Hello Snow

Introducing Arctic Explorer Grayson! Made in a limited edition of 1, he is ready to brave the coldest temperatures of the far north. Or at least the front yard. For about 10 minutes.

Hello Santa

Goodbye Kitty Colfax

Colfax passed away yesterday morning. This wasn't unexpected, but we will all miss her a lot. I had suspected that she had a brain tumor early in October and she had been blind for about a month. Tony and I were getting used to being seeing eye people for her, but felt bad when a paw would occasionally end up under one of our feet. We were in Indianapolis visiting Grayson's specialists on Thursday and when came home Colfax was repeatedly seeking out corners and then becoming stuck in them. She had the first seizure about 10:00 that night. I took her to work with me yesterday morning and placed a catheter so that I could give diazepam to calm the seizures. She passed away in between seizures without ever regaining normal consciousness. The tumor was underneath the left side of her cerebrum. It's amazing that through the whole process she became more social and more gentle. The house is much quieter without her.

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! We hope that your meal is tastier than rice cereal!

Tube is out for good (we hope)

We have been hopping lately and haven't had a ton of time to catch up, but there has been a lot of good, a little bad and some rare but serious ugly the past month or so. We started weaning Grasyon off of his tube after his Halloween visit with Dr. Escobar (what a great treat!). The trick was that as he spent more time off of the pump, the flow rate had to be higher while he was on it and this lead to vomiting whenever his position changed. So, there was spit up or vomit after the first diaper change of the morning, spit up or vomit after swinging or sitting in the high chair for a while and spit up or vomit around bed time. It was very frustrating when Grayson vomited just after a nice bath. However, when the pump wasn't going Grayson discovered hunger and that hunger can be alleviated by eating! So now he really does like to eat!

On the 9th of November, Grayson pulled out his tube again, which created the ugly. The ER staff knows him on sight now and fortunately he pulled it out at daycare about 12:30 so I was able to get him in during the day. Replacing the tube only took 3 hours instead of the usual 6. For the first time, Grayson got a bloody nose as the tube was being replaced (this is part of why I don't put it back in myself). It had stopped by the time I traded off with Tony, but when I got home that night the little guy looked like he'd been in a prize fight. Blood under the tegaderm, blood on his eyelids, blood on his jacket, blood on Tony's shirt. Grayson had rubbed his face on Tony's shoulder as he often does when he's sleepy and the nose bleed had started again. He felt fine, but I couldn't stand looking at my baby with blood on his face. Any mother-toughness I had managed to cultivate was gone until we had changed the tape and cleaned his face. So, that's the ugly.

Last Wednesday the tube came out again. Dr. Escobar had given the OK to try 24 hours off of the pump the day before, so we decided to leave the tube out overnight and see what would happen. My part of this decision was largely influenced by the nose-bleed the week before. Grayson chugged! He didn't necessarily take a lot at one time, but he wanted to eat. So far the tube has been out for almost a week. I'm a bit worried that he might be losing weight and I don't know if we'll be able to leave the tube out, but he's been a pretty happy baby this past week. He's been sleeping without snoring, he's still had some vomiting but he eats right after, and he's having a great time practicing standing up so I'm really hoping that the tube can stay out.

Fire in the sky

I just wanted to share last night's sunset. We're not having fires here in Indiana, but you might have thought so.

Friday night excitement

Last night as I was getting ready to leave work I followed my normal routine and called home to let Tony know I was on my way. Grayson had been having a lot of cranky afternoons, so I like to let Tony know that the cavalry's on the way. HIs response,"You might as well meet us at the emergency room, Grayson's pulled his tube out." We've been through the ER tube replacement routine before, so I stopped for Taco Bell and drinks on my way. Grayson was a very happy tubeless boy when I arrived and a very unhappy boy with a brand new nasogastric tube when we all left 5 hours later. However, he has suddenly decided that a bottle may be a worthwhile source of nutrition after all. Maybe it was experiencing a stomach that was truly empty, maybe having the tube end in the stomach rather than passung through to the jejunum is an appetite stimulant, all I know is thst for the first time weeks he's had real interest in getting nourishment from something besides his tube. I'm going to offer another bottle in a bit and see how he does.

