Two Months

As of today, Norah is two months old (I'm going by calendar months now). At this point, she's basically sleeping through the night; some nights are different from other others, but for the most part, she always has a long 6-7 hour stretch of sleep. This is probably the highlight of her development right now because more sleep for her means more sleep for me, and it's great to not be up every 2-3 hours.

She's certainly growing too (her 2 month check up isn't for another week so I don't how much she weighs or how tall she is at this point, but I can see and feel how much bigger she is) and getting stronger and more active. She hates tummy time, but when I put her on her tummy, she can lift her head and look around. And, as you can see in the picture above, when supported, she has good head control. Among her other developmental milestones: she can track objects for 180 degrees and turns her head to see something that makes sound, she is opening her fists more and will grasp objects if they're placed at her fingertips, and best of all: she smiles and makes all kinds of new sounds, so we have all kinds of good "talks"!

The best thing about this past month, is that I've really begun to see her personality emerge, and she is such a sweet, easy-going baby. Yes, she cries like all babies do and she certainly has her crab apple moments and we have our trials and tribulations, but they are few. For the most part, she's such a smiley, happy baby who even smiles sometimes when she's sleeping or nursing!

In the next month, I'll be returning to work and she'll be starting daycare, so we have lots to look forward to and I can't wait to see what the 3rd month reveals about who she is and who she's becoming!

I Know I Sound Like a Broken Record

But, it's true: It's not the heat; it's the humidity!

This morning, I got up early for another AM run and at 6 am, it was 81. Yeah, that's pretty warm, but it wouldn't be half as bad if it weren't for the fact that it was 82% humidity, with a dew point of 75, which means the "feels like" temp was 86 degrees. Let me just repeat that: 82-frickin-percent humidity! It's like running underwater.

Now, I know some of you who are forecast to receive snow this weekend don't want to hear me bitch and moan about 80 degree weather, but seriously, I know to expect temps like this in June, July, August, even September, but by October, it's generally cooling off some and it actually becomes somewhat pleasant to run here in South Florida.

Oh well, at least I got today's run out of the way this morning before it reaches back into the high 90s again. Plus, I suppose when I'm forced to consider the alternative, I am happy to settle with heat and humidity over snow...I'd probably have to wear more than just shorts and a sports bra to run in that, huh?

Is it October?

Because it feels like August here!

This week has been sweltering, with highs each day reaching into the 90s. Not great running weather. On both Tuesday and Wednesday's runs, the "feel like" temp was hovering around 98 when I went out at 7 pm, and needless to say, both were very sweaty runs. And yes, it's a touch cooler when I manage to get out of bed and do a run in the morning, but on Monday's AM run, it was "only" 78...with 81% humidity. Yeeeeaaaahhhhh...

Today I'm taking a rest day, which is good timing because it's forecast to be another scorcher today with noon temps predicted to get as high as 1o2!

Anyone want to trade weather?

Wordless Wednesday

Not Every Morning Can be a Triumph

Last night, Norah's sleep schedule was "off" -- not that she was crying all night or anything traumatic like that; she just woke up at odd times and it threw me off -- so this morning at 4 am when I was feeding her, the idea of going back to bed was immensely appealing while the idea of staying up and going for a run was NOT.

So, today I opted for sleep. Which means an evening run will be in order.

I figure I just have to be flexible with my running schedule right now since my days' schedules hinge on Norah's schedule and my sleep is directly related to her sleep, so I'll try to aim for morning runs, but if I have to move them to evening, it's no big deal. I'll find a way to work them in.

But speaking of evening, and having no other coherent way of transitioning into my last topic, why doesn't primetime start until 8 pm on the East Coast? Most nights it doesn't bother me that I miss half the shows I want to watch because the DVR just records what I don't stay up to see, but when it comes to Monday Night Football, this is a real bummer. The game doesn't start until 8:30 and it often runs until after 11 pm! I can't manage to stay up that late these days, so last night when the Vikings were playing the Packers, I didn't even make it to halftime before I had to hit the sack. And I'm sorry, but DVR'd football? That's no fun.

Jerry stayed up and finished watching the whole game, so I did learn this morning that Brett Fav-Rah and the Vikes kicked those Cheeseheads' ass, but I would have liked to have seen it for myself!

AM Triumph!

I hope you're sitting down for this folks: Yes, I actually ran this morning! I did 3 miles like so:

1: 11:26
2: 10:49
3: 11:05

Time: 33:21

A little on the slow side, but clearly, I am allowed to blame the early hour for that, right? The brain might have been awake, but the body was still like, "Um, really? You wanna do what at this hour?"

Candy, Costumes, and Big Girl Pants

Yesterday, Jerry, Norah and I went shopping and ran some errands, and at the top on our list of priorities was to pick up some Halloween candy. Yes, I know that it's only October 4th, but dammit, it's a month of guilt-free candy eating, and we're not gonna slouch in that department!

We also shopped for Halloween costumes. Jerry, of course, has been planning his costume for months, so he's nearly done. He is going as "Alan" from "The Hangover." I couldn't find an image of him from the movie that I could copy (legally), but if you want a looksie, go here. So, Norah is going to be an accessory to Jerry's costume, but we also wanted to get her her own costume, so we found one for her at Target. She's gonna be a hot dog. Trust me, it's cute.

As for me? Yeah, I found zilch. Unless I want to be a Sexy Ho or a Skanky Eskimo or something, there's not much out there, and I am not feeling very creative this year, so I'm in a bit of a conundrum, so I am honestly thinking of recycling a costume from a previous Halloween. Unless you guys can offer me a good suggestion: Whatdaya think? What should I be this year?

Lastly, we went out to dinner with some friends last night to celebrate a friend's b-day, and for the occassion, Norah wore an outift that required her first pair of pants! Look at her, not at me, and no, this is not what I wore out to dinner -- I was still in the sweat pants and haven't-showered-yet phase.

Her first pair of "big girl pants"! Man, they grow up so fast!

4 Miler and Daycare Visit

Last night, I decided to break out of the 3 mile mold and do something a little extra, so I ran 4 miles instead of 3. And I wasn't necessarily trying to do them at a faster pace, but I still managed to get them all done at a sub-11 pace:

Mile 1: 10:55
Mile 2: 10:43
Mile 3: 10:41
Mile 4: 10:55

Total Time: 43:16

Yesterday, in non-running related stuff, Jerry and I went to daycare with Norah so we could chat with her teachers, get a sense for what we need to supply, what things will be like for her while there, see what other babies will be her compatriots, etc. We visited the daycare when I was pregnant, but going in with her now gave me a new perspective, and I actually had questions for them, so that was good.

The people there are very nice, and everything is run with efficiency and cleanliness, and it was fun to see that they have already labeled Norah's crib, cubby, etc with her name and appointed color. They answered all my questions and then some, and in general, I think that it's a supreme daycare. But, then on the way out, one of the women in the office asked me: "So, how do you feel leaving her in our care?" And I nearly started to cry. Then, when we got out in the parking lot, the water works really started.

I know she'll be in good care, and she will only be in daycare in the afternoon, for about 4 hours a day, so I'll still be home with her all morning, and Jerry will pick her up when he's done with work and be home with her for a couple of hours before I get home each evening. But, but, but...it's gonna be tough to be apart from my baby girl! I still have a few weeks before I return to work (my first day back is Oct 20th), but that date is already becoming a duplicitous deadline: I want to go back to work, yet I want to stay home with her. Ugh.

Anyhoo...on the 19th, I'm going to go back to daycare with Norah and bring all of her supplies with her and actually stay there for a few hours so that the actual drop off on the 20th isn't so stressful and sad. And I think that will help, but I still expect to cry my eyes out on the 20th.

