Sunday, June 29, 2008

Happy Birthday Baby Alice


baby_ann_email_max, originally uploaded by preposthumous.



Elizabeth Alice Tobin Weber was born Friday June 27th at 2:16am. She is the sixth first born daughter named Elizabeth in my family. She was born on her Great-Great Grandmother's birthday (the second Elizabeth in this tradition). She was born at 2:10am and was the biggest baby girl ever to be born at our hospital. I am a little weary and need some sleep so I will post more details about her birth later.

Great thanks to all the folks who sent us their messages of support and love. We feel very blessed right now.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

plumbego


plumbego, originally uploaded by preposthumous.

clitoria


clitoria, originally uploaded by preposthumous.

Hee! We went to the Great Outdoors garden center today and came across this hilarious little plant. Good thing parenthood has increased my maturity level.

Today's Rejected Birth Place(s):

Well...the Great Outdoors
Our neighbor's lawn
My downstairs shower (that would have been convenient.)
the stairs

Today we had scheduled an induction but after a very positive non-stress test and sonogram it would appear that the kid is fine and my eagerness to get her out is not a real medical emergency.

So we have postponed the induction for Monday with the hope that things will progress on their own before that time.

Click on the pictures for a link to my flicker page and see all the plants that we are planning on sticking in the yard once the kid arrives.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Hello Neighbor

First Item of business: Rejected Birth Place(s):

Tree Nursery
Randals (produce isle)
my couch

Today I really booked it in the grocery store while Mom shopped and Tony tried to keep up with me. That's right I blew him out of the water with my crazy speed walking. As a result I got a horrid contraction in my right side that just went on and on. Mom and Tony say this is progress and I choose to believe them. Rather than assume that I just pulled a muscle.


Second item of business: Mariachi Frogs

Our fine friend Joe is a true son of Lubbock TX and had a bit of interesting trivia about the frogs we spotted during last night's walk. Here is what Joe had to say:
"They were involved in a dispute over authorized advertizing space. The owners claimed they were art not advertizing and to support their claim they sent them to Lubbock to sit in front of our museum for years."

My Mom recalled this news story and said we might have famous frogs in the neighborhood. Joe had thoughts along the same line when he added, "Ask them if the frogs have ever been to Lubbock. Or if, at the least, their frogs know our frogs."

Third item of business: as promised...LAWN DINO!


Final item of business:
I have been avoiding the phone lately because lots of folks want to know about the baby's progress. I really delight in the fact that our loved ones are invested in this baby and it makes me happy to be remembered. However, I don't really want to talk about the labor and birth until it is over. That is why I have been posting so often so that folks can get some news without having to deal with my grumpy mug. Tony however, is all about chatting about baby progress. So feel free to give him a call!

Monday, June 23, 2008

No baby, but we did see a Dinosaur!

Today's rejected birth place(s):

OB's office (during non-stress test)
Garden Center (shopping for native plants)
Galaxy Cafe
Grammy's Chevy
In the kitchen making chicken pesto and peach cobbler
In neighbor's yard next to giant dinosaur statue...let me explain.

This morning I had the doctor urge things along during my exam and as a result I have been feeling contractions today. In an effort to get this thing moving I walked and walked and walked some more. This evening it actually got down to a humid 78 degrees so Tony and I went for an after dinner stroll around our neighborhood. We amused ourselves by mapping out stroller routes and checking out other people's landscaping.

When low and behold what should we see but a white house, with a manicured green lawn, and huge green dinosaur. Not ONLY that but these folks also have giant frogs in a Mariachi Band. Sombreros, guitars, the works.
I can't believe I didn't have my camera with me. I will go out again tomorrow (provided I am not in the hospital) and snag a photo of this bizarre and wonderful freaky...thing.

Come back tomorrow for the dino photo.

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Hula



Today's rejected birth place(s):

HEB: Seasonal Section (hence the hula hoop that I am almost wearing as a belt)
Randals (after a two hour walking/ waddling session)
St. Michael's Episcopal Church
Chillies
Blockbuster (we need to cool it on the DVDs...but the Wire is so good)
an ATM at 10:30pm
lying in bed drinking red wine. YES I said it. Drinking.

