Welcome, Lucy Elizabeth!

Lucy Elizabeth, named so because we liked the name Lucy, especially because of C.S. Lewis' Lucy Pevinsie, and Elizabeth because that was my given middle name, came into the world at 4:19 p.m. on Friday, January 27th. I went in on the 26th for a routine NST (non-stess test) to make sure she had enough amniotic fluid. For the first time, my fluid levels were not within the normal level. Either I had broken my water and didn't notice because of all the extra fluid intake I'd had lately, or it was just low. My water had most certainly broken on its own after they checked my progress, which was 2.5 cm dialated and 80% effaced. I was admitted, completely freaked out of course, at about 4:00 that day, and was started on pitocin by 5:00. Contractions began but were pretty do-able. I was able to doze a tiny bit through them, but they got to a more active pitch in the middle of the night. By 5:00 I still had only gained half a centimeter (so 12 hours later), so I opted for the epidural. Best decision ever! I was able to doze through about another hour.

Both of my parents had arrived the night before. We had sent them home to our house to sleep and told them we'd call them when there was more active labor. They came back in the morning, and sat with us during the greater part of the morning. Later in the morning I started really feeling contractions very low down which couldn't be blocked by the epidural (this is normal). The three of them helped me breathe through them. I don't know what I would have done without them! By about 3:30 we had made some good progress, and it was about time to start pushing. They all seemed to have their roles in helping me, and it was a really great experience, strangely enough. I pushed for about 45 minutes, and then the head came out. The nurse midwife worked the head out, and then my dad got to deliver the baby. It was an incredible, definitely indescribable moment!

I was completely amazed by the labor and delivery staff. They were just wonderful. The nurse that started out with me the night before came up to my room later and told me that she'd gotten the scoop from one of my delivery nurses. Apparently they were all so amazed at how the four of us worked together so well, and how this was one of the best deliveries she'd ever been a part of. She was teary when she said this. Wow, what an awesome compliment!

So that's the labor story. New motherhood is a completely other story, and still one being learned. I'm generally doing well, though could use your prayers. For example, the baby is sleeping and I should be sleeping, but I can't fall asleep, I think for hormonal reasons. But really, she is a beatiful little girl, and I am so blessed that she is here.

Welcome, Lucy Elizabeth!

Lucy Elizabeth, named so because we liked the name Lucy, especially because of C.S. Lewis' Lucy Pevinsie, and Elizabeth because that was my given middle name, came into the world at 4:19 p.m. on Friday, January 27th. I went in on the 26th for a routine NST (non-stess test) to make sure she had enough amniotic fluid. For the first time, my fluid levels were not within the normal level. Either I had broken my water and didn't notice because of all the extra fluid intake I'd had lately, or it was just low. My water had most certainly broken on its own after they checked my progress, which was 2.5 cm dialated and 80% effaced. I was admitted, completely freaked out of course, at about 4:00 that day, and was started on pitocin by 5:00. Contractions began but were pretty do-able. I was able to doze a tiny bit through them, but they got to a more active pitch in the middle of the night. By 5:00 I still had only gained half a centimeter (so 12 hours later), so I opted for the epidural. Best decision ever! I was able to doze through about another hour.

Both of my parents had arrived the night before. We had sent them home to our house to sleep and told them we'd call them when there was more active labor. They came back in the morning, and sat with us during the greater part of the morning. Later in the morning I started really feeling contractions very low down which couldn't be blocked by the epidural (this is normal). The three of them helped me breathe through them. I don't know what I would have done without them! By about 3:30 we had made some good progress, and it was about time to start pushing. They all seemed to have their roles in helping me, and it was a really great experience, strangely enough. I pushed for about 45 minutes, and then the head came out. The nurse midwife worked the head out, and then my dad got to deliver the baby. It was an incredible, definitely indescribable moment!

I was completely amazed by the labor and delivery staff. They were just wonderful. The nurse that started out with me the night before came up to my room later and told me that she'd gotten the scoop from one of my delivery nurses. Apparently they were all so amazed at how the four of us worked together so well, and how this was one of the best deliveries she'd ever been a part of. She was teary when she said this. Wow, what an awesome compliment!