On a funny note, though, when we were leaving yesterday, Jerry cracked: "So, there were some uggo babies in there, weren't there?" That made me crack up and feel much better after the tear-fest. And it was true; there were some babies in there with faces only a mother could love!

Mornings 3, Jess 0

As you can guess by my posts's title, I did not run at the ass crack of dawn this morning. So, that means I will postpone the run to this evening. Eh, I'll get it done and one of these days I'll figure out this morning running business.

In the meantime, I got a kickass package in the mail yesterday from MCM Mama! I scored the loot in a giveaway she hosted awhile back, and I had completely forgotten about it, so I was thrilled to open my box of goodies: I got coffee, gels, and Nuun (which I'm stoked to try), and she also included a few things for Norah: the toy giraffe and the book pictured below.

Here's Norah's enthusiastic response to such thoughtful gifts:

Clearly, she can't wait to read her book and play with the giraffe! And I can't wait to consume all the products she included for me! Thanks again MCM Mama; we love our swag!

Bit by Bit

These days, an 11 minute mile seems pretty fast to me, so imagine my delight when I ran 2 of my 3 miles in just a smidgen under 11 minutes last night:

Mile 1: 11:17
Mile 2: 10:59
Mile 3: 10:59

Total Time: 33:16

So far, that's my fastest post-baby 3 miler! Slowly, I'm regaining small increments of speed.

I ran the last 4 days in a row, so I'm taking a rest day today, and tomorrow perhaps I'll try to put morning running into action.

I Hate Mornings

The most logical time of day for me to run is in the early morning. Typically, Norah is up sometime in the middle of the night, then again between 5-6 am, then she'll snooze again until about 7:30 or 8. So, it makes sense for me to run after feeding her in that 5-6 am window, before Jerry leaves for work at 7.

The only problem?

I hate mornings, and I milk as much sleep out of them as I possibly can, so even though I've had the intention both yesterday and today to run in that window of time, neither yesterday nor today did that happen. So that meant that yesterday I did my run at the end of the day, and it looks as though the same is gonna have to happen for tonight.

Normally I wouldn't try to force myself to be a morning runner (it goes against my nature in a million ways), but when I return to work in a few weeks, I just know that the best, and possibly only, time of day to run is first thing in the morning. Therefore, I was gonna start to try to establish the routine now so I get used to it, but so far I'm 0-2.

At least I have been getting the running done lately, and maybe, just maybe, I'll find the morning mojo one of these days.

9 to 5

No, those aren't working hours; around here, those were the hours Norah slept last night: 9 pm to 5 am! That, my friends, is sleeping through the night.

Of course, you'd think I'd be thrilled with this, but the truth is that I actually didn't sleep as well as she did. For one thing, I was up at 2 and at 3 to go in and check on her, and Jerry checked on her at 4. So, it wasn't like either of us slept straight for those 8 hours that she did.

Also, because I'm breastfeeding, 8 hours is a really, really long time to go between feeding her, so by early morning, sleeping was no longer comfortable for me because I had boobs the size of cantaloupes. I do have a breast pump now (my mom's big gift to me while she was here), but I was honestly struggling with the idea of using it: Should I get up and pump? Or will Norah wake up right afterward and be hungry? (Yes, I realize I could obviously have fed her the expressed milk from a bottle if I had decided to pump, but I like to feed her directly from the breast as much as possible.) At about the point when I was resolving to get up and pump, she woke up.

So, yeah, I'm excited that she's sleeping for so long, but it doesn't necessarily mean my sleep is much better. I guess if she's gonna start sleeping for longer periods now, I need to relax and know that she's okay (but good lord, all the stuff you read about SIDS scares the bejesus out of you), and I might resign myself to getting up in the middle of the night anyway to pump.

Aside from baby news, I did get a 2 mile run in yesterday, and I had planned on going for 3 this morning, but it's currently pouring rain, so I guess I'll have to delay it for a bit.

Back to Normal

I dropped my mom off at the airport this morning, so now it's back to the regularly scheduled programming.

It was great to have my mom here just because it was so nice to have an extra pair of hands during the week. Whether that meant that she was taking care of Norah or taking the trash out, she was a huge help to have around; plus, it was nice to have a break from my day to day routine and the week went by quickly. But, as fun as it was to have her here, I was ready to bid her "adieu," and I think she was ready to return home as well, so the visit was really the perfect length of time.

So, some pics from when she was here: A pic of Jerry, Norah and I. My mom, me and Norah. Do you think we could get Norah to look at the camera? No way.

My mom and Norah: Norah is smiling big at my mom but not at the camera.

And here's Norah crashed out in her swing after my mom left: It was a busy week for a baby girl!

You may note how much Norah's skin has cleared up in the past week; we've been using Cetaphil and it has worked wonders! Her skin is SO much better.

In running news, I haven't been running at all this week, but I did have my 6 week check up with the doctor and since everything checked out A-Okay, and I'm all healed up and have dr permission to resume all normal activity, I plan to start really running. I have my eye on a few small races for the end of the year, so I think I will begin formulating a schedule for myself and I should have some running soon to report on.

For now, though, I think I'm gonna follow Norah's cue and go take a nap!

Checking In

Sorry I've been MIA this week, but it's been busy with my mom here, and I have hardly even touched my computer in the last few days. My mom, Norah and I have been women about town, and we've been shopping and going out to lunch and running errands, and just in general, we've been busy girls.

And Norah has been a peach about it all. She's been in lots of restaurants this week and she hasn't made a peep in a single one of them. Also, I don't know if it's all the activity this week, or if it's just timing, but Norah has been sleeping like a champ, and last night she slept from 8 pm until 3 am; then we went through the diaper and feeding routine and she went back down until 6:45 am! That, to me, is only getting up once in the night, which is nearly like sleeping through the night! We'll see if her recently long stints of sleep last after my mom goes home and she and I return to a less busy day time routine, but still, I'll take the sleep now even if it is short lived.

Anyway, I am way behind on your blogs, and probably won't catch up with you guys until after my mom leaves tomorrow, but I hope everyone is splendiferous! Later dudes.

Mom (now "Grandma") Visit

I may have to retract all the sarcasm from yesterday's post since today Jerry has been taking care of Norah all day. Of course, the reason he's in charge of her all day is because I'm cleaning the house from top to bottom, but I do have to give him credit where it's due.

So, why am I in a cleaning frenzy? My mom is coming tonight (I pick her up from the airport at 9 pm). And even though I know my mom is here to see Norah and Jerry and I, and she is neither the sort to notice nor care how clean my house is, I care how clean my house is, so I spent about 5 hours cleaning today, which is a lot considering the size of our pad.

But, it was good to have the time and freedom to really clean-clean, not just surface-clean, which is what I have been doing basically since Norah was born. Now this place is so shiny clean, you could eat off the floors!

Not that I would want you to because then you'd make a mess on my very clean floors, and then I'd have to take you out back and pistol whip you.

Anyhoo...I'm excited for my mom to be here (even though I'm certain I will be equally excited at the end of the week when she flies home); she hasn't been to visit us in FL since we got married (nearly 4 years ago). I guess I have to do big things, like get married and have a baby, in order to justify a visit from her.

Man Cold vs Woman Cold

As I mentioned yesterday, both Jerry and I have come down with a cold; however, what I failed to mention is that we have contracted two entirely separate viruses: I caught a Woman Cold and Jerry caught a Man Cold.

