesn't feel like she has a lot of choices. And of course I'm worried for her. I have to believe that Kelly's due date is right and that Eleanor will be here, at the latest, within the next two weeks.

I suggested that I could go home if it would make it easier and less stressful for Kelly, and come back once she goes into labor, or whenever she needs me. After a difficult day, we went out for Mexican food (and two margaritas for me) at Amigos and decided that I'll stay and Gene will come down Saturday for almost a week. Hopefully, the stress of being overdue will ease and we'll have a big, healthy baby next week, when we're all here together!

Glowing!

Every evening we have so much hope that it will be the night. Kelly had contractions but she was able to sleep through the night. She was disappointed when she woke up still pregnant. And, now she has to go to her midwife's appointment today -- another thing she hoped to avoid.

Kelly went to get her hair cut since it could be a while until she gets the chance to go once Eleanor is here. It made her feel a lot better. After the hair cut we went to lunch at Dexters, using my $25 restaurant.com gift certificate. It ended up being a very cheap and luscious lunch. I had an unbelieveable salad with grilled shrimp, roasted potatoes, and all sorts of other goodies. It really was one of the best salads I have ever had! Kelly had a bucatini (I love this pasta!!) pesto alfredo with shrimp. A great lunch!

We went to Publix (luckily the other Publix on Rhinehart that is slower paced) and picked up some stuff we needed, like leftover Easter M&Ms. I heard they were good for energy during labor.

Kelly wanted us to go and get pedicures but I think it's just too much money so I did her toenails myself last night. You know you have to be perfect when you go into labor, so now she is totally ready. Kelly has everything she needs for Eleanor, her hair is cut, her toenails are painted and her legs are shaved. Come on Eleanor -- Mom is so ready for you!!

The Due Date!

From all this talk about wanting Eleanor to come, you might have thought that Kelly's due date had already come and gone. I guess we all thought she'd be a bit early. Well, we were wrong. Eleanor has been very happy with her cozy surroundings. I said yesterday that "neither acupressure points, nor licorice, nor pineapple, nor even castor oil can keep Eleanor from her chosen birthdate!!" (In case you don't know, those are all at-home methods of labor induction.)

The storm that I had talked about did blow through and it was pretty bad. I guess it was the same storm that did so much damage in the Atlanta area the day before. Lots and lots of wind and rain here and some tornado touch downs but we were safe and it didn't concern Eleanor in the least.

Kelly and Clint went to see Coraline at the movies. When they got home we went out for sandwiches at TooJays. They were delicious, but we had idiots sitting behind us who were banging into the booth and then screaming across the restaurant at another group they were "with." You'd think they owned the place. Annoying!

We went to bed hopeful that it would be "the night," but the date wasn't right for Ms. Eleanor.

A Dip in the 'Ol Swimming Hole

We decided to take a little trip to Wekiwa Springs State Park so Kelly could do a little swimming. As you can see, it's gorgeous there -- very old-time Florida. It is (a cold) 72 degrees year-round, which is perfect on the hottest Florida days, but was pretty chilly yesterday when the outside temperature was only near 80 degrees and it was partly cloudy. Nevertheless, Kelly took the plunge (slowly), giving Eleanor a bit of a chill, and swam around for quite some time. (Swimming belly down, especially the breast stroke, is supposed to help your baby get in an optimal position for birth.) And then after all that exercise there were all those steps to get back to the car. Pretty exhausting when you are full-term! Tiring for me too! Luckily, now that Kelly isn't working she can take a nice long nap, and she did.

So, Kelly is very well rested now and ready to have Eleanor. After all that napping yesterday she slept til 9:30 this morning, which is really late for her. I thought maybe she had been up a lot last night, but she hadn't. I had a dream that her water broke, which never happened to me until I was close to pushing. She does feel like maybe something was happening last night, but whatever it was she slept through it. A storm is brewing today so she's hoping the drop in barometric pressure brings on labor. We will see!

The Cleaning Frenzy

Kelly thinks her belly looks smaller this morning. I don't know about that ...

