Year: 2006 Page 2 of 7

… the biggest day of my life… the biggest day of Kelly’s life… the biggest day of our baby’s life.  This afternoon we are going to the hospital to start labor induction.  Most likely tonight, or sometime tomorrow morning, she will be here, and I will be a dad.  The next post from me will be to say that she is here, and will hopefully have a picture.  [:D]  Please keep us in your prayers that everything goes smoothly and that the baby is born healthy and without any issues or complications.

Now that the hours remaining to check in at the hospital are in single digits, I’m finally starting to get…  I’m not sure what word to use to describe it.  Nervous? Anxious?  Excited?  Overwhelmed?  All of the above? 

To this point, it’s been pretty surreal for me, mostly because this has been an unusually busy year for us aside from this whole “baby thing”.  But this morning I woke up at 6AM and it’s all I can think about.  “I’m going to see her little hands tonight.”  “I will hear her cry tonight.”  “I will get to hold her tonight.”  Don’t tell anyone, but I’ve even cried a little… and she’s not even here yet.

That is so unlike me.  In so many ways.  I’m normally too analytical to flat-out say that it’s a “she” without clarifying that it’s still not 100% that she’s a girl.  I’m normally too analytical to say that it will be tonight, when neither I nor the doctors have any idea how long the labor will take, assuming Kelly actually even starts labor this evening.  I cannot remember a single time in my life where I cried over a good thing — I’m not one of those “happy cry” people, because “crying is for sad things”.

But here I am, with tears in my eyes, saying to myself, “I will hold her tonight.”

Today is the biggest day of my life.

I posted a couple days ago about our upcoming schedule.  Well, it seems now that the baby might take the lead by a day or two.

Apparently our wood flooring people announced to the other contractors on site this past Monday that they would walk off the job if everyone else hadn’t cleared out of the house by 9 AM.  That, coupled with the holiday on Monday, will push us out until Wednesday or Thursday (the day our baby will probably be born) to get occupancy, and until the following weekend to move.  So we will probably have occupancy before the baby is born, but not actually be able to move in.

I have to admit that I’m more than a little angry at the flooring installers.  They knew that these people had to be there that day, and realistically, there was no reason for them to kick everyone out until later in the afternoon when they were about to start applying the first coat of finish.

Sigh.

Oh well, there’s nothing I can do about it now.  At least my parents will be in town to see the new baby help us move.

Well, everything is starting to happen at once.  With the new house, everything should be done in time for us to move in next weekend (Labor Day weekend).  My fingers are still crossed on that one.  The house has taken a couple weeks longer than I wanted, but we are still ahead of the schedule agreed to with our builder.  So with any luck, we will be all moved in by 9/4.

Then on 9/7, we’re going to the hospital to have our baby.  You may be thinking, “Yeah, right.  This rookie parent thinks his baby is going to be born on the due date.”  Actually our due date is the following week, but for a number of reasons we are going to induce labor on the 7th.  The doctor said that may end up taking a couple days, but we’re hoping it goes quickly.  So unless, she decides to be born early, our daughter will be born on 9/7 (or 9/8).

Let’s recap: moving on 9/4, having a baby on 9/7.

Right now, it looks like the house will edge the baby out by a hair.  C’mon house!  You can do it!  Just hold on!

Our baby’s first “photos” were taken yesterday.  We’ve already had a few ultrasounds, but this was a little cooler….

Click for bigger view:

No, Gerry, not “punched in the neck”.  This morning I was kicked in the face…

…by my unborn daughter.

The last two times I talked to her she started moving around, and then settled down when I stopped talking.  Today was the same.  I was talking to her, and she started kicking.  For some unknown reason I put the side of my face on Kelly, as if I would be able to hear the baby respond, which, of course, is silly.

Or maybe not. 

I didn’t hear a response, but I felt one — she kicked when my face was there and got me right in the cheek. 

Now don’t worry.  I’m OK.  It didn’t hurt because she’s only about 12 inches long and weighs about 2 pounds, but she might just be a soccer player if this is any sort of indication.  [:)]  Of course, I’d rather she be into baseball, but I guess I’ll leave it up to her.

I just think it’s amazing that, even before she is born, she knows who I am by my voice.  Kelly said she doesn’t do that for anyone else.

[:D]

By the way, regardless of what she says, Kelly’s belly button IS the microphone so that the baby can hear me.