What's the difference? You ask. Let me tell you:

When a woman contracts a Woman Cold, she maybe feels icky enough to take something like Tylenol Cold or some similar cold product, but most likely, she won't take anything unless the situation is dire. Otherwise, the virus means that she doesn't feel great, but she goes about her day as normal. Yes, maybe that means stuffing Kleenex up her nose as she does the laundry or feeds the baby so that snot doesn't just drip out onto the floor (or on the baby's head), but essentially, a Woman Cold only slows a woman down; it doesn't take her out.

In contrast, a Man Cold is, apparently, a much more virulent strain of the same virus and it completely incapacitates a man. He must get extra sleep, and even when he's strong enough to keep his eyes open, those eyes are only strong enough to take in TV and fantasy football stats on the computer -- other physical demands are too much for him during this sensitive time. Additionally, when sick with a Man Cold, a man needs cough drops, orange juice, blankets, soft pillows, Tylenol Cold (extra strength), a hot water bottle, and plenty of Kleenex. It has also been my observation, but it hasn't been proved in clinical studies yet, that a Man Cold must be accompanied by an allergic reaction to household chores and diaper changing.

So, as you can see, a Man Cold is serious business and is far more severe than the tamer Woman Cold; therefore, I feel pretty good, but Jerry is miserable. I told him that perhaps what he really needs is some baby aspirin...he didn't take kindly to my sarcasm.

Sneeze-tastic

Last night I went for another 3 miler, and my stats were like so:

Mile 1: 11:34
Mile 2: 11:28
Mile 3: 12:02 (clearly, a little tired)

Total Time: 35:00

Right now, my primary goal with running is simple: Run 3 miles every other day at a comfortable pace until I begin to feel stronger and ready to run faster and farther. I have my 6 week check up next week, and I hope that after I get the "all clear," I can begin to think about choosing a few year end races to help provide some larger purpose to the running.

In other news, Jerry and I have both come down with the cold that Norah had last weekend. It's nothing major, and aside from a runny nose, I don't feel too bad; however, I will say that sneezing has taken on a whole new dimension now after giving birth. Let's just say that those "girl" muscles haven't fully regained their pre-birth strength yet, and when I sneeze, I feel as though I should first seat myself on the toilet.

Oy vey, these are not the things they tell you about when people try and trick you into how great it is to have a baby!

Check up

Norah had her one month check up this morning, and she has gained a few pounds and grown an inch, so her stats today were:

9 lbs 13 oz
22 inches

The doctor was pleased with her weight gain since that's really her main job right now: eat and grow.

She checked out healthy in every other aspect as well, despite the fact that she still has the lingering congestion of her cold (nothing to be concerned about, he said). She does have unfortunate skin, though, and he noted that by saying that "she's a cute baby, but she has bad skin." It's not really a surprise that she has sensitive skin because both Jerry and I have seasonal allergies and sensitive/dry skin, so there was really no escape for her on that front. So, we just have to use some hypo-allergenic lotion and give it time (and breast milk -- which seems to be the "magic" cure all that both the doctors and the literature suggest).

But, despite the "bad skin" she still thinks she's a pretty face in the mirror and we do too!

A Bit Better

Last night on my 3 miler, I managed to run a wee bit faster than I did on Sunday; here are the splits:

Mile 1: 11:37
Mile 2: 11:41
Mile 3: 11:48

For an overall time of 35:04, so that's some improvement already.

Otherwise, I don't have much else to report, and since there have been some recent requests for baby pics, I leave you with a few of these. The picture quality on these isn't great because they were taken with my cell phone camera (it was the only thing nearby at the time), but you will take what I give you and you will be happy. Enjoy.

Running the Numbers

In the spring, when I was still running while preggo, I decided to ditch the Garmin because I was just getting slower and slower out there and I didn't want to look at the digits. So, I have no idea how slow I was running there at the end before I decided to take a hiatus, but my technical guess is "slow as molasses."

So, here I am 3 months later, and I decided it's time to face the numbers and see what the damage is, so on Sunday night's soaker-run, I brought along the Garmin. I told myself before setting out that I wasn't going to judge myself based on my (probably) slow pace; I was just going to accept it and use it as a starting point for my return to running.

Yeah...easier said than done.

In the first mile, when it was telling me I was running at a 12 min/mile pace, I honestly thought something must be wrong with the Garmin. Don't laugh. I seriously thought it had to be a Garmin-error. It wasn't. I was that slow. In the end, I ran 3.23 miles on Sunday evening, and I ran them in 39:07, with an average pace of 12:08/mile.

Ouch.

That hurts my ego to post. Now, I know I really shouldn't be hard on myself; I had a baby 5 weeks ago. I didn't run for 3 months. I can't expect to return to running (with a few preggo pounds still lingering) and bust out the 9 min miles. Blah, blah, blah. I know all this, yet I can't help but be hard on myself: 12 min miles? Can't I walk faster than that? (Answer: no. I am a very slow walker.)

And, I'll be honest here, my pride was hurt so much by those numbers that I honestly thought about keeping them a secret from you guys. But then reality set in, and I figured: Why would I hide it? I'm slow right now, but at least I'm out there. I'll get faster, with time. I'll lose those last 5 lbs, with time. I will return to being the runner I was a year ago, with time.

It's just a bit hard to adjust to. Returning to running last week felt like I was returning to an essential part of me, but finding out I'm not quite the running-me I was pre-preggo is a bit of an identity adjustment. But like all the identity adjusting that I have been experiencing since I got pregnant, I can roll with this.

I just wish the Garmin would do me a favor and lie every once in awhile.

Another Rainy Run

Last night, I headed out for another 3 miler, and when I left the house it was cloudy, but it wasn't even drizzling and I hoped to get my run done before the daily rain we've been getting lately rolled in. In the second mile, I could see the black clouds, heavy with rain, approaching, but at that point, there was nothing I could do to avoid them: I had to just hope I could out run the rain. Ha.

Right at the end of my 2nd mile, the skies opened up and POURED. Within seconds, I was completely drenched. You haven't truly experienced rain until you've experienced tropical rain, but if you've seen Forrest Gump, and if you recall how Forrest described rain while he was in Vietnam, then you have a sense of how it can rain here in FL. In this case, it was coming in at me sideways, and as Forrest would say, it was "sting-ing rain."

Again though, I knew there was nothing to do but keep runn-ing (you have to say that like Forrest too). Certainly, that was the fastest way of getting home, so I trudged through the ankle-deep puddles and eventually got myself there. I looked like a drowned rat, completely soaked from head to toe, and my eyes actually hurt and my vision was a little blurry from the rain hitting my eyeballs. But I made it!

Man, I am tough.

A Night Out

Thanks for the good wishes about Norah's cold; she already seems better today. Still a bit boogery, but it doesn't interfer with her sleeping or eating, so that's good. She never ran a fever, the boogers were never green, and like I said, her sleeping and eating weren't interrupted, so we never called or went to the doctor. But she has a regularly scheduled appointment on Thursday, so I'll mention then that she was sick.

But sick or not, our friends volunteered to watch her last night so Jerry and I could enjoy some time to ourselves (thanks again Erin and Ryan!), so we went out to dinner to a new restaurant, and we had a wonderful dinner. Initially, it was tough for me to leave Norah, even though I know she could be in no better hands, but I was brave, and it was good to have the time with just the two of us: We had a really awesome dinner and it was nice to be able to eat together at a relaxed pace where we could actually take our time and talk to each other.