Going to Jail

Next Tuesday I'm being Locked Up for Good for our local Muscular Dystrophy Association. Grayson doesn't have muscular dystrophy, but it seemed like a good opportunity to give a little back since we're lucky enough to have him home and doing well - almost up to 12 pounds now! If anyone would like to help me raise bail I'd appreciate it.


No worries if you're not interested, just thought that I'd put it out there.

Bonding with Colfax

A boy and his cat, bonding.

The Journey Home

Today's adventure (sorry about the rotated pictures, it's late, we started early and my skilz are not mad) :

Leaving the hospital!

Not terribly thrilled about the car ride

Ahh, my swing.

We are all happy to be home!


No more hospital beds for Grayson.

Grayson is happy that he might be coming home this weekend. We are too!

New Hope

Grayson has been at St. Vincent's (now Peyton Manning's Children's Hospital at St. Vincent) for about two weeks now. He's been prodded and poked, scanned inside and out and had tubes and cameras shoved though every orafice. We've traveled down the roads of fear, panic, relief, hope, dashed hopes and frustration. But something has finally come back that all doctors involved agree is probably a big part of the problem.

A stomach biopsy came back showing elevated levels of some long complicated science-y word that point towards allergic reations occuring in is GI tract. So they are switching his formula (going directly into his intenstine via nasal tube) to a hypo-allergenic variety. They will check again in a few days to see if that makes a positive change.

He will likely still have to do a few weeks of therapy to help overcome his eating issues. He's spent so long associating eating with discomfort that he'll need help getting past that into some normal feeding behaviors. But they have a program that will come to our house for that.

He is looking very good -- up to 9lbs. 5oz., good color and wide, alert eyes, occasional smiles. There is a chance we could take him home this week (still on feeding tube, but still - home) until they are ready to recheck or while the results are out.

In other health news - I am sick as a dog. Sore throat. Phlegmy cough. Runny, congested sinuses, and as of last night, so nasty red-eye swelling and mucus secretion. So sadly I can't feel comfortable interacting too much witch Grayson, dispite my face mask and constant handwashing. Still it's nice to see him.

Rug pulled out

We're going to be pretty incommunicado for a while. Grayson started vomiting Saturday night so we rushed him to the emergency room. Being a holiday weekend, we didn't get to touch base with our family practitiioner until Tuesday, by which point we had both been vomiting and didn't want to go back to the hospital and expose the other kids in pediatrics. Since we'd been planning on a trip to Indianapolis for a more detailed workup, Grayson was transferred down to Saint Vincent Children's hospital Tuesday night. We followed Wednesday. We know that he has bad gastroesophogeal reflux, so basically it hurts him to eat. Today he's getting an MRI and a bone scan. He had a CT done yesterday. His poor little feet and hands are bruised from blood draws and he's being fed through a nasogastric tube. Unfortunately, he's vomiting up some of the high calorie formula if it isn't diluted with pedialyte. The neonatalogist/pediatric geneticist doesn't think that whatever the problem is is fatal, but we don't have a name for it yet.

Still, after almost four days without one, Grayson smiled for us before we had to come back home yesterday and he smiled twice for my mom, who's there until we can get back tomorrow.

Sweet Relief

We haven't posted about this, because it's been very frustrating, but we'd been living with The Incredible Shrinking Baby and then The Incredibly slow growing baby for the past couple of months. Finally, though Grayson's weight is in the positive column! All babies lose weight at first, but Grayson went from his pleasantly plump birth weight of 9 pounds 2 ounces down to 7 pounds 12 ounces. Then, as he grew in length, his weight would go up a bit and then go down a bit. I've been nursing and pumping and supplementing and trying soy supplement (resulting in two days of bad constipation). We've also been trying to keep him as calm as possible, realizing that every screaming fit burns precious calories. Finally, last week he hit a peak of 8 pounds 12 ounces. He also started smiling more and being a bit less fussy. Today, after a week of both parents and a grandma encouraging eating Grayson weighed in at 9 pounds 3 ounces. So, for the first time ever, Grayson's up above his birth weight! He also rolled over for the first time this week, but that single ounce has really made all of us happy. Once he reaches 10 pounds, we'll even let him go road trips again.

Sleepy time

They're just too cute together!

