Tuesday, July 24, 2007

To nap or not to nap is that a question?


Carter's offers (and I am currently taking) 2 weeks paid paternity leave (woo-hoo!). Janice's mom was here until last week so I started my paternity leave on Monday this week. It is a mix of vacation and boot camp for dealing with four kids vs three. We all get tired. After just a few days at home I have come to believe that napping is a mystic discipline found only in old Kung Fu reruns. Somehow Janice or I have to enter a state of perfect harmony indifferent to all of the chaos swirling around to achieve "the nap". Might happen - right? Sure if some rather potent over the counter medication is involved and even then it's probably a gamble.

Evelyn seems to believe that napping is for the weak and unoccupied. She may have a point. Currently she is the focus of all attention. Especially when she is within reaching distance of her siblings. Joelle is the little mommy while the boys love to find toys that might entertain her.

Joelle is the "nap alert". She will wait until mommy's eyes close completely until she, with all the subtlety of squealing brakes, shrieks "MOMMY!" Then of course everyone wakes up, Evelyn, the cat, the neighbors, the old neighbor dog, sleeping astronauts on the space station and anyone else within ear shot. Joelle is the "Naphililator" [Nap-hi-ill-lay-tor].

The boys have another approach that is probably the part of human nature that draws men to watch wrestling on TV.

So much for napping maybe when we retire but then you have the grandchildren and with 4 kids who knows how many grandchildren that could provide. Bring on the medication!

Monday, July 23, 2007

Evelyn and Joelle

Thursday, July 19, 2007

11 days beautiful

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Evelyn comes home

Pictures can be better than words! Enjoy!


















Sunday, July 08, 2007

Phone pics of Evelyn

Here are some pics of us at the hospital. I have not tried this from the blackberry before - hope it works! If this does not work it will look like a lot of jibberish and I will send some pics out tomorrow from my laptop.






Saturday, July 07, 2007

there is a new addition....

A GIRL!!!!

Evelyn Joy Stewart

Day: 07/07/07
Time: 7:07pm

Weight: 8 pounds 14 oz
Length: 21 inches
Head/chest: 13 inches

It was a long hard delivery. Janice started contractions at 2:30 am and we hit Northside around 5 am. And YES she was born at exactly 7:07 pm.

Janice and Evelyn are doing well. We are really blessed.

Almost there

We have been walking a lot around the halls here at Northside. Janice is doing well. She is about 5-6 cm and 100% effaced. Contractions are hard and about 3 mins apart. Baby is head down and ready to go! Janice is in great spirits.

It has started...

I am writting this from the hospital on my Blackberry - forgive my misspelling and rambling.Not much editing at this point.

I woke up this morning around 4:30am when Janice rolled over and groaned. Contractions had apparently been going on through out the night. (G-d was gracious and let me sleep.) She had a dream where we made it to Northside hospital and she was working through contractions. As can be done in dreams she discered that she was having contractions for all the other women that had been given epidural's. As each new patient was given an epidural Janice's contractions would increase. Some sort of punishment for going natural. She asked that the hospital stop admitting patients then she woke up with a contraction.

Janice has had all of our children naturally - she is amazing. All of our nurses, midwives, and docters have been impressed. After a severe contraction she would turn to the nurse as if it were only a passing thought and ask about their lives, children or simply how they are doing.

We came in with contractions 3 minutes apart and now (8:00) they are roughly 5 minutes. It always slows down upon arrival as if the baby is aware that the comfortable life is almost over. Now we walk and wait.

Looks like we are going to have a 7/7/7 baby!

Nurse is here. More to come later...

Sunday, July 01, 2007

5 days and counting!

Our due date is July 6 (although I am partial to 07/07/07). We are on the edge of our seats and completely under the microscope. EVERYONE is here in the house (8 kids ages 5 months to 4 years, 2 aunts, 2 uncles, grandma, grandpa, Janice, myself and Ansel the cat = 17). They have been here for the last 3 weekends. The first weekend we had 21 people as another aunt, uncle and 2 cousins were down for a our niece's dedication. We have people piled up sleeping in every room and on every flat surface. It sounds somewhat like the stock exchange - kids and children talking over one another. "Can I have some juice?", "Where is mommy?", "Mommy, mommy, mommy" "daddy, daddy, daddy" and on and on...

We are all watching Janice's belly. Thursday last week was Janice's 39 week appointment and the mid-wife was convinced that a baby could arrive by Sunday. She is at 3 cm, 60% effaced and engaged at stage -2 (here is a 3d medical illustration - a bit graphic). Still watching the belly. It's like being a celebrity. Every few minutes a report is necessary to know why Janice might appear to be waddling a bit slower than a minute ago. Every morning curious eyes check to see if we are still in the house. The phone rings "How are you doing?". The neighbor walks over "How are you doing?".

So how ARE we doing? Janice is tired and VERY ready to have this baby. Here is a nice side view of Janice I took earlier today.

We will keep you up to date! Thank you for all the calls and well wishing. More to come soon (hopefully REALLY SOON!)