Then, afterward, we returned to Erin and Ryan's to find a very content Norah, and we gave her a bath there, and then once she was jammied, we all played some radical Rock Band: Beatles. Norah didn't want to go to bed; she wanted to rock! So, she stayed up for the show, and we rocked out, and I have to say, the Beatles version is awesome! So, we had a lot of fun playing that, then we sat on the porch for a bit and had drinks and chatted while Norah still refused to go to bed.

Needless to say, she was a tired baby when we went home and she conked out in the car right away and then slept one of the best nights she's ever had (in fact, it's 9 am right now and she's still sawing logs after I fed her at 6:30!); I guess babies love to hear Mom and Dad rock out some Beatles tunes!

All in all, it was a very nice evening out with the perfect blend of time alone for Jerry and I and time with friends. I think we really needed a night like that.

Now for today, we plan on a very lazy Sunday filled with an afternoon of laying on the couch watching football, and I plan to run again this evening once it cools off. Hope everyone else is enjoying a nice weekend!

Rainy Run

Last night, it was cloudy and drizzly when I headed out for my 3 miler, and while the weather didn't stop me from running, it did stop the Garmin from ever getting a signal. See, I didn't run with the Garmin on Wednesday's run because I just wanted to be able to run and not think about the numbers, but yesterday I was curious to see what kind of digits I'm dealing with after such a long break from running. But, no dice on the signal. Perhaps on a run this weekend, I'll get clear skies and a strong beam from a satellite.

In other news, Norah has a cold. Yesterday she sounded congested and as the day progressed, she sounded more and more congested, and this morning she is definitely boogery, and she has a cough every now and then, and grossest of all, she has green poop. She is only running a very light fever (so light, I barely dare to call it a fever), and she doesn't seem fussy at all, but I feel bad for the poor little thing.

As far as I know, there's not much we can do for her aside from ensure that she gets plenty of fluids and rest and use saline and the nose bulb to suction her boogers a few times a day. I looked online at some home remedies, but most things are for older kids, and since she's just a wee one, there's little that we can do for her. I know that babies just get sick, and that's life, but man alive, with a baby there is always something to keep me worried, isn't there?

Dear Soreness,

I had forgotten that you are deceptive and sneaky, so yesterday when I was able to brag to myself that I didn't feel you after Wednesday's run, you were clearly tricking me because today you made me feel the full impact of you when I sprung from bed this morning, and suddenly it was "hello hamstrings!"

Despite your trickery, I am not mad at you. In fact, in a weird way, I welcome you back since it's been so long since we've been aquainted. Still, I don't want you to think you're a friend, so I've been drinking lots of water to be rid of you. Nothing personal, I'd just rather you were gone sooner rather than later.

And don't think that you can deter me from going out again this evening for another run; no, I plan on another 3 miler tonight when Jerry gets home from work, so I'm afraid that your attempts to block my mojo with lactic acid are going to be futile. Running and I are back together again, and I am not going to allow you to break us up.

After another week or so, I'm sure you'll fade away, and we won't meet again until I start introducing some long runs and maybe some speedwork, so for now, I pre-emtively bid you "adieu!"

Sincerely,
Jess

One Month

As of today, Norah is one month old! In some ways, I can't believe it's already been a month because it's gone by so quickly; but in other ways, I feel as though I deserve a shot of tequila and a pat on the back since we've managed to do this for so long.

Stop the Presses

Because tonight, after a 3 month hiatus, I ran 3 miles! Ran it all. No walking. And all I have to say is that it was great! Maybe one of the best runs ever.

Seriously, I think I smiled the entire way.

Activity Gym

Yesterday, Jerry, Norah and I were out running a few errands, and we had to stop by Buy Buy Baby for a few necessities, and of course, we came across a non-necessity: It's so bright it almost hurts my eyes, and it plays this incredibly annoying music, yet I think I like it more than Norah does. I just want to play with all the little dangly toys!

That's not a very excited baby face, but I actually do think she likes it. Or, at least, I pretend she does. She seems to enjoy looking at the banana anyway.

Pool Party #2

Today we attended Rylee's 1st b-day party, and we had beautiful weather for the pool, so Norah got to try on one of her swimming suits (yes, she has 7 in total!) and go for a dip with Jerry. She was only out there for a little while because we didn't want her in the sun too long, but I think she had fun, and this is probably the only time in her life that that swimsuit will fit!

As you can see in the pic above, the poor thing is suffering from a bad case of baby acne. It started as just a few pimples on her chin, but then in the last few days, it spread all over her face. Thus, we have been calling her nicknames like Pimple Chin and Pizza Face and Zit Princess (yeah, we'll be real sensitive when she's a teenager, won't we?), but I really do feel bad for her. Hope it clears up soon.

All in all, it was another great party, and we had a fun day. Now tomorrow, we just get to chill at home. Ahhhhh, nice to have the long weekend, isn't it?

Labor Day Weekend Party #1

Today, we attended our friends' annual Labor Day Weekend Pool Party, but because the afternoon was mostly cloudy with some scattered rain, it turned out that we didn't use the pool too much. But, the overcast weather was kind of a blessing because it made being outside all afternoon more than tolerable, which isn't always something we can claim here in FL in September.

So, we had a fun afternoon eating too much, socializing, playing horse shoes, and in general, enjoying a good time. We headed out early this year (in years past, we stayed poolside drinking until late, but in case no one has told you yet, things change when you have a kid), so no hula hooping late in to the night this year. Tomorrow, we head to the second party of the weekend: Our friends' daughter's 1st b-day party! It too is a pool party, so maybe if the weather is nice, Norah will get the chance to model one of her seven swimsuits.

Books, Books, Books

Yesterday I took Norah to the bookstore for the first time, and honestly, she slept through the entire experience. Which means I got to pick out her read for her! (I got her a copy of "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein -- it was one of my favorites when I was a kid.)

Taking her to Barnes and Noble kinda made me nostalgic about bookstore visits when I was a kid. I grew up in Denver, CO and I spent many hours at the Tattered Cover, a beloved Denver independent bookstore. My dad used to take my brother and I there on Saturdays, and we always got to pick out a book for ourselves. Today, the Tattered Cover is no longer in its original Cherry Creek location, but there are still two other locations in Denver that people can go to (one is in LoDo and one is on Colfax; I recommend the LoDo location because it's most like the old Cherry Creek store) if any of you live in Denver or visit it.

Now, I feel a bit like a suburban sellout going to Barnes and Noble, but we honestly have no independent booksellers in South Florida, so Norah's first childhood bookstore experience was B&N. She did not have a latte.

After we got home from the bookstore, and I had big chain bookstores vs. the independent on the brain, I decided I just had to watch "You've Got Mail." I love that movie; and it was the perfect "fall" movie (I love the line, "I love NY in the fall; it makes me want to buy school supplies. I would buy you a bouquet of sharpened pencils if I knew you."). Remember my little rant not too long ago about how the romantic comedy sucks these days? Well, "You've Got Mail" is exactly what I wish more romantic comedies were like: It's charming, witty, and the characters have real depth and chemistry.

Watching it made me wish there were some kind of cute children's bookstore like Meg Ryan's Shop Around the Corner to take Norah too, but I guess for now, she'll have to settle on getting her Dr. Suess, et all from the big, bad chain store. Oh well. At least I get a discount with my membership card :)

Welcome Autumn!

Recently, on many blogs, I have been reading about how autumn weather is greeting those of you who do not live in a sweltering terrarium known as Florida, and I must admit jealousy. I love fall, and every September, I really miss the change of season: the leaves, the crisp in the air, the darker evenings; to me, fall always felt like the time of day when you're getting ready for bed and I always thought that felt so comforting.