Grayson's big photo shoot

Grayson was going to get some super-fancy photo-stylin' done this weekend -- but one of Daddy's co-workers went on vacation and took the super-fancy company camera. In the meantime, we can throw up a couple inferior quality photos by special request.

We think that he's gorgeous!

Here are some more Grayson pictures. He's starting to gain some weight back, but he's still a tall and skinny boy. He has recently learned that he does not have to sleep at night. We would like to convince him otherwise, but he really is the one in charge here.

Grayson pictures

Hopefully these will work.

One week later

Sorry that it took so long to update. This week has been a blur.

It really was labor and I skipped over the contractions every 15 minutes and the part where you go to the hospital when your contractions are every 3 to 4 minutes apart for at least an hour. When we left for the hospital at about 2:00am the contractions were 2 minutes apart and lasting 45 to 50 seconds (so I got about a minute breather in between). Unfortunately, when the resident checked me I was 20% effaced, but not dilated at all. So, we hung out in the triage room on the fetal monitor for a couple of hours and I walked around a little and breathed through my contractions since the pain was only about a 2 to 3 out of 10. It did get up to a 4 by the time the resident checked me again at 5:30am, but breathing was working well.

Still no progress as far as dilation went at 5:30am. The resident called Dr. Byrne and she said that we could either go home or wait until she came in about 7:30 or 8:00am. We live very close to the hospital, but at that point it was easier to just stay. Thankfully, they moved us out of the triage room into a labor room with a better bed and a chair that pulled out so that we could try to sleep. My last day at work had been Saturday morning, so by this point I'd been up for about 22 hours and Tony wasn't far behind me since he'd installed the floor in the kitchen that day. I don't feel like I slept, but I must have for at leat half an hour. The contractions got up to a 4 to 5 on the pain scale. I could still breathe through them, if I knelt down on the bed with my head on my hands or I stood and leaned forward onto the bed. The anesthesiologist, Dr. Brzkowski (I'm certain I spelled it wrong) actually came in before Dr. Byrne, just to touch base on anesthetic techniques in case a c-section would be needed.

Dr. Byrne came in and checked me about 8:30am. 2 centimeters dilation (not a whole lot, but progress) and 80% effacement. We discussed options and risks, given the baby's size, and decided to wait and check me again in a few hours. If I was progressing, great. If not, then we would skip cervical softening and pitocin and just move to c-section. I was allowed to move around the room, an IV of lactated ringers was started and I was officially admitted to the hospital. The next few hours were actually OK. Breathing did the job. The contractions did get stronger, but sitting on a birthing ball helped a lot. The rocking chair and sitting/laying in bed did not. Walking was good, too. We listened to cds and played Blockus and waited for our parents to arrive. I didn't want to risk slowing anything down with an epidural. The monitors looked good except for three instances when the baby's heart rate dropped along with or right after a contraction. The nurse, Chris, told us they were also monitoring and not to worry just yet. At 12:30 Dr. Byrne came back. There had been no progress. We opted for the c-section rather than risking further distress or a shoulder dystocia with pitocin.

Grayson Christopher was delivered at 1:52pm on Father's Day, June 17. The cord was wrapped twice around his neck and he had meconium, but he was still able to let out some good yells and his APGAR scores were 7 and 9. Tony cut the cord and even peeked over the sheet once during surgery. Dr. Brzkowski used a spinal block with bupivicaine, fentanyl and morphine and it worked beautifully.

Having a Baby

This may be a false alarm, but I certainly can't sleep through the action going on in my belly every minute or two. Not excruciating yet, but probably time to go soon.

How Big Am I?

We've not been good about posting pictures on this blog, but I think that perhaps today's adventure will illustrate well.

This is not a safe or responsible activity and I promise not to repeat it.

On the way home from the mall today, I set my Orange Julius cup on my belly while at a stoplight. It sat there quite nicely with no support from my hands. It remained there, quite stable, while I drove for a little bit and then pulled to a complete stop at a stop sign. At this point, adulthood reasserted itself and the drink went back into the cupholder. Please don't try this at home (but isn't it just a little bit cool that my belly is actually a functional table?).

Nine months isn't enough

Sorry to have been a bit neglectful, things are moving fast around here!

