That is a Big Boy!

Reilly Joseph
Weight 9 lbs 7.5 oz
Length 21.5 inches
Born 1:17PM

BOY

Crowning

We just got checked again by the nurse, and the baby is crowning. We will be prepping the room and pushing in the next few minutes. The nurse thinks there will be about 1 push and the baby will be born.

Update- moving along - no pushing yet

Stephanie is no longer on the meds that make you have contractions, as she is doing everything on her own. She is sleeping more now, seemingly prepping for the big "push" ahead.

They sure do have some gadgets hooked up to Stephanie. This is showing the baby heartbeat on the top graph, and the contractions measured 0-100% on the bottom. This one is from earlier this morning.

Gett'n closer

The nurse came and in said that we are getting close to the time for pushing!
This was due to the baby heart rate being affected by the contractions. Alright, I am not exactly sure why, but we are getting close.

Andrew

At last check

THE DOCTOR JUST SHOWED UP AND DID A CHECK. WE ARE AT 7 CM DILATED (PUSH AT 10 CM), AND THEY BROKE HER WATER. THAT CAN MAKE THINGS MOVE A LITTLE FASTER. THE DOCTOR SAID SHE WOULD COME BACK IN 2 HOURS, BUT IF THINGS MOVE FASTER, SHE WOULD GRACE US WITH HER PRESENCE.

TIMELINE (SO FAR)

Timeline:

3:45AM - Stephanie woke up with contractions.

4:20AM - Stephanie woke Andrew up to time the contractions

5:20AM - After many intense contractions, Stephanie allowed Andrew to call the doctor.

5:30AM - Doctor talks to Stephanie and says it is time to go to the hospital.

5:31AM - Bedlam breaks out at the house. OK, not really. Stephanie had fully packed and planned. We loaded up and drove to the hospital.

5:45AM - Andrew break first (of many) traffic laws.

6:00AM (or there about) - we walked into the hospital.

6AM to 10:18 (now) - not a whole lot has happened. Stephanie is sleeping right now, and I get to put together a timeline, since there is nothing to do but wait.

Hannah just came to visit Momma. She was very serious in the hallway before getting in to see Stephanie. It is funny that she can tell something is going on, and that it is serious, but I don’t think she fully understands. She did recognize the baby warming station and asked if that is where the baby was going to go.

You can see that Stephanie's text message abilities are still intact.

Stephanie just got some more meds! Something to speed up the process a bit. She is still resting well and is feeling no pain at the moment.

Momma now has some meds in! She is resting comfortably, and doing very well. The nurses say we may have the baby before lunch!

HERE WE GO! MAY 17TH, 2008

MAY 17TH IS THE DUE DATE AND HERE WE ARE IN THE HOSPITAL ROOM AT 8AM!

Baby Update

Doc says I won't go another week. He did some more poking today to see if he could spur labor along. 3cm and thin now... so bring it on!

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!

Hannah and Andrew wanted to say Happy Mother's Day to all the readers who happen to be mother, or even our mothers. Hannah is very lucky to have such a great Mother and Andrew is lucky to have such a great wife. Maybe Stephanie will become a mother once again today?

Baby Update

Nothing has changed. Boo!

Hannah and super huge babydoll. Thanks to Bebe and Papa for giving this huge babydoll to Hannah. It's disturbing when we go in to give her one last kiss goodnight and we can't tell which head's is Hannah's! She has really enjoyed playing with her.

Hannah has some crazy hair in the mornings now. If you look really closely, you can see the same disgusted look in her eyes as her mother when I try to take a similar picture of her.

Hannah is getting ready for the new baby to arrive. Ever since the newborn baby equipment has been emerging (car seats, strollers, etc.), Hannah seems to practicing "helping" with the baby.

Here Hannah is getting a puzzle out to play with the baby (doll), in her high chair no less.

Another "Thank You" to Brian Coker

Readers from the beginning might recognize our baby changing table. The table was made for Hannah by Brian Coker about 2.5 years ago. We wanted Brian to know that the new baby will get to use it this time around. Thanks again Brian.

You can most likely tell that Momma did not post this picture. She is not proud of the picture, but to her credit she did allow me to post it. There were some other versions of this post that she would not allow to be posted.

Stephanie is doing very well as the pregnancy reaches its final week. We are anxious to figure out if there is a boy or a girl in there.

Little Imaginative One

So this week has been trying with our little "imaginative one". First, she was rescued from a 12 foot ladder at the park the other day by a maintenance man. No way for "oh-so-pregnant" Mommy to climb up to get her. Then, during naptime, she decided to play monkey and hang from her curtains. This wouldn't have been so bad if she had not had an explosive #2 in her diaper at the time. Yep, #2 on the curtains. Then yesterday, she found a pen while Mommy was in the shower. She decided Mommy and Daddy's sheets were "signature" sheets.

So I think God is trying to tell me to be patient on the arrival of baby #2. I will listen and try to enjoy the last days of my alone time with my "oh-so-challenging" toddler.

Somebody needs to bring me a stiff drink to the hospital. Who's volunteering?

No Baby Yet

I had my weekly doctor's appointment today. Here's the scoop:

Baby's Heartrate - 150
Mom's weight - -2 lbs since last week / +15 lbs overall
2 cm dilated.
Doctor will give me the option of induction May 18th if I haven't delivered yet.
He will insist on an induction May 25th if no baby.

As it stands now, we do not want to be induced until the 25th.

So we wait....and continue nesting.

