I realize it's past midnight now, so I guess technically it's not my due date anymore, but here is a picture of me today (August 7 ) on my due date. Big girl. Think I blend in, in this color?
Tyson has been getting amused by people who tell me how "small" or how "cute" I look, or how it's "all baby" or whatever. He finally admitted that the following clip portrays how he thinks I really look/feel, and what people are really thinking when they tell me I look "so pretty". The pertinent part starts about 20 seconds in...
I brought Sawyer down to my parents' house to visit for a few days. They were definitely getting jealous of all the Sawyer-time his Heaton grandparents were getting. As for me, I thought it would be good for at least two less people to be in the way during Charlene's huge kitchen renovation. Okay, it wasn't totally selfless. I wasn't sure how much longer I could face the two huge flights of stairs between our bedroom on the second floor and the temporary kitchen in the basement. Though my parents' house is *also* three stories, I don't need to go all the way to the top very often, and there are landings (rest points) halfway between each flight.
My parents have been spoiling me and Sawyer with affection, as usual. My mom took me and my sister Kara out to lunch today at Em's, while my dad watched the grandkids (the little boys were asleep, though). The restaurant is only a block up Capitol Hill from my parents' house, but I still made Kara drive us! I haven't been to Em's forever. It was a place I used to enjoy when it was at a previous location downtown, but I hadn't been since it moved the the Marmalade area years ago. We almost went to Settebello, or out for Thai, but I definitely was not disappointed we settled on Em's!
First, we indulged in a flatbread appetizer that featured melted havarti cheese, caramelized onions, and bits of artichoke heart on a thin, crackery, buttery disk of bread. Then my mom tucked into the Philly Beef Sandwich, a hearty combination of juicy beef, melted cheese and mushrooms spilling out of fresh slices of sourdough. Great flavor! Kara ordered my old favorite, the herb crepe surrounding a filling of spinach and ricotta and parmesan cheeses. She shared a huge bite with me, and I was in heaven. I ordered a roasted chicken and grilled asparagus salad dressed with a bleu cheese vinaigrette and topped with a healthy portion of walnuts. The salad was great, but didn't quite measure up to the high standard set by Mom's sandwich and Kara's crepe.
The dessert menu included so many tempting selections that we went all out and ordered three desserts, instead of just sharing one like most ladies at lunch would do. I have to say that despite the calorie overload, I don't think any of us regretted the decision. Our favorite was a warm chocolate brownie topped with chocolate-habanero ice cream. I couldn't help but keep tasting that ice cream, even though I knew the spice chile element was going to cause some heartburn later. We also had raspberry creme brulee (perfect, shattering sugar crust) and a dessert crepe filled with a mascarpone filling and all manner of fresh fruits - nectarine, raspberris, blueberries, and homegrown green grapes on the side. They were all tasty and satisfying, but the brownie a la mode was the clear winner. Kara said, "There's just *something*, something special, some secret ingredient in this brownie." My mom replied, "I think it's the chocolate!" I think she was right!
Lunch took a funny turn when one of those coincidences happened that you never would expect in a million years. Like the time I ran into a guy who lived across the hall from me -- ran into him in the middle of New York City, and he was with two guys I graduated from high school with. That was weird, but I think this was perhaps even more strange. Who should walk into Em's today but Rick Bingham. Those who know the name know how strange a coincidence this is. Rick lives in San Francisco with his wife Corene (see their blog link at right). He wasn't even at Em's to eat; he was picking up some flowers that were being stored in one of their fridges for his sister's wedding. That's right, little Caitlin got married today! I remember when she went to her first dance in seventh grade. Awww, I guess she is all grown up and 22 years old now. She was barely old enough to date and drive when Rick and I parted ways. Anyway, we chatted for a few moments while he waited for the flowers to arrive...and then he was out the door and back to the wedding festivities. Of all the restaurants in the city, and all the people in the world, how strange that our paths crossed there today (and of all days...my due date).
House update:
The appraisal has finished and our loan officer says underwriting will now take 2 to 3 days. That sounds incredibly optimistic to me. I don't know whether to hold out hope that we *really* will be closing next week. From what I've heard, underwriting is taking a LOT longer than 2 to 3 days lately. This is a local underwriter, so I guess that helps.
Pregnancy update:
Tons of Braxton-Hicks contractions (getting more uncomfortable, but never outright painful), feet starting to swell (hey, I'll take it...with Sawyer my feet and everything else swelled up at six months and stayed that way until a few days after I delivered), stretch marks are stretching fearlessly onward and upward, and I can't get a good night's sleep. Sounds like I'm pregnant!
Thanks to those who shared their birth experiences in reply to my last post. As for me, I went into labor spontaneously with Sawyer. I woke up at 6 a.m. on my birthday experiencing strong, regular contractions that intensified throughout the day. I went to get checked by my doctor, but I wasn't progressing in any other way. The doctor said it could go on like that for a week, so it was decided I would be induced or helped along by Pitocin, and we scheduled a hospital admittance for 5 a.m. the next morning. By nine that night I was completely miserable with strong contractions about three minutes apart. I went to the Logan Hospital to get monitored and checked, but I still had not progressed - after 18 hours of painful, regular contractions! I started crying when they sent me home to wait out the time until my "induction". I tried to wait it out, but at 3 a.m. I was certain we needed to get the Brigham hospital ASAP. I somehow survived that 30 minute drive through Sardine Canyon, and my water broke just inside the emergency room doors, and when we got to the room I screamed at the nurse (right in the middle of a contraction), "I'VE BEEN HAVING CONTRACTIONS FOR 24 HOURS AND AS OF A FEW HOURS AGO I HADN'T PROGRESSED AT ALL AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR ME IF I STILL HAVEN'T BUT I NEED SOMETHING FOR THE PAIN RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!" "We need to check you first. If you still haven't progressed, we may not be able to do much for you." Daggers exploded forth from my eyes and then the contraction ended. "I'm so sorry!" I sobbed, "I'm so sorry for yelling and being so mean! I'm just so tired and this has been going on so long, and I really didn't mean to yell at you like that and this isn't like me at all." she reassured me she'd heard much worse, then she checked me and found that I had dilated to 8 centimeters over the last few hours. Epidural time! I can still recall the sweet, blessed flood of relief I felt as the contraction pain eased away. Sawyer arrived three hours later, all 8 lbs. 13 oz. of him.
So, this time I would again like to go into labor spontaneously and have a naturally progressing labor if possible, but I think I will still go for the epidural when the time comes. We'll see how it all goes, and what I feel like screaming at the nurse this time.
Sleep update:
It's 1:44 a.m., and I'm going to go give it a try now.