The Illinois shower was wonderful! We enjoyed relaxing with Mom and Dad and spending time with family and friends that we don't get to see very often. With all the onsies that were made, little Pois will be well turned out for the summer! It was a good last road trip. We had a really nice shower through my office last weekend. The food was great, Pois got more wonderful gifts and the weather almost cooperated such that we could swim.

The kitchen is kicking into high gear, too. The insulation is installed, the drywall is mudded (though I won't bore anyone with grumbles about the unreliable drywaller) and Tony and Sandi are hoping to get everything ready to paint this weekend. I'm trying to hide from the dust at the other end of the house.

Pois is doing great. Quite literally. At the the ultrasound with the maternal-fetal health specialist yesterday the weight estimate was 9 pounds 5 ounces. She says that there is about a 10-15% margin of error which puts the baby between 8.5 and 10.25 pounds. So, we probably won't be waiting another two weeks for the due date. I'm meeting with Dr. Cavallo, the obstetrician, on Wednesday and we're going to figure out the plan, then. There's not much concern for the baby, but there is some concern for getting the baby out of me. He's had some concerns from the beginning based on the bone structure of my pelvic canal. My guess is that we'll have a ceasarian scheduled for late next week or early the following one. Tony and I are both working on giving up the image of labor, just in case. It's actually hard to do. I had looked forward to going through the process and learning what my process would be. Tony would be a great coach. There's still a chance, but whatever is going to be the safest for Pois will be the best. I just have to wait until Wednesday to find out.

Exciting stuff

Here's what's new from the past 2 weeks:

Baby Shower #1 - This was a lot of fun. I figured out on the trip to Michigan and back that stopping about every 45 minutes on a trip keeps me mobile. Sandi and Valerie did a great job getting everything set up. It was great watching Tony and Robb get competitive with the guess the baby food game (my all time favorite baby shower game EVER, I might just even play it at home with Tony some time). And I was the most off in guessing my belly diameter, about twice what it actually was. We got lots of really nice baby gifts and got to catch up with lots of people.

Big baby - My doctor felt that Pois was measuring a bit big, so he ordered an ultrasound just to check on the baby's size. I was expecting to hear that the baby weighed about 5 pounds. I was a little surprised to find that Pois was at the 81st percentile at 6 pounds (the size where things should be next week). So, either we're looking at about 9 pounds or we're actually 2 weeks ahead of schedule. I understand why my pelvis has been sore lately.

Childbirth classes - We started childbirth classes last week. I love the birthing ball! Even with big Pois, we're going to try the natural approach and if I find that I need an epidural or a caesarian that's OK.

Baby furniture is here! - It's a good thing that we just ordered the crib and dresser, because there's just the right amount of space for those and the glider that Sandi got us. It's such great furniture, though, and the crib should be able to follow the pois to junior age since it converts to a toddler bed and then a twin bed. We just have to figure out how to raise the springs.

Pregant lady fall down - Apparently every pregnant woman has to take a tumble sometime. Mine was a bit unusual because I fell up the stairs rather than down. I was going into work the day after the ultrasound. Some of the staff were having a meeting on the back steps so I courteously decided not to yell, "Everybody move!". I pinpointed a step that I thought I could handle, lifted up may leg, and tipped forward. I reevaluated the step, thought, "How odd, I should be able to take that step," and tried again. Second attempt ended with me falling on my knee and shoulder and everyone fluttering around because I skinned my knee. I did call the doctor, but since I didn't hit my belly and was feeling fine I didn't have to go home.

A force of destruction - My mom and dad brought the Ikea cabinets this weekend. Dad has told us all along that he wants to be part of the tear down. I was thinking that he was just supportive. I was wrong. The man is a true force of destruction. He so enjoyed tearing down the cabinets with Tony. If Mom and Dad had been able to stay a little later all of the cabinets would be out.

On tomorrow's agenda is the nonstress test and another measurement. This weekend is the Illinois shower (our last road trip before I have to stay close to home). Tony is getting the electrician scheduled for next week as the kitchen moves forward.

There are many many things continuing to go on around here now that we are in the midst of the month of madness. After a significant setback Tony now has the baby's room just about painted ( a few touch-ups are needed). It's amazing how much work had to go into painting one wall! Crib and dresser/changing table should be arriving any day now. If you were to ask either one of us if we are ready, the answer would probably be a resounding NO, but we're ready to be ready, I think.