So that's the labor story. New motherhood is a completely other story, and still one being learned. I'm generally doing well, though could use your prayers. For example, the baby is sleeping and I should be sleeping, but I can't fall asleep, I think for hormonal reasons. But really, she is a beatiful little girl, and I am so blessed that she is here.

Things I'll miss

Couldn't help it... one more list... Things I'll miss about being pregnant:
1.) The baby kicking.
2.) Sleep
3.) I'm being honest... the attention
4.) People lying and saying, "Wow, you look great!"
5.) Having excuses to let people pamper me
6.) Having excuses to forget things
7.) Not having to change diapers
8.) Feeding the baby through an auto-tube
9.) Being able get up and go whenever I feel like it.
10.) Being the only ones that know my baby's name.

Things to remind myself of later

Since I finished my job, I've been all about lists. Mostly lists of stuff to do, stuff to pack, stuff to buy, stuff to take back. I'm still not quite ready to give birth, so thought I should make a list of all the things that I will not miss after I have the baby... just to remind myself of good things when I'm sleep deprived.

Not necessarily in order:
1.) Having only about 15% of nasal capacity at all times.
2.) Blowing my nose EVERY time I go to the bathroom.
3.) Going to the bathroom about once an hour, sometimes less, only to dribble about a teaspoon.
4.) Drinking 96 oz. of fluids a day.
5.) Not being able to get to my toes.
6.) Bumping into things with my belly, especially the oven door (thankfully no burns yet).
7.) Being out of breath all the time.
8.) HEARTBURN!
9.) Having people say, "You're carrying so low!" "You're carrying so high!"
10.) Swollen fingers.
11.) Swollen ankles
12.) Not being able to sleep on my stomach.
13.) Carrying around an extra 40 pounds.
14.) Everyone knowing I'm carrying around an extra 40 pounds.
15.) Having to scoot to the edge of any chair and then having to use my fists against the chair to launch myself out of the chair, and feeling like an old person.
16.) Being especially clutzy
17.) Being forgetful.

Enough for now.

The worst dream

I had the most real, awful dream last night, and I woke up in a sweat. I dreamt it was my last semester of college and I was taking a class from a tough professor. For some reason I'd missed the first class. During the 2nd class, I had to get up to go to the bathroom, but it took me a long time to find the bathroom, so when I got back I'd missed most of the quiz. The prof decided to make an example of me and wouldn't let me re-take the quiz, and she just kept publically berating me until I was crying. Finally I just kind of blurted out, "But I'm pregnant!" Then she assumed it was an unwed pregnancy, so I said I was married. Then she started calling it a shotgun wedding. I'm telling you, I have no idea why it was such a bad dream, but YIKES!

On tap today: put together changing table, pack my hospital bag, get my hair cut, take a nap, and some other smaller items. I love being at home! I'm still in my bathrobe!

Found this fun pic from Christmas. This is at my in-laws' house, and my nephew was looking at pictures with me.


In other musings...
I HATE having to go through an actual REAL season of 24 like regular people! No watching 4 episodes at once, crocheting my heart out at all the scary parts. By the way, does anyone know what the story is with the blonde girl at CTU headquarters? Did she and Jack have a thing going on?

Found these at IKEA and thought they would be fun to put up in the baby's room. Pictures of the nursery coming soon, once I finish painting and putting together the changing table.

Progress!

Home improvement, while sometimes agonizing, is so satisfying sometimes.

Here you see the beginnings of getting the nursery together. It's coming along. I'll get a picture in there once the mobile is up, the dust ruffle comes in, and the curtains are up. This is just the sorting out of the myriad of clothes this little girl has been given and handed down from her cousins and the Stuck twins. She won't ever wear the same thing twice!


Here is our "study" so far. It's not quite put back together as we have base boards to work on, but still quite an improvement. I am juxtaposing it with what the house looked like before we bought it.




Ah,the satisfaction.

I have the greatest friends!

