The X-Files and My Dad

Let's talk about The X-Files!

This blog has taken a seriously dorky turn in the past couple weeks, huh?

I love this show, though. Always have. I actually have the complete series DVD set, an awesome boxed collection that looks like this and helps visitors to my home accurately peg me as a nerd:

But when we packed up half our house so we could stage it so it would sell before the baby came - which, incidentally, didn't pan out - I boxed up almost all my DVDs, massive X-Files boxset included. Fortunately for me, the entire series is also available streaming on Netflix. I love Netflix. I could do another blog entirely on my love for it (makes note to do so).

Since I've been on midwife's orders to "take it easy" for the final countdown of pregnancy here (just 32 days until due date), I've been sorting baby clothes and writing thank-you notes and sewing and streaming X-Files in order. I'm just in the second season, so I've been enjoying not only the show, but the awesomely early-90s clothes/technology/references. Scully's suits alone are worth their own appreciative website. Thankfully, I'm not the only one who thinks so, because someone already made THIS. Here are a few of Scully's top looks from Season 1. Love that lacy top, Dana.

And then of course there are the sweet cell phones and computers. Nothing but state-of-the-art technology for the FBI!

Okay, but I'm getting off track. The point of this blog was that all this X-Files watching makes me think of my dad. We watched the show together when it was originally on the air. The show started in 1993, when I was in 5th grade. That seems kind of young, looking back, so it is possible I didn't actually start watching until a couple seasons in. Either way, Dad was pretty good about deciding if any particular episode was too scary for me to keep watching. I think sometimes I wasn't really that invested in the alien mythology episodes, which mostly seemed over my head. But I loved the stand-alone "monster" episodes. Like Dad, I thought the show was best when it was crackling with dry humor. I think we'd agree that "Small Potatoes" and "Bad Blood" are two of our favorites episodes. The romantic in me always wanted Mulder and Scully to get together. I don't think Dad cared so much about that...

I really do have Dad to thank for my zest for science fiction. Besides The X-Files, we also used to watch Star Trek: The Next Generation together. And Buffy the Vampire Slayer, until Mom decided maybe it wasn't the most wholesome entertainment and shut us down. (Looking back, I don't know how we got away with The X-Files either.) He would read aloud to me Ray Bradbury short stories, and was the one who finally convinced me to pick up Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker series. I love that we share sci-fi; an atypical bonding category for fathers and daughters, sure, but it puts a smile on my face.

Of course, he's also the one who taught me how to keep score at a baseball game, proper technique for using a paint roller, and not to tuck my thumb into my fist when punching someone. Lest anyone think we're COMPLETE dorks. Only partial, right Dad? Right?

35 Weeks!

Sweet Baby James,

Hey my little love! Just want to get everyone updated about the last two weeks with you.

Since I'm kind of using my blog as a pregnancy journal too, this might not be that interesting to everyone but if I don't write it down I'll forget!

So we went back one week ago (seems like forever) to have another follow-up ultrasound. My amniotic fluid levels had not increased (boo), but they held steady at 6, so that was still a positive outcome. And of course you were looking great, as always! Getting bigger - they guessed your weight at a little over 5 pounds - and measuring up just perfectly in the 50th percentile of babies your same gestational age. While we of course think you are far above average in every other way, just regular old "average" is a good place to be for your size! :) We also got this amazing picture of your face. You finally mostly moved your hands out of the way so the ultrasound tech could snap this shot.

Look at your precious nose! And your little mouth! I just want to look at this picture all day. It is the first time of any of the images we've had of you that I thought maybe you could look like me a little. Since your little face will probably be smushed and swollen when you come out, it is nice to see this and know what you might look like once all that evens back out. Did I mention I love your nose? I can't wait to kiss it.

The other times we had ultrasounds, my midwife Lauren had called us later that afternoon to discuss and plan our next step. When I didn't hear from her, I got it in my head that everything was fine and I should just go to my regular check-up on Monday as scheduled. That appointment was with a different midwife, as I'm trying to meet several of them since any one of them could be on-call for your delivery day. When I showed up for the appointment, there was some confusion. This midwife let me know that at the ultrasound, the technician thought she might have noticed a little arrhythmia/murmur in your heartbeat. I'm sure my face looked stricken! I had no idea! They explained that I would have appointments made to get you a fetal echocardiogram (fancy ultrasound to look specifically at your heart) and to see the Maternal Fetal Health specialist at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital. I was trying to absorb all this info and not start freaking out.