Here in FL, however, September's arrival feels no different. It's still frickin hot and humid, and it will remain this way until about the end of October. Maybe November. Then it finally begins to cool off here, and then it feels glorious to live in FL (and I get to make comments on your blogs like, "Oh, you're experiencing snow and cold? Hmmmm, it's 78 and sunny here!" and that is always fun).

So, while September only means peak hurricane season here in terms of weather, it does signal that fall is on the way, and fall, despite the fact that I'm missing the good weather, is my favorite time of year. And this year, I'm especially looking forward to returning to running (soon, I hope) as the season begins to cool off some, and, at the very least, it begins to get dark earlier. And while I haven't actually gone running yet, I am thinking about it, and I am perusing the fall/winter race calendar in the hopes that I can run at least a few races in 2009.

For now, though, I'm still just walking on a daily basis (trying to be conservative) and dreaming of Turkey Trots and Jingle Bell Jogs.

Family Time

The MIL is flying home this afternoon, so Jerry just left to drop her off at the airport. It was a good visit: It was fun to have Norah meet her grandma, and Grandma proved to be an excellent baby holder and cuddler. So, it was nice to have the extra pair of hands, and I got to enjoy a nice long nap on Saturday and I got to get out yesterday to treat myself to a pedicure.

But nice as it was to have her, 3 days is a good length of time for a visit, and it's nice to have the house back to ourselves and return to our normal routine. So, I have lots to catch up on, so I'll keep this short and leave you guys with a pic my MIL took of Jerry, Norah, Scooter and I. Norah's head is kinda cranked weird to the side, but other than that, it's a good pic of all of us.

Bath Time

What's this little gross thing I'm holding? Norah's umbilical stump! Yuck. It finally fell off yesterday, so now she just has a regular little belly button in its place.

So, of what significance is this? Well, she now gets to graduate from sponge baths to regular baths in her tub!

She can't really express it, but I think she likes the suddsiness better. Plus, we got to break out the bath toys!

Today, my mother in law is flying in (she's just staying for 4 days), and we're excited to have her come stay with us since she'll be the first family member to come and see Norah. So, that means I need to go and get started on cleaning my house!

Another Outing

Today, I got back into those big girl panties, and I took Norah to work. I figure she's two and half weeks old, time for her to start earning an income.

Kidding.

I took her to the English Department so my colleagues could get the chance to "ohhhh" and "ahhhh" over her, which they did. She had fallen asleep in the car, so she slept the whole time we were visiting (probably for the best), so she didn't really get to appreciate all the compliments she received.

It was nice for me to visit as well. It was good to talk with some people who I haven't seen since the spring, and it was just nice being on campus (even though it was crazy busy: first week of classes means no parking and students everywhere -- trust me, they thin out over the course of a semester). I always think that fall start up is an exciting time of year to be on a college campus: Students look eager and fresh and so do the faculty. I'm a little sad to be missing it this year, but staying home right now is certainly worth it.

Anyhoo, Norah did well on the car ride to campus, and like I said, she slept while I was visiting with everyone, but then on the drive home she went from "a touch fussy" to "I just put on my cranky pants" to "Hysteria Harriet." It sucked because there was nothing I could do to soothe her since I was driving (and every red light was in a plot against me), so I just had to deal with it until I got home -- and she was a snotty, teary mess by that time -- when I could change her and feed her and get her settled down.

So, it was good to get out, but it was also good to get back home.

Random Stuff

First, let me address a few questions/comments about the Baby Bjorn post from yesterday:

1. Yes, I vacuumed with her right there and she didn't wake up. Personally, I think life should carry on as normal when a baby is sleeping and this includes not shielding her from loud background noises. I don't want a light sleeper; I want to train this kid to sleep through Armageddon! Also, I read that most babies find the normal white noises of machines (vacuum, washer, dryer, dishwasher, A/C, etc) to be soothing, not disruptive to their sleep.

2. Yes, bending over is tricky because you don't want the baby to slide right out onto her skull. When I had to bend down, I braced her head with my free hand. I also discovered that I am capable of picking up many items with my toes.

Okey-dokey, that's it.

Yesterday was a pretty uneventful day. Norah pooped on her changing table as I was changing her -- it kinda shot outta there like champagne pops out of a freshly uncorked bottle. It got on my hand and was gross. And that was pretty much the story of my day.

Well, that, and I cried when I thought my BlackBerry was dead (turns out the battery was just dead and needed a full recharging). These post-partum hormones are a real bitch to deal with: One minute I'm Sally-Happy-Pants, the next I'm Debbie-Downer. Oh well, the crying wasn't a big deal; turns out I just needed some Jer-Bear cuddling and a bowl of chocolate ice cream. Then I felt better.

Born to Baby Bjorn

It's kinda like being pregnant again, but instead of carrying her on the inside, I'm wearing her on the outside like the most giant fashion accessory ever.Every day, Norah goes through a "phase" that lasts from about, oh, noon to 8 pm, where she mostly just wants to be held. This is fine, except for when I gots shiz to do, so yesterday I decided to give the Baby Bjorn a test. I stuffed her in there, and then set about my chores. Worked like a charm. She slept peacefully and I was able to get stuff done: Success!

But I will tell you this: carting around 8 lbs of baby while vacuuming is a WORKOUT.

In other news, yesterday I also put on my big girl panties and I took Norah to Target. It was the first time I've taken her somewhere without Jerry. Our entire trip took less than an hour, but it felt like a triumph to me, and now that I know I can do it, it helps me feel a little less trapped at home. Who knew that victory could take such shapes?

Got the Itch

For running, that is.

But the question of when to resume running post-partum is a bit tricky to answer.

I've been doing a lot of reading in the past week about when it's safe to resume running after delivery, and the answers vary according to different women. Some women, apparently, returned to running within a week of delivery. Others waited a month, or the doctor-recommended 6 weeks.

For me, two weeks post-partum, I feel fine. Seriously, I feel totally recovered; however, that doesn't necessarily mean I am. So, on the one hand, I know I shouldn't rush recovery just because I'm itchin' to run (it's been 10 weeks since my last run back in June and I'd really like to get back to it); but on the other hand, I really don't think I need to wait another full 4 weeks. This predicament is just like any injured runner predicament: Go back too soon and you re-injure yourself and perhaps make recovery longer, don't go back soon enough and you lose your mind.

What are your thoughts? Do I wait until I've had my 6 week check up (September 22nd), get the "all clear" from the medical professionals, then resume running? Or, do I wait another week or two and then give it a personal test?

More Pics

Doing some "tummy time" with Dad and Scooter.Sleeping in the Boppy with Dad (not seen in pic). Wide awake!

Doing some more tummy time; her neck is already surprisingly strong.

Chillin' with Mom.

Blowouts

So far today, we have had two blowouts, which means we're on the 3rd onesie of the day, Norah had to have a bath, despite the fact that she had one yesterday, and half the washable baby paraphernalia is now in the washing machine.

The first blowout came out the front side. We had just returned from a walk, and she was asleep in her stroller, so I just left her in there while I made myself some lunch. While my lunch was heating up in the microwave, I heard a monster burp, that sounded "wet," and when I looked in on her in her stroller, I discovered that she had yakked. Partially digested milk everywhere.

Needless to say, my lunch was delayed as I got her, and the stroller, cleaned up and dressed her in fresh duds.

About an hour or so later, she was chillin' on my lap while I was reading, and she started making some "poop faces" (you know the ones, you probably make them yourself when you're pushing out a grunter), and sure enough, some disturbingly loud noises ensued, followed by a noxious odor. But, wanting to wait to see if she was done, I delayed rushing her off to the changing table and changing her.

Mistake.