This was the weekend of my last shower. Thank goodness, I'm getting too big to be in pictures anymore. =) It was such a lovely shower. I love that all the girls in my bible study pitched in and did different things to make it beautiful. I loved having all my worlds together. These are just great people! I wish Sarah Stuck, Kristin Bohreer and my sister could have been there... it would have made it complete. Big thank yous to all of my dear, dear girls!

Going away coffin

So this was it. The last day. I'm officially a "house wife." (Someone PLEASE help me come up with a better title!) It was a weird day. Didn't want to be there, didn't want to leave. 7 1/2 years is a long time to be in the same place, and I've grown from child to woman in that job. My boss, bless his heart, gave me the 3rd hug he's ever given me. =) The first was when I'd been gone for 3 weeks on vacation and he was so relieved I was back he jumped up and gave me a big bear hug. The second was when I got engaged. So I think he must be pretty sad that I'm going. It is hard to see my office going to someone else... it's been mine for so long, it's hard to think of it being someone else's. Still processing it all.

Yesterday they took me to lunch and gave me my going away gift. It is a jewelry box, engraved with "To Jennifer for your service to the MOL" (or something like that. I thought it was really sweet, and then I saw the lovely jewelry inside. And THEN I took another look and realized that it looks like a coffin. What is THAT supposed to tell me?? =)




So farewell, MOL. Farewell working world, farewell career (for now). Farewell dear work friends. Farewell paycheck! Farewell commute (all 4 minutes of it). Farewell work clothes!! Farewell cubes and office chairs and steelcase and mailboxes and files and whiny students and wonderful students and politics and meetings and memos. Farewell to the home of my 20's.

My fantastic husband

So I come home and Steve's dad (who is here helping with a flooring project this week) says, "Jenny, I"m sorry to tell you, your fridge is dying." All the stuff was in coolers and the magnets were off the fridge. I was just heartbroken. Not so much because I like my fridge, I am ready for it to go away. I will admit I got a little, preggy-hysterical. About 30 min. later, I see a big truck outside, and I think it's the flooring being delivered. Steve says, "Hey, that looks like the fridge I got you!" I burst into tears and started apologizing and rejoicing at the same time. I went from 17 cubic feet to 25 cubic feet. HOO-YAH!!

Lamaze

I think that after two full days of Lamaze class, I should walk up to every mother I've ever met and say, "You are an amazing woman!" YIKES! Even those who had c-sections have still had a huge amount of pain and deserve a medal.

My first January

Most of you who would read this will notice that I've processed some of my thoughts with you already. I went in yesterday to my office to clean out (and clean off) my old desk and move to the smaller one that my replacement has been using. I'm working only 1/2 days for the next two weeks, and then I'm done. It's hard to believe, but it's been easier than I would have guessed. It was a little difficult... I was sitting at that desk when Steve asked me out the first time, I was sitting there when my mom called to tell me I had a new niece, and I was sitting there when my sister asked me to come down and take care of Emma when Abby was born. I've cried at that desk more times than I can remember, and I've had some great moments there. It was strange starting to say goodbye. But I got home and started putting things away in my home desk, and it started to feel right. Like, this was my new job, this is where I work now. I will miss things about my job, but I'm feeling good about the closing of this chapter.

One thing I look forward to is actually enjoying January. I love Southern California in January. There is usually a mix of cool and warm weather, and lots of days where you can see the gorgeous San Bernadino mountains covered with snow (though they can't compare to the Sierras). This is the first time I will ever have really been able to enjoy January without going out of my head crazy dealing with Interterm classes, Orientation, new students, returning students and general problem students. It's usually the worst month of the year at work, and this year I'm free!

However, I would appreciate any new ways to describe my new focus in life besides "stay-at-home mom" and "homemaker." I did think of one possibility... the field of mid-wifery is pronounced with a short i, like in "wiffleball." I think I should call my new career "house-wifery."

I am still recovering from watching this movie. I feel almost as disturbed after watching this movie as I have watching movies about human cruelty. I'm still detoxing. I went to the fridge for some skim string cheese and a tangerine afterwards, but I feel like I won't be a whole woman until I've had bell-peppers or something.