To check on you, they hooked me up to the electronic fetal monitor (EFM). These are two bands that strap around my belly. One sensor reads your heart rate and the other measures contractions (which I'm not really having yet). I had to lay still on my back for about 20 minutes. NOT FUN. You didn't like it any more than I did, and you kept kicking at the spot where the sensor was, making the machine think you had no heart beat. They finally got it squared away where it was bothering you less. After 20 minutes, the midwife came back in and said you looked great - strong, healthy heart rate. She only saw one or two little blips where it might have indicated the same thing the ultrasound tech thought she saw. After that I got to leave.

As it turns out, Lauren had been on-call over the weekend and hadn't had time to come up with a plan and discuss it with me yet. She didn't realize I'd be in the office Monday getting the news from a stranger. She felt terrible, to say the least, and called me to apologize. She helped comfort me by saying that these things can come and go without cause or warning in babies of your same fetal age as the heart completes the final stages of development. I was still a little freaked out, but I asked everyone to pray for you and that I would have trust in God no matter what happened.

So the next day, I went in to the Children's Hospital for your fetal echocardiogram. Ben was able to come with me. This ultrasound took a while for several reasons. First, they were doing all the measurements like any other ultrasound. Second, they had to do lots of very specific looking at your heart. And finally, you were being SUPER stubborn. I guess you'd had it with the ultrasounds (believe me, so have I), and you didn't want to give away anything. They really had to work but they finally got to see everything they needed. The ultrasound tech AND the pediatric cardiologist both looked for a clear shot of your aorta for probably 20 minutes before finally giving up. Don't worry, they assured me you have one and that it is functioning just fine. :) In fact, we got the wonderful, blessed news that your little ticker is totally perfect! These specialists saw no evidence of an arrhythmia or defect. Praise God!!!

The next day (Wednesday), I still went to the other appointment with Maternal Fetal Health. Even though the heart thing appeared to be a non-issue, Lauren still wanted their opinion on the amniotic fluid situation. Ben wasn't able to go with me since it was in the middle of the day and he was working. That was kind of a bummer, but it was probably a good thing he didn't try to take time off because I waited around FOREVER. My appointment was at 2pm. I got there at 1:45pm as requested. By 3:30pm I had signed some paperwork and gotten my vitals taken. The rest of the time was spent in the waiting room. Thank goodness I had a book!! When they finally called me, guess what I got to do? Have another ultrasound! If you and I weren't over having these before, we sure were as of now. If anyone is counting, this was my third ultrasound in six days. You weren't feeling any more generous today, but they got all the measurements they needed after a while. As with every time, you looked perfectly fine. Happy as a clam in there! They noticed no arrhythmia either. Yay! However (why does it always seem like there's a "however"), they measured the amniotic fluid back down at 5. After my ultrasound, the Maternal Fetal Health doctor, Dr. Bennett, came in for about two minutes. I hate how it always seems like they're in a hurry, which is one thing I never think with the midwives. Anyway, she had this whole script of recommended tests that I would need to do twice weekly. She made me kind of upset when she said, "Our goal would be to get you to 37 weeks." I felt like saying back, "Well MY goal is to have this baby when he is ready to come out." I didn't say that. But I did feel comfortable telling her I wanted to wait and see what Lauren had to say, before we started making appointments for these tests.

Since I didn't leave that office until almost 5pm (seriously, for my 2pm appt), I didn't get to talk to Lauren until yesterday. She (once again) helped calm me down and encouraged me. She had received the ultrasound reports but hadn't gotten Dr. Bennett's recommendations yet, so she promised to call me as soon as she had those and we could talk about it more. I tried to explain that I didn't want to under-react, but that I also didn't want to jump the gun, and that I really really really wanted to avoid an early induction. She said I shouldn't worry, that I hadn't done anything wrong in taking care of you, and that I was a good momma already. That made me cry more than I already was! She said she would pray for me and let me know when she heard back from the other doctor, and then we could decide together what to do.

So that's where we are now, my little peanut. I'm trying to drink even MORE water, if that is possible, and still taking it easy. I'm paying very close attention to how much you are moving around, and so far you still seem to be doing just great in there! I feel that God is protecting you, and that you'll come out according to HIS plan, even if it isn't the way I thought it would be. And really, so long as I'm kissing that sweet nose and looking at your darling face, I don't think I'll be too concerned with anything else.

Can't believe we've come this far together. Love you more every day.

Love,

Momma

HARRY POTTER DORK CHEER!

There's a lot of dorky cheering going on around here lately... Let's just embrace it! July 15th y'all. Deathly Hallows. Part II. Even my baby is excited.

UPDATE: The site hosting the featurette video I had posted has since removed said video. In its place, I'll post this newly released picture. One of my very favorite scenes in the entire final book. I cheered, out loud, when I read this part. Neville Longbottom FTW.

LOTR DORK CHEER!

It's been such a long time coming that I almost forgot how excited I should be about The Hobbit being made into films with Peter Jackson at the helm. Today I saw this video and my excitement has been thrown into high gear. Seeing the old sets rebuilt and hearing the familiar music... yay! Here's the first (of hopefully many) video blogs that Peter is doing from the New Zealand sets.