The shit had filled the diaper to capacity and then shot up her back, soaking her backside, and my frontside, as well as the Boppy. This was gross in and of itself, but then as I was trying to change her out of the crap-stained outfit, I managed to get baby poop all over the changing pad cover, all over me, and in her hair. Faced with this shitticane, I decided the easiest way to clean this baby would be with a fire hose, but lacking that, I decided she had to have a bath.

So, now she is freshly washed, in a new onesie, the soiled clothing, etc is now in the wash, and she has been set down to sleep in her crib. I guess that just leaves me. I smell like 1 part spit up, 1 part baby poop, and 1 part frustrated sweat. Surely, my body wash can handle that, right?

Hoping for a Repeat Performance

While the first few nights with Norah were tough, each night since has been an improvement, and so far, last night was her best night ever.

She slept from 8:30-11:30, then we went through the whole diaper, feeding, rocking routine, and she slept again from midnight-3, and then we repeated the above, and she slept again from 3:30-6 and then from 6:30-8. It. was. awesome.

So, if she can do a schedule like this until she gets to the point of sleeping through the night, I can most certainly live with it. Cross your fingers for me that last night wasn't a fluke!

As for the daytime, we're enjoying another smooth day. Right now, she's snoozing on my lap while I simultaneously blog and get caught up on last night's episode of "Top Chef."

Home Alone

Today, Jerry returned to work, so it was my first solo day at home with Norah and Scooter. And so far, I have to say that it has gone well (knock on wood). Not that I thought it would be a disaster with him gone, but certainly, I was a bit nervous knowing that I wouldn't have another person here to fall back on (like, what if she wakes up and starts crying while I'm busy taking a poop? that's a tricky situation).

But, like I said, it has gone smoothly: She, Scooter and I went for a long walk this morning, then while she slept, I got some cleaning done and started some laundry, then this afternoon when she slept again, I was able to sneak a long nap in, and I even got the chance to shower. And, we just got back from another (shorter) walk, so she's conked out again (walking is like a sleep drug to her -- we get as far as crossing the street and it's "lights out for Norah"), and I think I may get a chance to read some blogs here in a minute!

Also, just to give myself some snaps, and additional bragging rights (which I hope Karma doesn't choose to smack me down for this), I have gotten proficient enough at nursing that I can now hold a book and read with one hand while she's feeding (I have also been reading email and texting from my phone while nursing too). This is a major improvement since it makes the time go so much faster. So, I'm still slowly making my way through "The Time Traveler's Wife," and it is excellent; it just may take me awhile longer to finish it!

Unexpected Emotion

Yesterday, I got out of the house to run a few errands on my own. It was the first time that I have been by myself in a week, and at first, it felt really good to have some time to myself outside the house (even if I was going to the dreaded grocery store), but then as I was driving, I had the strangest feeling: loneliness.

It occured to me when The Yeah, Yeah, Yeah's song "Zero" came on the radio. I turned it up and thought, "Yeah, Norah, we like this song, don't we?" Only to suddenly realize that she was no longer inside me, and I was entirely by myself in the car.

I didn't expect to miss pregnancy, but in that moment, I did. Needless to say, I rushed through my last errand (picking up pics from Walgreens), and got home to Jerry, Norah, and Scooter as soon as I could.

One Week

As of today, Norah is 7 days old, and it's been quite the week! So, a brief rundown:

Norah is doing great. She's had two pediatrician appointments, and she was declared "very cute and very healthy," so now she doesn't have to go back until the one month mark. The pediatrician visit on Saturday was particularly reassuring for Jerry and I because we were beginning to doubt everything we were doing, but the doctor was awesome at telling us how normal all this chaos is and how we're doing a great job on all fronts. I wanted to bend down and kiss his shoes in gratitude.

Breastfeeding is going pretty well. I had a few days of the sorest nipples in the universe, but I'm getting used to it now, and she's feeding like a champ. But we are supplementing with one or two bottles a day just so that I can get a little more rest at night, and so that Jerry can share more in the feeding responsibilities. We felt strangely guilty about this at first, but again, the doctor put our minds to rest by telling us that it's fine to use both the bottle and the breast.

As for myself, I am recovering very well. Each day, I feel better and better. Less soreness, less residual pain. And both yesterday and today, I took Norah for walks in her stroller and it was good for both of us to get out and get some fresh air, and for me, it was awesome to get a little exercise in. On today's walk, I also took Scooter and he did surprisingly well walking with the stroller. I thought he'd be freaked out, but he really wasn't.

Also, on a completely superficial note, I have lost 25 lbs in the past 7 days! (By the end of my pregnancy, I'd gained about 30 lbs overall.) I knew it would come off quickly since most of the weight was baby + placenta + fluids, but I had no idea it would come off this easily. Right now, I'm just 5 lbs from my pre-preggo weight! (And don't think I've been cutting calories. Far from it; I've been eating like a horse!) However, just because the weight is melting away, it doesn't mean I've magically regained my former firmness. That is gonna take some time, and it's weird having a squishy belly, but I know eventually those muscles will be rebuilt.

So, yes, all in all, I can report that things are going well. Jerry returns to work on Wednesday, so once I'm alone all day, I might report a different story, but for now, I feel like things are pretty good around here.

Now, if we could just mix a little more sleep into the equation, I'd probably whistle "zippity-do-da!"

If It's Pics You Want

So Far

Our new life with Norah is an exhausting combination of love, joy, unbelievable happiness, stress, anxiety, frustration, tears, and sleep deprivation; mixed with all of that is the soreness and residual pain of labor and delivery, so in short: every fiber of my being is spent.

Therefore, you'll have to excuse my infrequent posts and my almost total absence from commenting on your blogs (I sat down yesterday evening to read some and got through about 5 before being interrupted). I will get back to them, so don't feel too abandoned; I'm just busy with some other very important stuff.

Home Sweet Home

First of all, thanks for so many good wishes and comments in the last few days! You guys are great! It's amazing to know that not only have we had the support of our wonderful friends and family in the last few days, but that we also have all these virtual friends cheering for us. Really, I appreciate it.

So then, we are now home. Thank god. We got discharged this morning around 10 am, and I was SO happy to go home. The hospital was really busy, so we were unable to stay in a private room the past two nights, and let's just say that other new parents and their newborns aren't easy to "room" with, so I don't feel like I've had much sleep in several days. Plus, I just really wanted to be home and settled, so it's good to be here.

Scooter got introduced to Norah today too, and he was a little wild at first, but then he settled down some. I'm sure there will be a transition period for him, just as there is for us, as we all adjust to the major addition to our lives.

There are many more stories and things to share, and I'll get to them eventually, but the last thing I want to say today is how thankful I am to have a husband like Jerry. He has seriously been such a great dad so far, and I don't know what I'd do without him: He has done everything short of breastfeeding Norah; truly, he has been doing SO much, and I'd be lost if I didn't have him. Norah is very lucky to have such an engaged, participant father, and I am SO, SO lucky to have such a wonderful husband.

Now, enough with the sappy stuff, here's what you really came here for, some pics:

Norah's Birth Story

Here are all the "gory details," as Jerry put it in his post yesterday:

As you know, we checked in to the hospital at 6 pm on Sunday night and got the Cervidil going. Monday morning, not much had changed, so they started me on Pitocin and then broke my water. But in the course of Sunday night and Monday, I made very little progress. In fact, by about 5:45 pm on Monday, I was still only 3 cm dilated.