Yesterday, Kelly was up before I was in the morning and was cleaning like a mad woman all morning. (Unusual!) Looked like a lot of nesting was going on. And now everything looks pretty clean. We're definitely ready for Ms. Eleanor.

Then she made her famous Cheesy Turnip Soup, which was absolutely delish. I can't believe this was the first time I had it. I've heard about it for years but I guess I didn't think it would taste as good as it did. I'll be making this one at home. It wasn't the traditional Easter dinner but, with a little garlic bread on the side, it was perfect for me.

On the homefront, I hear that Gene made a wonderful, yet untraditional dinner of crab cakes, beer batter fried shrimp, onion rings and homemade french fries. Not a low cal dinner, but it sure sounds good! So, the boys and grandma didn't suffer with me away, though there were no Easter baskets of my "babies" this year. I do miss everyone!!

Kelly spends a lot of her computer time on the iVillage April 2009 Expecting Club or the Mothering 2009 Due Date Club. I wish we had these message boards when I was pregnant. Absolutely EVERYTHING is discussed on the boards. And now, a lot of the women are having babies and they post their birth stories and pictures. They're really fun to read and keep up with what everyone is doing. I know Kelly reads these stories wondering what her birth will be like and when it will happen, and what (not-so-little) Eleanor will look like. We can hardly wait!

Happy Easter!

Started out Saturday with the three of us having a big breakfast at Toojays. (I wish we had one near us at home!) It was a lazy day. Kelly went back to bed after breakfast and I spent a few hours looking at interesting genealogical stuff about my family, like this Donovan family tree. (Clint is the one who got me interested in this.) Later I went to the Ellis Island site and found the coolest ship manifests but I'm not sure I found my actual relatives. (If you click to enlarge the manifest you'll see a Stanislaw Fornal -- my grandpa's name on line 7, but not sure that is actually him.)

Even after Kelly woke up, we spent quite a long time clicking on pictures and different pages through the family tree. Interesting, and funny to see some of the family resemblance. I learned a few things I didn't know before: My father's father had two wives and when he married Ella she was around 5 months pregnant with Harry, my dad's brother. Basically the Donovan's were a family of artists -- first house painters and then photographers. Here's an interesting blurb on the Donovan's early history:

This great Irish family can trace their name back to Donnabhain, the son of Callaghan, a 10th century Munster King. Donnabhain is composed of the Gaelic elements "donn" meaning "brown," dubh - black plus the diminutive suffix "an." The original homeland of the (O) Donovans was the extensive territory of the River Maigue in Co. Limerick where they were considered a noble race and named their stronghold Brugh Riogh which translates as the "Royal Residence." After the Norman Invasion of 1170, the (O) Donovans moved under force to south west Cork where they acquired much territory and became chieftains in Carbery. The family supported the army of James 11 in Ireland (1690). Jeremiah O'Donovan (1831-1915) called Rossa, the revered Fenian patriot, who went to America following his release from prison, is the most famous namebearer in Irish history. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of O'Donnabhain, which was dated circa 1169, in the "Annals of the Four Masters," during the reign of Rory O'Connor, known as "The High King of Ireland," 1166 - 1198.

Believe it or not, we ended the day at Toojay's (again), enjoying their cake sampler plate with mounds cake, chocolate cheesecake cake and carrot cake. At least they were fairly small pieces. Nevertheless, I won't fit into my jeans if I keep eating like this and not exercising as much as I do at home!!

On the Eleanor front, we are trying to forget that Kelly is pregnant and just go about our normal business. That's kind of tricky when her belly is center stage!!!!

Last Day of Work

Another beautiful Florida morning. (Wish we could go to the beach!!) Every morning I wake up and realize that last night wasn't "the night." I heard the bath running earlier than usual this morning and wondered if Kelly was in labor. I even called Gene to alert him, just in case. (It wasn't.) It's so hard waiting and not knowing ...

Yesterday was Kelly's last day of work. She felt odd leaving, but I know she has had it with work for quite some time. I'm sure it will be a relief not to have to get up early and head off there on Monday. At the very last minute (AGAIN), the HR department told her that she couldn't stop work yet if she didn't have the baby, even though the midwife had written a medical excuse. It all ended up working out, but that was after upsetting her on her last day.