Practice with the early mornings

Steve went hiking this morning so he was up at 5. I woke up about 5 min. before his alarm went off for my routine bathroom trip, and couldn't get back to sleep, so I decided, what's vacation if not a chance to get up and make pancakes in the "wee sma's"? I'll head back to bed soon for a nice, satisfying sleep-in while I still can, especially because early morning L.A. news is dismal.

Today before my NST appointment I will probably go in to work and start getting my stuff packed up to come home. I've been in that office for 6 1/2 of my 7 1/2 years, which is more than I've lived in any one place since I left my parents' house. It will be so strange to pack up that part of my life. I don't think I could have really prepared this change. I have so identified myself as a working woman that making such a huge career change will be a bit of a shock.

In other news... a San Bernadino County Jesus is missing. Basically someone took a bolt cutter to the life-sized Jesus and have taken him away somewhere. Surprisingly the local media is outraged.

The first of 3 Christmases

I think we're lucky to only have 3 Christmases... The La Mirada Earles, the Sørensens on Christmas Eve, and the Earles of Almaden (San Jose) on Christmas Night. Luckily I no longer have to have Christmas with the Brunswicks or the extended Sørensens. It just would be too much.

This was my favorite Christmas gift from my husband this Christmas. I wondered at first why he chose purple until he told me that amethyst is the February birthstone! I'm telling you, this guy pulls out the stops. The Christmas before our wedding, he knew I was trying to find pearls to borrow, and I was starting to stress out about it, so he bought me these beatiful pearls. What a guy!


Today we had our traditional aebleskiver with our cousins, and the afternoon has consisted of picking tangerines and oranges, making blueberry pie, and breaking in Mom and Dad's new SWEET leather recliners while watching football. People keep insisting I get off my feet, which doesn't take much convincing. I can't think of a better way to spend Christmas.

Snow in L.A.

This is in response to Sarah's question... thought it deserved its own post.

The last time it snowed in L.A. was January 10, 1949. This is 8 days after my mother's first birthday.

Happy first day of winter!

For Stuck in OK

Just thought you should know it got up to 80 degrees today. I put on the air conditioner in my car. Currenly it is 57 degrees. Might be time to pull out my scarf. I feel very at home here when all the palm trees have lights on them. This is one of those days I would have loved to be at Disneyland--they make their own "snow" there at Christmas, and it's fun to see it come down in So Cal temperatures.

Optical challenge

I had a hard time seeing the face in all this... but notice the face takes up the whole picture. The bright spot over the top is the curve of her head, the bright spot lower down is the bridge of her nose and you can see the eye slits. She's laid back with the top of her head to the right. It was so sweet... she was sucking a little bit while she slept. Even the Ultrasound tech let out an "awww!"

Bad days, good endings

I had one of those days today. Some unpleasantness in the morning, then a yucky meeting in the afternoon. I was a bit of a hormonal disaster anyway, and I got a little rough with someone in the meeting. But the weird thing was, everyone in the meeting was proud of me instead of rebuking me. I stood up to someone who had been speaking out of turn (idealogically, not like "Roger's Rules of Order"), and just didn't want to muck around anymore. I should have known it would be a mucky day when I hit not one, but TWO trains on the way to an appointment, not to mention every conceivable red light between point A and point B! However, the evening was wonderful, with a wonderful husband, a sweet little brother, and some good Sweedish Meatballs. What else could I ask for?

My new education

This wasn't our teacher... this lady looks a lot more normal.

Tonight I began the shift from higher education--supporting Masters degree students and learning about graduate subjects myself--to being educated about how to clean poop. Welcome to my new life. Actually, I learned more in the first 5 minutes than I expected to learn all night. I learned you only swaddle an infant for the first two weeks, that you sponge bathe the baby until their umbilical cord falls off, and that I'm REALLY glad I'm having a girl... no fountains of joy.

Those of you that know my spouse would have been proud. He did quite well. I only had to correct him once, but I think it will be easier to remember to fold the diaper top down when there's a crazy umbilical stump sticking out there to remind him.