As you can guess, I was very frustrated at this point because of the lack of progress, and the doctor was starting to talk Cesearean section. Thankfully, we also had our midwife there who was campaigning on my behalf to give me just a little more time, and that's exactly what I needed. In the next 45 minutes, I went from 3 cm to 9 cm: It was either the c-section talk or the drugs were finally starting to do their job. At 7 pm, I was feeling the desire to push, so we started some practice pushing, and while the doctor was still wary that I would be able to deliver this baby, I am thankful for our midwife who insisted that I could do it.

At 8 pm, the "real" pushing (the previous stuff hadn't much felt like practice to me!) began, and for the next 47 minutes, that's what I did. And good lord, I will tell you, it was the hardest physical, mental, and emotional thing I have ever done in my life. Physically, it was exhausting, and with each contraction, each push, I was exerting more phsyical effort than I have ever demanded of my body. Mentally and emotionally, it was frustrating and difficult to remain focused and positive that I could indeed do this, and there were many moments of near despair.

But, I must praise both the staff, who were amazing (we had one nurse who stayed nearly 2 hours past the end of her shift just to see this delivery through to its finale), and Jerry, who was not just encouraging, but was one of the most active members of the labor team. Because of them, I was able to push myself and stay strong.

In the end, the most beautiful moment in the world arrived, and before I could belive it to be real, Norah was being placed on my chest, and I can't describe the flood of joy and relief. I had done it, and she was here! I cried, Jerry cried, and Norah screeched. Of course, things weren't entirely done for me (episiotomoty had to be stitch up, ouchie, and the plasenta had to be passed), but Norah went to get bathed and weighed and measured. And within a few hours, we were transferred from labor and delivery up to the neo-natal unit.

Since then, things have gone pretty smoothly, and we have been able to sleep some and enjoy our new family. We're still in the hospital, and will be discharged tomorrow around 11 am. It will be good to go home!

She's Here

Post by Jerry:

Well Norah arrived safe and sound at 8:47pm. She tipped the scales at 7lbs 10oz and is 20in in length. I'll let Jess fill you in on the gory detail at her leisure, but here are some photo's I want to show off.

Baby update

Well it's almost 2:30 on Monday Aug. 1o th, and still no baby. The Dr. broke my water at 10:30 this morning, and since then I've been giving my epidermal. So we are making progress just at a slightly slower pace.

I'll keep eveyone updated whenever I can.

Today's the Day!

Here's Scooter and I snuggling yesterday; usually, he doesn't snuggle with me like this, but yesterday he seemed particularly attached to me. Maybe he can sense the upcoming changes? I don't know if I'd give him that much intuitive credit! This afternoon, we'll drop him off to stay with some friends for the next few days, then Jerry and I plan to go out for a nice dinner, and then we check into the hospital at 6 pm this evening.

I thought I would sleep terrible last night in anticipation, but honest to god, I slept like a rock. (However, Jerry reported that he did not sleep well.) This is not to say that I have lost any of my fears or anxieties about giving birth; I think I'm just so ready to get it over with. Plus, there's not much point in dwelling on the things that frighten me -- I just have to face them, and I know that their reality won't be half as bad as my anticipation of them.

So, like I said before, we check in tonight, but things don't really get underway until tomorrow morning, so at the soonest, Norah will be born sometime on Monday (but, just as with any labor, the course of action is unpredictable so the time schedule can't be counted upon). I do plan on packing my laptop in my hospital bag, so when I can, I will announce her arrival, but be patient because I can't predict when that post will be.

Alrighty, I guess that's it! Talk to you on the flipside!

40 Weeks: Let's Get This Show on the Road

According to BabyCenter, I've had my baby by now. Interesting, because she's not here yet and I still look and feel an awful lot like a pregnant woman.

So, at this point, Norah has about 34 hours to decide to come on her own; otherwise, at 6 pm tomorrow evening, we're going to the hospital and allowing modern medicine to coax her out. I'm really glad that we did decide to schedule the induction for tomorrow because my patience has expired.

Although, I am hoping that because Norah has decided that she's cool just chillaxin' in the womb for as long as she pleases that this means she'll have a laid back personality; I could dig an easy-going baby (and as long as I'm fantasizing, I might as well also wish for her to have no troubles breastfeeding, for her to sleep through the night as early as possible, and to start scoring TV gigs, like diaper commercials, and earning an income).

So, the plan for the weekend is to mostly relax since it is presumably our last weekend to be child-free. We might go see a movie today (Jerry is itching to see GI Joe), and I want to read my book (The Time Traveler's Wife -- it's really good so far, I wonder if the movie holds up), and, in general, get a few final preparatory things ready for Norah's arrival.

I'd like to say that I plan to go to bed early and sleep well tonight, but the reality is that I may not sleep much at all in anticipation; however, I've slept like a champ for the past couple of nights, so I feel well-rested in general.

In the meantime, I'll keep you updated if anything actually happens today or early tomorrow, but otherwise, I'll post tomorrow evening before we head off to the hospital. Enjoy your Saturday!

Free Time

With nothing but time on my hands lately, I have mostly been entertaining myself with books and an exceptional number of movies. In the past 5 days, I have seen 4 new movies. I think that's some kind of record for me.

So, with nothing else to blog about, here are my brief, un-professional reviews:

Funny People
Basic Premise: Famous comedian (Adam Sandler) finds out he is terminally ill, so he hires a young protege (Seth Rogen) to be both assistant and friend as he tries to mend the wrongs from his excessively vapid lifestyle.

Review: Okay. It had a lot of funny parts, and a lot of touching parts that were appropriately acted, but in the end, I thought it fell short on many levels and it was too long. It was 2 hours and 40 minutes, and those 40 minutes could have easily been chopped. Don't waste your money on it in the theater, wait for it to go to DVD.

Frost/Nixon
Basic Premise: Based on the play, which is based on the real life interview that David Frost conducted with Richard Nixon in 1977, this film is excellent. It is directed by Ron Howard and features a slew of quality actors.

Review: Excellent, excellent movie. Who knew that an entire film based around dialogue could be so tense and contain so much excitement? Watching the climatic moment when Frost is drilling Nixon to try and get a confession and an apology from him concerning Watergate was like watching a verbal boxing match (later, I watched the actual interview, which was available as a special feature on the DVD, and it evoked the same level of excitement). So, I give this high marks: Superb directing, wow-factor acting.

Sicko
Basic Premise: Michael Moore's documentary about the failures of American healthcare.

Review: While I think the material was good, at this point, it's nothing shocking or revelatory. Also, I am tired of Moore's style. It was unique and bold with "Bowling for Columbine," but by now, it feels tired and trite.

New in Town
Basic Premise: A high level Miami executive (Rene Zellweger) gets transferred to New Ulm, MN to run a failing manufacturing plant there where she inadvertently finds herself attracted to the plant's union manager (Harry Connick Jr). Guess what happens next?

Review: I thought this would be cute because I live in South Florida, and I have lived in Minnesota (and know where New Ulm is), and I thought that the play on the differences of the two regions might be fun to watch. It was not. Nothing about this movie was appealing. It was only 90 minutes long, and I fast-forwarded through about 30 minutes. Everything about it was cliche, and even Harry Connick Jr's undeniable charm and good looks couldn't improve it. After watching this and the terrible "He's Just Not That Into You," I think I can declare the genre of romantic comedy dead. No, I don't even want to peek at this summer's "The Proposal" or "The Ugly Truth" -- both look awful. I wish that someone in Hollywood could put out a romantic comedy (a la "When Harry Met Sally") that has snappy dialogue, dynamic characters (that actually have depth and are not just form-fitted stereotypes), and a truly engaging/convincing romanticism.

So, I guess I'm the next Roger Ebert, right?