My Mother-in-law suggested a half glass of wine and said it might relax me into contractions. As I walked around the grocery store (post wine) my abs gave up the effort of holding up my uterus. This ment my uterus had to pick up the slack and started cramping as a result. YEAH! Of course it didn't last but I feel productive. I am going into the OB's office early tomorrow morning for a quick check on me and the baby. Fingers crossed.

Mom says "At least I can get some filing done while waiting for my Granddaughter"

Today's rejected birth place(s):

Home Depot
Lowes
Babies R' Us
Kohls
HEB (frozen food isle)
Blockbuster
Petsmart
A iconic Austin Mexican Restaurant (Chuy's)
In the middle of a sudden torrential rainstorm...on the Solstice!

Because of this reluctance to pop out the kid has lost her shot at being a Gemini and is fated to be a Cancer instead.

I was bummed by that for some reason. Couldn't even start to tell you why. I'm not into astrology. I have no idea what it means to be a Gemini or Cancer. I told Tony about this and he responded by performing a beautiful little crab dance as if he were our baby, whom he has decided to name "Pinchy". It's hard to explain, but it was spectacular and made my hormone addled eyes mist over with Tony love.

Oh and due to the rain it was just 88 degrees for most of the day. It was heavenly. We were even able to open some windows for the first time since late April. Here is the cat enjoying a nice breeze.

Friday, June 20, 2008

Non-bebe...yet

Today's rejected birth place(s):
1) The Apple Store
2) La Madaline
3) The Library
4) Surrounded by my neighbor's puppies

11pm and no baby yet. I don't know what to do with myself. I think TV/ ice cream may hold the answer.

P.S. Here is another place the kid rejected: #5 Lenscrafters.
I went in to get my glasses adjusted for the third time this month. They don't seem to fit right no matter what I do. Either they fall off, sit crooked, or give me a splitting headache. They still aren't quite right but I am tired of making trips to the mall. During my final (I swear) trip to Lenscrafters yesterday I got the usual "When are you due" questions and got to use the fun overdue answer, "4 days ago". Everybody gasped and one of the managers said he went through three years of Medical School so if I dropped the kid in his store I could be comforted by his semi-doctor status!

Thursday, June 19, 2008

"Where's that Baby at?!"

That was the text message from my sis-in-law Becky this morning and I'd bet you a million dollars she said it like Yosemite Sam in her head.

Well the Baby is still chillin' in my tummy for the time being. Today we decided to forgo walking even though Bethany made a great suggestion in the last post that we visit The Blanton Museum which was actually free today.
However, with gas prices the way they are we stayed home today.

My Mom is one of those folks who own a big gas burning vehicle. Unlike most folks in my neighborhood though, she has an actual use for her 4-wheel drive, loading space, and towing capability. At this moment her car is covered in off-road mud and filled with building supplies and tools. Moma has to make a 14 hour drive on a pretty regular basis deep into the Arizona desert to reach building sites on the Navajo Nation. So her car suits her job but the current gas prices mean that she needs to restrict her driving to work related trips.

So instead of walking to start labor I tried coaxing the kid out with the cunning use of dreary chores. I attacked every mind-numbing task that I had lying around the house. Like organizing receipts by purchase, date, and ridiculousness of expenditure. Then Mom and I steam-cleaned every surface the kid might conceivably touch. Not because we worried about germs mind you, but because we are BORED!!!
I wish I could work on my comics but sitting down at the computer is a little uncomfortable right now as I have a kid struggling in my lower abdomen every time I lean forward towards the mouse. In fact I better wrap this up right now.

Today's rejected birth place: Brand new "High Efficiency" commode:

Tony picked up two new toilets from Austin's free toilet program since our thrones are from 1984. Tonight he went through the mighty task of ripping out the old unit and installing the new one. My Mom did all the calking and sealing of the toilet and she cleaned up after the project was done.
I...took this picture.