Kelly invited me along to lunch yesterday with one of her co-workers. We had an absolutely wonderful Indian meal at Memories of India II, right down the street. I had chana masala, sort of a chickpea curry, that I got very spicy. Lots of goodies on the side. A perfect meal -- and great company too!

Hopefully now that Kelly doesn't have to work she can take it easy and let things happen in their own time. No matter what, it shouldn't be very long until we get to hold Eleanor in our arms!

Frustrated

I know Kelly really hoped yesterday would be the day she would meet little Eleanor. But Eleanor had other ideas.

It's so hard to wait, and you have no control over when your baby will be born, unless you are the type who wants medical intervention. It's no wonder there are so many inductions these days (I think 70 to 90% in some places!!). Doctors, wanting to control and totally medicalize birth, take advantage of the way women feel at the end of pregnancy. So ready to be over it, and so ready to hold their baby in their arms instead of hidden inside their bellies.

Despite all the natural ways to induce, it's still in the baby's control. And, in rational times you know that's the way it should be.

Full Moon

Yesterday was probably the last cool day in Florida. We're heading back into the 80s today. Kelly is hot, even on the cool days. I felt her belly last night and you can even tell on which side Eleanor is lying, and not only because of big body parts, but because that side is very warm, compared with the other side. I don't think I ever noticed that when I was pregnant.

I made lasagna for dinner, and as I was "constructing" it I decided that it was way too much for just the three of us. I asked Kelly if she'd like to invite Betty and Paul over for dinner and she did. Paul was working but Betty did come with Enzo. She got to show Betty a lot of the baby care goodies she has gotten and let Betty try some of them out. Enzo fell asleep in the cute little Arm's Reach Cocoon. It worked well, putting Enzo right to sleep. The funny thing is one of their cats, Walter, was very curious and put his paws up on the cocoon and that made it swing. Enzo seemed fine with the (wilder) ride. When Betty nursed Enzo she tried out three things at once: the super-comfy Cuddoozle nursing pillow, which seems better constructed than any on the market, the SWEET little MoBoleez Hat and PeekyBooBaby (a nursing blanket I actually like a lot!)

It's kind of hard to see in this dark picture, but you can kind of make out how sweet that hat is when its in use. (It's meant for nursing inconspicuously, but it's so unique that I think it could draw attention to you and the baby. Still, I love it!!)

Kelly was pretty tired at the end of the evening and got to bed pretty early. She had a hard time sleeping because all those baby body parts were getting in the way, no matter what side she tried to sleep on. At least today is her next to last day of work unless Eleanor decides to heed the call of the full moon tonight.

Hanging in There

Well, using licorice for labor induction didn't work. First, Kelly is not thrilled with the taste so that doesn't help. I probably ate more than she did! I really love those Bassett's Allsorts. I guess labor inducing foods/drinks work by irritating the bowel, which then gets the uterus contracting. Kelly seems to have a really, really sturdy GI system. Nothing much irritates it. (Very much like her Dad!)

It was nice and cool last night and Kelly slept well. She had a (kind of bizarre late pregnancy) dream that she had given birth to Eleanor but didn't remember a thing. She said I told her she had gone to the hospital because of a long labor, but she didn't have a cesarean. She asked how big Eleanor was and I said, "I think 10 lbs. 10 oz." She remembers leaving her sleeping in bed but she didn't really look at her and got up to "tie loose ends up at work." Everyone was very detached. She also remembers seeing a bag of licorice allsorts at a store and getting ready to buy it but then remembering she didn't need it anymore. She already had given birth.

I picked up a teeny book on baby signing and had given it to Kelly and Clint. I thought Clint would be interested in signing and he definitely is. He has learned so much already and is very excited about teaching baby Eleanor signs so she can communicate with them before she learns to talk. The more I read about it, the more I think it's a great idea. It's less frustrating to a baby when they can communicate their needs. Clint sent me a couple of YouTube videos with one baby, at different ages, signing. In this video she is 11 months old -- so cute. I can't wait to see Eleanor signing. Actually, I just can't wait to meet Eleanor. Hope she decides to make her appearance very soon!