Spirit ON

At Hannah's school, once a month, they have "Spirit Day". Really, this is a day for all of the kids to be in the same school t-shirt. So this is the conversation in the car on the way to school today.

Hannah: "Momma, I don't have my spirit on."
Momma: "Today is not spirit day, Hannah."
1 minute pause
Hannah: "Momma, I don't have my spirit on."
Momma: "Hannah, I really don't think today is spirit day. It's next Friday."

We get to school where the school carpool area is canvased with blue freakin' spirit shirts.

Momma (to the teacher that got Hannah out of the car): Today is spirit day, isn't it?".
Teacher: Yes, but you have enough things on your mind. Don't worry about it. Besides, Hannah has enough spirit without her t-shirt!

I saw Hannah cut her eyes at me as she was on the sidewalk going in to school with her pink shirt on. I felt daggers go through my heart.

She's just too smart.

Bubbles & a New "Do"

Here's Hannah playing with bubbles sporting her new haircut. She's looking so grown up!

Baby Update

Not much to report from the doctor today.

Heart rate was 147.
Stomach measuring 37 weeks. (I'm technically 36 weeks and 2 days)
1 cm dilated
Going back on Friday... WITHOUT Hannah!

Back to the Scene of the "Monkey"

Remember when Hannah had a monkey land on her head at the zoo? Well, after much therapy, we went back to the same zoo to revisit the "scene". Only this time there was a 4 week old monkey that the zoo director let Hannah hold.

Merry Marching Band

So we went to see a Mariachi Band at a local Mexican restaurant last week. Hannah has been talking about the "Merry Marching Band" ever since!

Biddy Biddy Bop

Play Clothes

So this morning, I went in to get Hannah out of her room to get her ready to go to preschool. I found her already dressed in play clothes (note: a button up shirt and matching pants... completely on correctly). We had a babysitter last night so I wasn't sure if maybe she had slept in this little outfit. Then I saw the pajamas all folded up in her bed.

Hannah: I take my jammies off and put my play clothes on Momma. I'm ready to go to school.

Momma: OK. Maybe next time I'll leave you a clean pull-up out too!

Impressive!

Museum

On Saturday, after not seeing Daddy all week, we had a family day at the children's museum. Hannah had a blast playing in the "fishing pond" at the museum. We were happy to see that the museum supplies rain coats for the kids. We didn't get a picture, but Daddy needed a raincoat too!

Wiped Out

After 4 days of not taking a nap during our trip to visit family... Hannah caught up on some zzzzzs on her way home! Thank GOODNESS!

Monkeys Again!

Thank you, G, for taking me back to the zoo to see the baby monkey.

All Over

Hannah: "Momma, where is McDonald's?"
Momma: "They're all over"
Hannah: "Where is 'all over'?"
Momma: "All over is everywhere. It means all over the place."
Hannah: "Momma, where is all over?"
Momma: (pause to think of OTHER words for All OVER) "Hannah, all over means everywhere, every corner, all over the place."
Hannah: long pause and then EMPHATICALLY SAYS.."Momma, all over goes Ruff Ruff. Where is he?"
Momma: "OH!!!!!!!!!!!... you mean OLIVER. Oliver, the dog, is at Candice's house."
hysterical laughing ensues
Hannah: "So Oliver is all over the place".
Momma: "Yep. He sure is."

[Oliver is Candice's dog who Hannah sees when we visit.]

Visiting with Cecilia!

We had a good time visiting with "baby see-ya". Thank you to Jillian & Cecilia for staying with Hannah while Mommy worked!

Much Awaited Easter Pics

Sorry for the delay. Our staff photographer has been hoarding pictures.

Never...Never...

Here's the scene at Kroger the other day:

strange man: "how much longer do you have?"
Steph: "8 weeks"
strange man: "do you think you're going to make it?"
Steph: "that's my goal"
strange man: "Is it twins?"
Steph: "uh, no, it's just one."
strange man: "Isn't the female body amazing. I mean how do women carry all that weight. It just doesn't seem possible."
Steph: (silent blank stare while the voices in my head are saying "beep, beep, beep" as the man is trying to back-pedal out of this hole he's dug)
strange man: My wife is pregnant and I just look at her in awe that she can walk around for 2 people.
Steph: why don't you go buy her flowers (pointing to the floral department)
strange man walks away.

Never ask a pregnant woman if she's having twins. She will tell you if she wants you to know.

Bubble Belly

So the other day, Evan, one of Hannah's friends, came over. Evan is 3 years old and a very active and curious little boy. After his Mom dropped him off, he walked up to me, touched my stomach and said "eww.. you got a bubble belly". I just laughed.

Then, he dropped down on the floor as if to look up my shirt. He said "what's in there?". I explained to him that there's a baby in there... to which he replied.. "I want to see it". Of course, Hannah chimed in, "I want to see it too, Mommy". I told them there was nothing to see. So, they both got up off the floor and went about their busy little 3 year old day.

A New Mommy

So tonight we had a terrible 2 moment. Hannah would not put on her pajamas or brush her teeth. She got so irritated with me wanting her to do these horrific things, that she told me she wanted a new mommy. I said "really?" She said "yes, I want a brown mommy". I told her all mommies, no matter what color, make their children brush their teeth and put on their pajamas. I asked her if she did not like mommy. She said "no, I like Daddy better".

For those of you who don't know, Hannah's favorite color is brown. You ask her what kind of ice cream she wants, "brown". You ask her what her favorite color is, "brown". Even tonight she asked me if "they" make brown doggies.

I can't make this stuff up.

-Mommy