Now I haven't actually (ahem) used this potty but it would have been fun if she popped out while Grandma and Dad were upstairs dealing with pluming issues.

Stay tuned for more non-updates!

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Speaking of Flowers and no Baby...


Today I am one day past my due date and still no signs of imminent labor. My Mom and I decided that the best thing for me to do was walk around as much as possible. So we headed down to the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center and enjoyed a walk through the native plant gardens. We also enjoyed doing laps inside the Center's museum because it was 104 degrees out today. I have a dying lawn due to the unusually horrible heat and lack of rain. So Mom is helping us plan a no-grass native plant solution for our yard.

After the heat became overwhelming we drove over to BookPeople. A wealth of loving friends and family have resulted in my running through several packs of notecards so we picked out some new thank you notes.

Then it was off to Whole Foods (due to proximity more than anything) for snacks and icecream.

After all that walking around I have had no noticeable "contractions" per se, though I have felt some tightening and aching. I wouldn't be a bit bothered by my current pregnant state, (in fact I feel great) if not for the pressure to give birth before she gains another half pound.

Ah well, doesn't hurt me to keep moving. Tonight we are installing some new free toilets from the city. So that might push things into gear.

I gave this kid the opportunity to be born in a national park, a bookstore, and a Whole Foods...I can't believe she didn't take me up on these options. I will keep folks appraised of our baby progress via this blog as things happen (or don't).

Thank you to everybody who have sent their good wishes our way. Your kind thoughts are much appreciated!

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

No baby yet, but look at the pretty flowers~




So the due date has arrived and we have no baby yet and it looks like we might be waiting at least a day or two. My doctor has pushed back our induction date to next week because I am reluctant to get into the whole Pitocin dance.

Today my Mom bought me some "It's ok that you aren't in labor flowers". We are going to go find a cool place somewhere in Austin to walk around and get things moving. I hate the mall with a fiery passion so we are considering the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. It is over 100 degrees outside so options are limited.

Thanks for everybody who wrote in to check on me and say sweet things. I will thank you all individually when I get back from my "please water, just break" hike.

Take Care

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Happy (early) Father's Day Tony!


Sleepless nights and baby blurp are just around the corner my sweet!
For those who are following this blog for progress we are still a no-go for baby. My Mom is driving into Austin this afternoon and she will do enough nesting for 10 pregnant women. So the baby has to show up soon...right?

Here is a little tip I learned last night. If you have been avoiding caffeine during your pregnancy do not ingest 2 glasses of black tea after 5pm with a full-term baby next to your vital organs. I was subjected to a whirlwind of jujitsu moves from around 2am to around 9am. Sweet Mercy.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Nesting?

This morning I woke up to a possible contraction, or maybe just a head-butt to the bladder by my darling Squirmy.

Squirmy is the name I have decided to give my daughter for her remaining in-utero career.

Anywho, I was up way before the alarm clock and reading about childproofing when Tony woke up. I made Tony's lunch and breakfast while antagonizing the cat (this is an actual chore that needs doing every day or he turns into a neurotic kitty mess) and listening to a report on the new 2010 hybrid cars.
Tony came out of our bedroom and I offered to iron his shirt. He looked at me for a bit and asked why I wasn't still drooling on my pillow. I said "Well, maybe I'm nesting." Then we both went very still and visibly frightened.

Nesting is a sign of imminent labor. Even though I am 6 days from my due date Tony and I are not ready to even think about Squirmy's grand entrance.

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Great minds think alike

I just noticed that Bethany has posted about exactly the question I was asking about my cat. Will the baby drive him crazy?...Yes.

Bethany and Dave had their lovely daughter almost the same time last year that we are expecting our baby this year. So it is great seeing a preview of our girl a year in the future.

Baby's Birthday

I have been delighted by the number of friends who have called/emailed/caught me in a chat room to check in and see how I am feeling now that Tony and I are in the home stretch baby-wise. The answer to the question of when is the baby due is "Who knows?" Apparently the kid is a little large and hoped for early, though as Bethany correctly pointed out the pre-delivery estimates are rarely correct.

