Overdue Baby

Well, mah boy,

The big day is right around the corner. Either your mother will go into labor this weekend or you will be delivered by planned Cesarean section on Monday (April Fool's Day!). By the ultrasound technician's estimate this past Thursday, you are already 9 pounds, 6 ounces which makes you a very big boy. It is possible that you could be less or more but, due to your estimated size, your mom and her doctor decided the safest course of action would be a Cesarean section. You may recall from past posts that this involves the doctor actually cutting into your mother's abdomen and then through the uterine wall to gently ease you out. It is an amazing process that has been refined over decades so your mother and I have no doubts that all will go smoothly and we will finally get to meet you! Words cannot express now nor ever how much hearing your first cries will mean to Mom and me. 

Suit up! There's a game on April 7th.

Mom has been amazing throughout the last ten months while carrying you while you grew from the tiniest of things to a big, big baby. Every time I look at you from the day of your birth to the day of my death, I will always think of how wonderful your mother was throughout her pregnancy and how big her smile grew as each passing day brought you closer to us whenever we talked about your arrival. We are ready for you and, come what may, you will have been worth the wait (and the weight). I will state now for posterity's sake that your mother and I have NO idea what we are doing but I also will state that we'll figure it out and always strive to be the best parents we can be. You will be our world and we will treat you as such. At least until you become older and fresh in which case we will tell you that the world doesn't revolve around you! 

Soon to be the second best day of our lives

The process has not been without its ups and downs but, for the most part, it has been a joyous process. There have been disputes about what products to get you, how to arrange your room and other stuff. There have been hormonal Mom events and cranky Dad incidents. There's been stress and confusion, indecision and misunderstandings but the down times have always been overwritten by the up times. Our wonderful family and friends have showered us with baby products and your room is just wonderful and cozy. You've heard your Mom's laugh far more then her cries and cranky Dad tried his best to be cranky away from you and Mom. When everything is combined, we are confident that we are bringing you into the best place that you can be and we will make sure you never know a day without love, hugs and kisses. 

Pictured: a day without love, hugs or kisses

This won't be the last post in the Scooter Blog but it will be the last before you are born. It bears repeating what I said in the first post back in November: no matter what happens, we will always love you and that, no matter who you become, we will always want you to be you. We are already so proud of you, not for doing what billions of babies have done for time immemorial but because you represent a tangible, concrete form of your mother's and my love for each other and because of the promise that you represent. Your mother and I have been on a journey together for the last eight years and, while we've managed to navigate it mostly with success,  joy and love, we are more than happy to add another person to our party. In fact, as little as you are and as inexperienced in the ways of the world as you will be, you will do most of the leading on our family's journey over the foreseeable future. 

Mom and I will follow you wherever you may go.

Love,

A  soon to be post-natal drip and your ever loving father

Can water bend, not break?

Dear Scooter Baby,

We had our first (and hopefully last) mock delivery yesterday when Mom thought that her water had broke. Erring on the side of caution (and your safety), the doctor advised us to go to the hospital so we sprang into action. I raced (while obeying traffic laws) to Mom's work to collect her where her wonderful friend, Bree had her ready and waiting. We then raced (obeying most traffic laws) to your hospital, parked and then ran to the Admitting department. Well, more accurately, Mom waddled and I limped to the Admitting department but we made good time.

Note to Grandma, Nana and Mom: I was NOT driving like nor will I ever drive like Matthew Crawley

Once in the Admitting department, we checked in and then I got Mom settled in a chair while I went to find much needed relief in a nearby restroom. When I returned, Mom was gone! Resisting urges to immediately call the police, I sat down assuming that your mother was just using the restroom. When ten minutes had passed, I started frantically calling her phone with no response. I was just about to head down to the Labor and Delivery department to search for her when she popped out of an Admitting clerk's room to flag me down. I was most relieved though, when thinking rationally, it is very unlikely that Mom would disappear without telling me where she had gone let alone deliver you in the ten minute span she was "missing". First time father here. 