Mom is doing great! She had her staples out yesterday and received kudos from the nurse for taking good care of her incision. The only cancer found by the pathologist was on an area less than an inch in size on a single fibroid. She figures that the cancer was just a fluke. I think that she had an incredible medical team and applaud their persistance.

Iffy the goat had 3 kids last week. This is her first litter of triplets and they are all boys. Dad was a bit disappointed at first, Iffy is now 1:8 in her female to male ratio, but he says that they are all really cute. It also gave him a reason to come up with names that do not start with X. Apparently there is a goat tradition that all of the kids born in a given year have names that start with a certain letter. They skip Q, but not X.

I went to the doctor yesterday and he feels that the pois is growing a bit ahead of schedule, so I'm going in for another ultrasound this morning to make certain that we don't need to move up my due date by too much. I'm still hoping to not know what gender the baby is, but given that Pois should weigh close to 4 pounds now, that might be impossible. Then again, there's still tons of activity so there may not be any sitting still at all. On Tuesday, Pois learned how to drum on my bladder. Tony thinks that this may be mimicry of typing sounds.

Amanda, our sister-in-law, will be having her baby any day now. She had false labor yesterday, but it sounds like McKenna is raring to go. Seth and Amanda's older daughter, Morgynn, is really excited and looking forward to her little sister. I imagine that Amanda is just ready to be done.

Finally, we have all the fixings for a new kitchen from IKEA sitting at my parents' house. We just have to figure out how to get it here. Tony's hoping to get everything set before Pois comes, but we'll just have wait and see. It would be great to have a dishwasher once the baby is here. Speaking of which, there are dishes just waiting to be washed right now.

The Fastest Knife in Chicago

I love my Mom. She was diagnosed with very low grade uterine cancer about 3 weeks ago. Today she had her hysterectomy. Yesterday she went to the spa and had a massage, pedicure and manicure (something that she recommends to everyone). The procedure went very well. Instead of two to two and a half hours it only took an hour and a half. Everything looks great so far! She was still a bit groggy from anesthesia when my brother and my father told how well the procedure went. Her response was, "Well, he is the fastest knife in Chicago." So, here's to the fastest knife in Chicago and here's to Mom for her spirit! I can't wait to see her tomorrow.

Beyond Baby, Sort Of

Believe it or not, there are things going on in our lives other than waiting for the baby (they just aren't quite as all-encompassing). Tony's working hard trying to get the kitchen redone before our new family member arrives in June. So far he's gotten estimates from electricians and plumbers. Now he just has to figure out when he can start tearing everything down so things can be rebuilt. I received a visiting scholar appointment from Notre Dame for the next year. In theory, I don't have to much different than the volunteering that I've already been doing, but sounding official makes me want to do something official. So, I'm starting work on a literature review. Hopefully, I'll be able to work on this from home once Pois is here. Am I being overly ambitious, probably, but at least I'm not planning on extracting DNA with a baby strapped to my chest. I know that I have some limitations.

This weekend begins the 6 weeks of intense business around here. Mom is having surgery tomorrow and we'll be going to Illinois to spend some time with her while she's recovering in the hospital. I work the weekend following. The next weekend is the Michigan baby shower courtesy of Valerie and Tony's Mom. I work the weekend following. The weekend after that if the Illinois shower. Fortunately, Mom has some good helpers for this as she will probably still be doing a little recuperating. I work the weekend following. The next weekend we have our hospital tour on Saturday and work shower on Sunday. The weekend after that we may not even leave the house, so if you want to see us, you have to come to us. the weekend following I work (ending my last week at work before maternity leave). The weekend following that is June 23 and my due date. At some point in the mix the crib and dresser will be arriving so we can finish up the baby room and birthing classes start on Wednesday May 9. Really, we do have a life beyond baby anticipation. Please believe me. How sad is it that maternity leave is starting to look like a vacation? I know it won't be. I'll tired and stinky and covered in bodily fluids, but they'll be baby bodily fluids and even if I'm up at 1:00am and 4:00am, I know that I'll be able to be at home at 1:00pm and\
4:00pm. Still awake, but home.