The kid's due date is June 17th and her tentative induction date (which I would like to avoid) is June 19th, as in Juneteenth here in Texas. Though we might as well just wait her out, since a failed induction and huge baby both might end in c-section land.

Yesterday afternoon I thought it might be "time" due to some contractions that wouldn't go away even after I rested for an hour. Also, Tony was out of town so the irony gods would have been pleased.

However, it was clearly not time as the kid still resides indoors.

No longer the smallest creature in the house.

Tony and I have been wondering what the addition of a new baby will do to our cat Byron. Safety issues for the baby are of course paramount in our minds, but we have also wondered how his little kitty brain will deal with the reality of a noisy infant.

Yesterday I was in our rocking chair (lovely gift from Tony's parents, thanks folks!) and the cat noticed our baby rolling around in my tummy. Unsurprisingly he decided to stab at the movement with his paw.



He was interested enough not to even mind my taking pictures, like a dork.

After a bout of sniffing I just went ahead and gave into my anthropomorphizing tendencies. I asked our small cat ,with a brain the size of a Walnut, a direct question: "Byron, what do you think about the baby?"

He made his feelings clear.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Le Papier Studio

Here is a great site from a designer/ architect friend we met through Leanne. The lady's name is Vana and she makes beautiful paper products. If I didn't have baby announcements sorted out years ago I would totally go to her for a perfectly elegant announcement.

Check her out: at Le Papier Studio

Lisa and Kevin



The lady pictured above is my lovely cousin Lisa who is working in the Philippines with the Peace Corps. The fella is my cousin Kevin who visited his sister so he could see firsthand all the good work she is doing for her new community. I believe the first picture was taken by Kevin, who is a world traveler and excellent photographer. I couldn't say who took the 2nd photo. Most likely somebody who lives in the Philippines.
I recently received a fantastic postcard from Lisa but with no return address so I can't write her back. I am going to try to communicate with her via email and blog to see if I can catch her. Though I get the impression that computers are few and far between in her host village.

So this is my message to my cousin "Hi Lisa!"

Monday, June 2, 2008

kindred design



These are our buddies Brad and Leanne (Bleanne) in a picture taken by their good friend Michelle. Leanne is a tremendously interesting person and she has started a new Blog called Kindred Design. Leanne and Brad both have a background in architecture. In fact they met and fell in Snuggly LUV (awww! ) in architecture school.

Leanne is a photographer, designer, and environmental/ social justice badass. She makes the prettiest cards and I hope to see some of her work for sale soon.

Leanne and I have many things in common, one specific similarity is that we both have baby-faced husbands.
This is what happened to my husband tonight at Blockbuster:

Tony: "I don't have my card, can you look up my account using my last name?" (Tony shows ID to clerk)
Clerk: " I don't see you anywhere in the computer."
Tony: "I just have one 'B' in my name."
Clerk: "Are you under your parent's account?"
Tony: (glancing at his 9 months pregnant wife) "....I am THIRTY years old."

This is what happened to Leanne's husband one night when we all went out to eat in downtown Chicago to celebrate Brad's 27th birthday (I think, I don't remember exactly).

Waitress: "Can I get anybody a drink?"
Brad: "Does anyone want the house wine?"
Leanne/ Holt: "Sure."
Tony: "I think I'm going to have the salmon."
Holt: "That sounds good."
Leanne: "I think I'll have soup. Brad, what would you like?"
Waitress: (whispering to Tony) "We have Chicken Fingers."
All: ......
Tony: (whispering) "Psst...Brad, she thinks I'm your Dad."

She speaks the truth

Thank you to Mighty Girl for offering her fellow mothers some lovely perspective.

Check out her baby/kids shopping blog Mighty Junior. I am not in a spending frame of mind these days because we are well prepared in the baby gear department. Thanks to lovely family, friends and craigslist!
However I love the style and clever design of her suggestions.
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