I left her in this chair for three minutes. What could possibly have gone wrong?

After being admitted, we waddle-limped down to the Labor and Delivery department to check in there. After making it through the security doors, we waited at the desk while a nurse had a personal conversation on the phone for several minutes and I started to lose my temper. Once Chatty McNurse finished her conversation she told us we were at the wrong desk so I sheepishly decided not to be unkind to her. We finally found the correct desk and checked in with a very kindly nurse.

Never pick a fight with an unknown opponent. Chatty McNurse might have been packing.

As it turned out, the nurse was a fellow Jeffersonian and lives about two minutes away from us so we chatted about Holden/Jefferson while Mom put on the piece of paper towel that doubled as a hospital gown. The nurse then hooked Mom up to a machine where we could hear your heartbeat and movements while we waited for the doctor. I must be rubbing off on your mother because her blood pressure was high from nerves (if they took mine I probably would have been clinically deceased) but she was still glowing despite her hospital garb and electrodes hanging off her. We were both very excited to listen to your heartbeat for the next twenty minutes. 

Mom's hospital gown

When the doctor came we saw that it was not Mom's doctor but this doctor was just as lovely. She talked with Mom for a bit and then checked your mother's private parts to see if, in fact, her water had broke. Unfortunately, it had not. Mom and I were very sad because we are so eager to meet you but, as I told Mom, this whole experience is like knowing that we are going to win the lottery but just not knowing when. You, of course, are the grand prize! 

WINNER! Draw your prize!

It was a good experience to know that we are ready to go once you are finally ready and we now know for certain all the things we need to do at the hospital. We were pretty sure we knew what to expect leading up to delivery but this dry run just confirmed what we did know and what we needed to know. Tomorrow will be one week until your due date. It's so hard to believe that we're no longer talking months or weeks but DAYS! You can, of course, interfere with Mom's and my tax appointment on Friday or Uncle PJ's and my fantasy baseball draft on Sunday but if you can see your way around our schedule then we'll all be very grateful. In all seriousness, it doesn't matter what else is going on in our lives as whatever day you arrive will be the greatest day of your mother's and my lives.

Love, 

Desperately Seeking Scooter

The Final Countdown

Hi buddy,

We're in the home stretch now. Just about two weeks until your due date. You could be early or you could be late but, either way, you're almost here! Mom went to the doctor last Thursday to get her lady parts checked out and check on your progress. Everything is looking good and you weigh almost eight pounds. That seems so big when thinking about you in Mom's belly but so small when thinking about you in the real world. We got some new ultrasound pictures but they are not very good because you are so cramped and crowded inside your mother's belly. We can just make out your little face in the pictures. I think you may look like your mother and, given that I am rather fond of your mother, that's alright by me! Only time will tell. 

 

Any thing titled, "The Final Countdown" must contain this picture. I'll explain when you're older

Not much else has been going on since I last wrote to you. We had another big snow storm this past Friday and our town got the most snow in Massachusetts. 24.4 inches! Fortunately, Mom procured the services of the plow guy again so my back will live to fight another day. On Saturday, Grandpa visited after teaching in Rhode Island so we had lunch with him and chatted about how soon you will be here. Then Mom and I went shopping to get all the last minute things we'll need for your arrival. We don't need to do much more for your arrival except go through the delivery process and I hear that's the easy part (Mom is going to punch me for saying that).

 

You, Mom and a whole lotta snow

We are both very anxious, eager, nervous and excited all at the same time. Neither of us have any idea of what to expect but that doesn't stop us from fantasizing about what our lives will be like with you. Your mom can't wait to be not pregnant mostly because she can't wait to hold you but also because she is tired of being pregnant! She's carrying around a lot of weight which is uncomfortable in general but she's also been experiencing heartburn and just suffered through a cold. She'll be the first to tell you that it's all worth it though. I've been doing whatever I can to help her out but I hurt my knee at soccer last night so I'm hoping it's not too bad. The ability to walk and stand is supposedly a helpful thing for a new parent.