Daddy Tony

In the past couple of weeks Tony has been able to feel our little pea moving around and kicking. It's really exciting to share the movements I've been aware of for the past 2/2 and 1/2 months. What I find even more exciting is that the baby seems to enjoy kicking for Tony. On Sunday night we were watching TV and Tony had his hand on my belly. The baby kicked right beneath it. Tony moved his hand to the other side and Petit Pois punched right there. There was one more move and one more kick right on target. Last night Tony started to read to us and within the first few words there was a little kick. I know that the baby's sense of hearing is well developed now (29+ weeks), so the response to Tony's voice makes sense. I'm not certain what to make of the touching. Perhaps pressure? Temperature? I suppose it could be light, but the room wasn't very birght to begin with so I don't know how much light would get through to the baby anyway.

Apparently the past few nightd Tony and Pois have been playing a bit after I've fallen asleep. Tony mentioned that the baby is very active around midnight, but he's been worried about playing the counting game* because he doesn't want to wake me up. Last night I stayed awake a little longer so we could play, but I figure if dancing Pois won't wake me up then a few gentle belly pokes will be fine. Maybe we'll stay up with the lights on Friday night and see if there's any visibile motion yet.


*Tony found the counting game in The Expectant Father. He leans down near my belly, says "One" and gently pokes my belly once. Then he waits a few seconds for a kick, says, "Two" and pokes my belly twice. So far thre hasn't been much action in response, but last night we got a little flutter of kicking after "One".

Rolly Poly Doctor

I have almost outgrown my lab coats. Jen adapted the song from Tommy Boy (it was Tommy Boy, right?) at one point last year and I'm doing a lot of singing "Fat girl in a little coat," when I'm at work. Getting up and down from the floor with the big dogs is also becoming quite tricky. Thank the powers that be for exam room tables so that I haul myself off of the floor. That said, I have to admit that I'm getting a bit tired of the intact male caution dog over 100 pound emergencies that seem to be coming my way at least once a week. I'm pregnant. I can't bend. I can't move fast. I am as a rule our practice's biggest income generator (pretty good for having not performed surgery since September) and am valuable at least financially. Perhaps it might be best to refer the 5:45pm 130 pound intact male rottweiler that hasn't seen a vet (or a rabies vaccine) for 4 years and will bite the owner to the emergency clinic that opens in 15 minutes for his hip that luxated 2 days ago. That one was actually a hypothetical combination of several of these emergencies. Of course, once they walk in the door I don't have the ovarios (given that I'm pregnant I can't pretend to be ballsy) to say no because I feel bad about denying them some help. I'd like to establish some kind of a baseline rule, but given that I am the only doctor Thursday and Friday afternoons I'd feel bad. Fortunately, I've only gotten bitten once and that dog didn't break the skin. I have embraced sedation much more enthusiastically, though and was very pleased that this week's 112 pound intact male with porcupine quills in his face liked his sedative quite well. Generally, as worked up as I get knowing that these are coming in the door, I feel so much happier once everything has been dealt with and we all have our fingers, backs and general sanity intact. I think that I will establish those ground rules come next month, though, because I'm not getting any smaller any time soon.

More good baby news

I had another obstetrician appointment yesterday. I'm finally in the positive on the weight section. I've gained 7 pounds! Dr. Cavallo thinks that I may only gain a total of 15 pounds for this pregnancy since I'm already at week 23. However, now the baby's going to start growing like a weed so it'll be more up to our little pea. The next ultrasound is in 2 weeks so we'll see!

PJ FAQ

I'm late to the official announcement this year, but our 4th Annual Pajama Party is rolling up soon (Saturday, Feb 24, 7pm). For all you with questions (especially the newbies) here ya go.

Pajama Party? That sounds... er... naughty.
Relax. It‘s not THAT kind of party. If we ask you for your keys, it‘s only because you're hammered and we really don't think you should be behind the wheel.

So why pajamas?
We came across the idea a few years ago and it sounded fun. And it has been. Pajamas are comfortable. Pajamas whisper up and down your spine ”relax. lounge. curl up into that happy space and enjoy the moment.” Also, it's hard to give off airs or be pretentious when you are wearing bunny slippers.

Do I have to wear my PJs?
Yes. Unless you sleep nude. Then please wear something resembling PJs. Again, it‘s not THAT kind of party.