Good lord, I wish this baby would come: I have cleared my Netflix queue, I have seen most of what's in the theaters, I finished my book earlier today, and lord knows that summer TV is crap. Soon, I may have to take up knitting or something!

Doctor Appointment

I had my weekly check up at the doctor's this morning, preceded by an ultrasound, and the news is kind of a mixed bag.

The ultrasound reported everything as healthy, and it estimated Norah's weight to be 8 lbs 7 oz, which is big, but not quite GIANT like the doctor had feared, and really, the ultrasound could be off and she could be closer to the high 7 lbs, low 8 lbs range. Still, she'll be big and healthy!

For my actual exam, the best news is that she has dropped down significantly and is at the -3 position, and I am 50% effaced, but I am just barely dilated 1 cm at this point. So, here's the low down on the plan, yo:

Hopefully, I naturally go into labor in the next few days, which the doctor said is highly likely to happen, but if I do not go into labor on my own by my due date, then we have scheduled an induction for Sunday night. If that's what happens, I'll check into the hospital at 6 pm on Sunday, and they will start the drug Cervidil, and that takes 12 hours to ripen my cervix and get me going on dilation, and then on Monday morning, they would start the Pitocin. So, one way or another, Norah will probably be here by Monday night.

When the doctor first introduced the idea of induction at my appointment last week, I was resistant to thinking about it, but today when she said that she thought that'd be best, I was so relieved that I broke down in tears. And, after having the afternoon to think about it, I really feel that this is the best course of action because we're still waiting for the due date before inducing, but this way, I have a firm deadline, and I can't express in words what a relief it is to have a knowable end in sight. Seriously, I have felt so much more relaxed and at ease this afternoon that I feel like a big, stressful weight has lifted.

Which, interestingly enough, could be exactly what nature needs in order for my body to go into labor on its own. The doctor said that sometimes just knowing a firm date sets so many women's mind's to ease that they finally relax, and then, boom, labor starts on its own. So, we'll see. At any rate, I feel comfortable with the decision, Jerry feels comfortable with that, and the doctor thinks it's the right decision, so I think I am going to sleep a lot better tonight than I have in awhile!

Tuesday Tidbits

People in my neighborhood:
After running, and now walking, through my neighborhood for 4 years, I have seen my share of odd people. Most notably, there's the guy who runs backwards, but there are others I occasionally spy as well. Newly added to the list of these oddballs is this creepy fishing guy.

Scooter and I see him on our evening walks, and he's always stationed by one of the nearby canals where he's got several fishing poles set up. His "unique look" is always the same: No shirt, just sportin' a pair of faded cutoffs, beer belly hanging out for all the world to see, a leathery sort of tan, faded tattoos on both biceps, cigarette hanging off his bottom lip, and a cracked beer in his left hand. It's a look that Jerry has described as "My wife left me 5 years ago and I just don't give a crap anymore."

The guy freaks Scooter out (more because of the fishing poles than the tanned beer belly), and frankly, he kinda freaks me out as well. He looks like the sort who drives a white van with no windows. I wish he'd find some different canals to fish in.

The Kindness of Strangers:
Being visibly pregnant does have some advantages, like people opening doors for you and offering you their seat, but do you know what population doesn't give a crap that you're pregnant? Old people.

Seriously, the elderly don't give a rat's ass. They are still gonna stroll down the middle of the grocery store aisle in front of you with 3 things in their cart, they are still gonna ask you to fetch them things from the top of shelves, and they're still gonna butt in front of you in line at the deli. And today, I seriously thought that as I was walking across the parking lot at Walgreens that this old lady was gonna run me down in her Caddy. Either she didn't see me, or she really was gonna just plow me over, but either way, I picked up the pace to get outta her way!

A Dog's Sense of Time:
I am convinced that on some instinctual level, Scooter can tell time. Doubt me? Witness the following routine to most of our days: He gets up at 6 am and shakes to signal to either Jerry or I that it is time for him to go outside and pee; after peeing and enjoying his breakfast kibble, he returns to bed until 10 am, at which time, he gets up and is ready for a longer jaunt outdoors. When we come back inside, then it's "toy time" and he promptly fetches the 3 toys he and I always play with.

That wears him out for the following 4 hours, but at 2 pm, he's ready to repeat the 10 am routine of a walk and toys. Then he crashes for a few hours, but at 4:15, he goes and stands by the front door because that's when Jerry gets home. At 5 pm, he's looking at me with his "it's time for my dinner" eyes, and around 7 pm when I go to change into walking clothes, he comes and sits by me and waits, knowing that lacing up my shoes means that we're going for the evening's long walk.

I know, logically, that his actions are all rooted in learned routines, but sometimes it's eerie. I can be absorbed in a book and he comes trotting into the office to stare at me, and I look up at the clock and see that it's 2 pm on the nose, and it makes me think there's more to it than practiced routine.

39 Weeks, 2 Days Pic: Gigantisaurus

At this point, I'm almost hoping that Norah is a mammoth-sized baby, just so that her birth means that I'll soon be rid of all this bulk. Try rolling out of bed with this belly! I look, and feel, like a beached whale.

In non-preggo news, I am happy to report that my self-serving campaign to get you guys to read and vote for my published short story paid off, and it was selected as July's "Story of the Month"! So thanks for taking the time to go and read and vote; I appreciate it! I don't win any kind of monetary prize, nor will I get a shiny trophy (damn!), but I do get to score bragging rights and the story will be published in the magazine's annual print edition. Getting that awesome news today was exactly what I needed: It definitely helped lift me out of the funk I've been feeling for the last few days.

My Boys

Thanks for the encouragement on yesterday's post; I know I just have to remain patient. It's just tough. And yes, without getting specific, we have been trying all the supposed natural ways to induce labor. Well, except for Castor oil, because frankly I think that the possible 'rhea would be worse than just being patient and waiting!

I was talking to Jerry today about my feeling stressed and anxious about the waiting, and one thing that has occurred to me is that these feelings may be bothering me more than they usually would because I am not running. Usually, running is my primary stress reliever, and whenever I am feeling tense and worked up, I can count on a run to put me back in the right frame of mind, but since it's been 7 weeks since I stopped running, I think this has had its mental affect on me as well.

Walking and yoga are perfectly good exercise, and they have certainly been a good substitute to help me remain active in these final weeks, but ultimately they are not the same as running. So, in short, I miss it. And I clearly need it as well. But, I suppose it's hiatuses (not sure of the plural on that word: hiati? that can't be right) like this that help give me perspective and help me appreciate what running can do for me, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well.

Anyhoo...other than waiting for the baby and missing running, there's not much for me to blog about: It's a rare moment when I don't have much to yammer on about, but I really do feel tapped for ideas lately. So, to tide you over, here's a little Jer-Bear and Scooter cuteness: We always joke that Scooter is part mountain goat because he likes to climb on top of the furniture, but I think he might also be part parrot since he looks like he's perched over Jerry's shoulder!

Week 39: Patience is Wearing Thin

Despite trying to remain all zen and okey-dokey with the final stretch of pregnancy, I finally cracked this afternoon and held a little pity party for one. There were tears and a little snot and a lot of whining about how sick I am of waiting and anticipating and just-plain-old-being-pregnant-and-uncomfortable. Jerry was very understanding and did a good job consoling me.

Then we went to see a movie, and I felt better.

I know I'm still a week short of my due date, so there's no real reason to be feeling so frustrated, but there's no explaining away the hormones of pregnancy, and knowing that you're being irrational doesn't help erase the irrationality of it.

So, anyway, I think I'll go take a long walk and then chug some Tabasco...