 

Flamingos can parent on one leg but their job mostly consists of barfing in their offspring's mouth

When you are older you will learn of the wonders of the Holyoke St. Patrick's Day parade, which is this coming Sunday. We will not be in attendance this year because the tens of thousands of people who makeup the crowd will be too much for your mother (and for me if my knee doesn't heal up) but we will be going to the road race which is held the day before on Saturday. Mom's cousins, Maggie and Andrew will be running the race and it goes right past Grandma's and Grandpa's house so we will get to cheer them on! We can't wait for you to come but hopefully you will not choose Saturday as we'll be quite a ways away from the hospital. You and your pre-natal brethren tend to come when you want to come though!

 

Ten years ago, your mom was the Grand Colleen of the Holyoke parade in addition to being super cute

It's possible that between preparing for you and Uncle PJ's and my upcoming fantasy baseball draft that there won't be much time to write which means that the next entry could be celebrating your birth! It's almost time...

Love, 

Dad

You're almost here!

Dear Scooter Baby,

I apologize for neglecting your blog for the last week. Things have been busy at Dempsey Junction as we prepare for your debut. Mom is at the doctor's office right now getting her 37 week checkup so Mom and I will jointly write a post later about your progress but for now I'll just catch you up on the goings on and on goings over the last week. 

Your room is pretty much done and decorated. Both Mom and I are very happy with the results. We feel that the decor reflects our personalities both individually and as a couple; we hope, of course, that your room will help the best parts of us trickle down to you in some small way. Your crib is all cozy with its fun sheets, bed skirt and quilt. Your solar system mobile hangs above the crib in front of a fun print of the world, the latter of which seems to be everyone's favorite piece in the room. We also have a colorful ABCs print above your bookshelf (which continues to be loaded with books) and some neat animal prints above your dresser. 

 

Your wonderful rug courtesy of your O'Neill aunts and female cousins

My favorite piece (and seemingly everyone else's least favorite) is a print of a 1950s Detective Comics comic (Batman's first magazine) that shows Batman and Robin running towards the viewer with Bat Signals in the background. The colors in the print tie in the colors in the room and, of course, the print complements your Bat Signal nightlight. It is almost certainly unconventional for a newborn's nursery but we think you will love the colors when rocking in your chair with Mom or I. It also reflects your mother's and my aesthetic sensibilities. 

 

This poster makes you easily the coolest negative three week old kid on the block

Your rug finally showed up so your room is just as cozy as can be. As you know, the basement has been needing some work since the flood to reach an acceptable level of coziness and it's starting to come along. On Saturday, Grandpa showed me how to install vinyl flooring in the office so we floored the whole office (looks great) and then went to Home Depot to get supplies to put baseboard in the office and to create a means with which to move the pool table before the carpet people came. On Sunday, Uncle Pat came out to help me put up the baseboard in the office (looks great) and to move some furniture around. And, finally, the carpet people came yesterday to install the new carpet in the basement. All the furniture that was in temporary housing upstairs or in the garage is back in the basement and the downstairs, in what you may notice is a theme here, looks great. 

 

Oh, what a treat to be able to use half of our house again!

Moving the pool table was quite a feat but your two granddads made it a lot easier. Grandpa devised a plan to move the table on PVC rollers so we built skids to hold the legs and Grandpa crow barred the table up two inches at a time until we could get the rollers under. After that it was a piece of cake to move the table wherever it needed to go. Once the carpet was in, Papa helped me get the table in the right place and then we used a jack to lower it to the ground. Easier to get the table down then up!

 

Applying the same means used to build Egyptian pyramids to moving our pool table

So, as you can see, it was a busy week. No excuse for neglecting your blog but busy nonetheless. There's still work to do in the basement but everything that we felt was needed for your arrival is done so please feel free to be born whenever you're ready. 

Absence makes the heart grow fonder,

Dad