Renewed Energy!

It's cool today -- even in Florida -- and beautiful! And, that makes it a very good day when you are ready to give birth. The morning started out in the 50s. And, you could tell that Kelly felt a lot better. She has her second wind.

Yesterday Kelly went to see the midwife and found out that she tested positive for group B strep. It was a disappointment, but not totally unexpected since it had showed up when she had a urinary tract infection quite some time ago. From what I understand, it doesn't go away. Once you have it, you have it. Her birth center will give the IV antibiotics to her in one large dose while she's in labor, so she won't have to hang around and labor with an IV in. It's great that they do this in the center as many these days are sending all women who test positive (up to 30% of all women have this) to the hospital. Some crazed practices deliver all by cesarean! (Just covering their asses.)

All the news wasn't bad at the birth center yesterday. Eleanor is doing well and is nice and low, Kelly's iron count is very high and the midwives said she must have a wonderful diet, and they're guessing Eleanor is already 10 pounds! The interesting thing is that they like big babies there because they find them less likely to get themselves in odd positions that hold up labor. That's good to know. And Kelly is not concerned at all.

I shopped again at their insanely busy Publix. That place, and the parking lot, are packed even midday during the week. Anyway, I got the stuff I needed for dinner. Was hoping to find Bassett's Allsorts (licorice) because eating a box of them is supposed to act as a "natural" labor inducer, but no luck. Only Twizzlers, and they don't work.

Kelly gets home from work a little after 5 and we had a really good beef veggie soup with garlic bread for dinner. I think there will be enough for us to have again when she comes home for lunch today.

Not too many contractions through the evening and night and we all slept well. Hopefully Eleanor will decide to come when we're all well rested and feeling good. (At least Kelly and Clint are pretty much over their colds.)

Tired of It!

The look says it all! Ready for the swelling to end, and anxious to be able to fit in shoes, other than flip flops, again, ready to move comfortably, and most of all, ready to meet Eleanor. You forget how frustrating it can be at the end of pregnancy. There are lots of emotions flying around and hormones. It's a wonder we all make it through and then happily do it again.

I arrived at Kelly and Clint's Friday, a week before I was planning to. It just seemed like the right thing to do with all the contractions. And the contractions are still coming. They're uncomfortable, but not painful, most of the time. Saturday night Kelly was woken with some that were more painful but unfortunately, after going on a couple of hours, stopped. Eleanor just isn't ready to come yet!

It was a lazy weekend. Saturday, Clint was working so Kelly and I had a delicious breakfast at my favorite breakfast place, TooJays -- corned beef hash and eggs. YUM! I wish I could eat there every day, but if I did I wouldn't fit in my jeans when I come home.


After breakfast we visited Betty and Enzo. They are both really doing well. He's already 3 1/2 months old and is SO cute and SO calm. (And he had a bit of a fussy start!) And he definitely looks like a boy. I know Kelly and Betty can't wait to take the babies out together for walks and to the splash park (which looks like so much fun!), and just sit around and nurse together.

We decided to go for dinner at Giovanni's since Kelly had a $10 off coupon and she was hoping the Italian food would induce labor. Well, we had a great meal. Kelly and I split the luscious tortellini alfredo and a warm chicken salad that was positively addictive. But, it didn't induce labor!

Sunday was a very lazy day. We were hoping it would be Eleanor's birth day but she would have nothing of it. Lots of contractions throughout the day (and a few more pre-labor signs) but no baby yet. The most we did all day was go to a crazy busy, ultra-fancy new Publix that is only a mile or so from here. I still prefer our slow-paced store where people aren't hitting into you in the aisles with their carts. Maybe I've just adapted to the slower Southern pace and this reminded me more of New York.

I thought maybe last night I'd get woken up but Kelly actually had a good sleep after a half glass of wine. I'm glad she got her rest because it's going to be really tiring -- too tiring I think -- still going to work this week. Maybe Eleanor will surprise us before the week is up and make her appearance!