You mentioned overnight guests? Is this a sleep-over?
Not necessarily. Unless you‘re from out of town. Or want to get your drink on without worrying about driving home. Or get so warm and comfy you just don‘t want to get up. Or you just need a night out of your own house. You are welcome to the stay for any reason. We have an extra bed, an extra mattress, and four couch-like structures that fold out into sleeping-like structures. And the coveted chaise lounge.

What‘s the alcohol situation?
Our bar is well stocked, but very light on beer and ‘manly-man‘ liquors (gin, whiskey, bourbon). If you have a strong drinking preference that falls in this realm, you may want to BYO.

What can I bring?
Yourself. If you have a signature dish or drink you want to share (we've found that food that doesn't require silverware works best), we'd love to sample it. But it isn't expected. And if you know you are sleeping here, an extra pillow and blanket would be good, just to be safe.

Where do I park?
Overnight parking on the street is fine.

Is this a kid friendly gathering?
Things are relatively tame the first hour or two. You might not want your kids here after that (and others might feel the same way). Babies are a whole different story. Babies are always welcome. We love babies. And we need to acclimate ourselves to babydom.

Should I eat before I come?
Maybe a light dinner. Snackage is plentiful. Probably enough to fill you up. And there is usually some food left at the end of the night.

Can I bring my sig-o?
Absolutely.

Will there be Karaoke?
If there is a demand for it (and there will be). Based on past experience, I would guess it‘ll start 9-10ish.

What's on the menu (so far)?
gutless rumake
candied bacon
sweet satan's seed
s‘mores
aztec elixir cocoa
vosges chocolates
whatever whoever brings
other things that haven't yet occurred to me
probably blueberry-pecan french toast for breakfast (no promises)

Anything my hosts do not welcome that I should know about?
No smoking in the house.
Also strongly discouraged are vomiting, urinating on other peoples‘ beer, and pouring drinks on other peoples‘ heads.

Cutest abstract alien baby image EVER

Sweet Relief

Really big news is sometimes accompanied by really big worries. About a week ago, we got some lab tests back that indicated the baby might be at higher risk for spina bifida (higher being a 1 in 55 chance as opposed to a 1 in 10,000 chance). So, this morning was the first ultrasound with Dr. Hariharran, the fetal medicine specialist. I'd been really fretting about what we would need to do to adjust and adapt if there would be a serious problem. Fortunately, normal spine, normal heart, normal bladder, normal colon so far and this child can move! I'm not certain that our little one (and there is just the one)was still for more than a few seconds at a time. We got to see the face, though, with a tiny little pointed chin. Even more exciting, we watched the baby attempt to suck his or her thumb. I have to say attempt because first one hand was chosen, then dismissed, then the other hand was tried. The baby liked the second hand better and opened up its mouth, but the thumb ended up somewhere around the nose. What a great morning!

Tony has the pictures, so hopefully he'll scan them in and post them.

BIG NEWS. The biggest we've ever had.

We are going to be parents.

I know this isn't news to our closest friends and family. But since we've already told them, we decided it was OK to let the rest of the world in on our gushings of joy (I phrase I should ween out of my vocabulary before the delivery room).

Amy is about 4 month's along, and the time has flown by. No doubt the due date of June 23 will be upon us before we know it.

This is such an exciting time for us. It's hard to find a good starting point to share our giddiness and anxiety.

Amy is having a very uncomplicated pregnacy so far. No morning sickness. No wacky cravings. No serious mood swings. She's been a little sleepier (but always is in the winter) and a little more cranky (mostly at work, so i don't see it as much), and has had some mild food aversions and preference shifts (Apples and blueberries are good. Chocolate not as much). She hasn't gained any weight as of the last doctor visit (she dropped a little tween the first two visits, and gained it back tween the next two), but I think that will be changing as she is just starting to show a tiny bit.

Amy is pretty sure she feels the baby moving. S/he seems most active during car rides and at lunch time. Although I have yet to feel the little one move, I did get to hear the heartbeat, which wooshes at a quick pace next to Mommy's slower rythm. Its like a little in utero techno beat, a visual which Amy realy enjoys, especially now the s/he's moving about.

And no, we aren't goigng to find out of its a boy or girl (if we can help it.).

And if you must know, if its a boy, we're going to name it "Illiopolis Helsinki". If its a girl, its name will be "Mishawaka Tokyo".