Digging for Dressers

I've recently been scouring Craigslist daily looking for a dresser that I can use as a changing table in Sweet Baby J's nursery. I've also visited every antique and consignment store I know of multiple times, but all to no avail. Either things were too expensive or not the right size/style. I wanted something vintage-y looking, but a lot of that stuff has been redone in the "shabby chic" style, which I love but it isn't the look we've put together in the nursery so far. I needed more of a mid-century style to work with what we already had in the room. At first I'd hoped to find something painted white, but after looking a little longer I decided to try to something in a stained-wood finish instead. With older painted furniture, there's always the danger that somewhere in there you'll have a coat of paint that contained lead. Since at this point I don't have the time (or inclination) to strip and refinish something myself, I didn't even want to start down that road.

So, wood dresser, sort of vintage, some specific measurements (tall enough I don't break my back bending to change diapers, wide enough to accommodate the changing pad, etc.), and I wanted it for under $200, and ideally for even less. Craigslist, which had proved so fruitful with the $40 rocking chair, turned up nothing day after day. The one time we found something that we wanted to go see, the guy sold it before we got a chance.

This weekend when my parents were in town, they mentioned that I should check the St. Louis Craigslist, too, and that they would also keep their eyes open. So yesterday, lo and behold, I came across this gem:

A pretty cool looking dresser and chest (or as the sellers called it, an "oak,dresser,set"), not a bad price, and located just about 30 minutes from where my parents live... could we have a winner? I emailed the sellers and asked if my dad could come take a look and possibly make an offer. Daisy & Ronnie (actual names) were agreeable to that, and so today Dad took a trip out to Union, MO to check it out for me.

Apparently Ronnie had actually already done a lot of work to the set, including stripping it of several coats of paint to get it back to the wood finish. Dad said the furniture was solid, the drawers all moved beautifully, and the handles and knobs appeared to be original. I said I'd take it! Plus Dad did the negotiating dirty work and got them to take $200 for the set instead of $250. I didn't really need the chest of drawers, but it certainly doesn't hurt to have a matching set. There's even a large mirror for the dresser, which Dad says could use some work but might be nice to add later on once we are ready to use it as a dresser and not as baby furniture.

Later Dad texted me a picture that showed that what I thought was just wood grain in the Craigslist photos was actually a criss-cross inlay of wood on the drawer fronts. Kind of a neat detail!

So now the set is at my parents' house in St. Louis, airing out in the garage, and my handy-man daddy is going to do a little work on one of the legs. And then at some point (hopefully before baby is born) he'll load it up and bring it down to us. And then I will fill it up with tiny baby clothes and diapers and other assorted preciousness. The dresser/changing table was the final big piece of my nursery "puzzle," so I can't wait to see it in place.

Three cheers for my Dad for all his help and hard work!

33 Weeks

Sweet Baby James,

Hey my boy! I can't believe it, but here we are starting our 33rd week in this journey together. You are getting bigger and bigger and so is my tummy! Yesterday Ben said, "You're like twice as big as yesterday." This is something that should only EVER be said to (a) a bodybuilder, (b) a five year old, or (c) a pregnant lady IF you can tell she's in a REALLY good mood. Luckily for your dad, I was in category C when his comment was made!

Back at my 20-week ultrasound, we saw that the placenta was low-lying, and scheduled a 32-week ultrasound to check and make sure it had moved out of the way. Time flies when we're having fun, my little man, because I blinked and that 32-week ultrasound had arrived! It was very sweet to see your little face again, and your little spine, and your little heart, and your tiny toes! You had your hands up by your face, just like in the first ultrasound. You measured up great, and the technician guessed that you were right at 4 pounds. When she measured your head, she looked at your dad, then looked at me, and said, "I don't think that head is taking after dad!" This is pretty funny because we always joke about my big ole' head. I guess yours is just filled with big ole' brains like mine! :)

The placenta had totally moved, by the way, so yay for that! But when she measured the amount of amniotic fluid, she thought that it looked a little low. She sent the results off to the midwives, who called later that afternoon. The level was 4.8. They don't like to see anything below 5, and would really prefer to see it closer to 10. So she told me to rest up all week and drink a TON of water, and then to come back and do another ultrasound. All that means we got to see you AGAIN yesterday! I'm getting spoiled! You were cute as ever, and still had your little hands up in your face. In the space of a week you had flipped over onto your other side so you're now facing my left. I also think your little feet are pointed more towards my back, because your kicks aren't as visible from outside, although I still feel them! With all the rest and water-drinking, we got the level up to a 6. The midwife was pleased with this improvement, and wants to try it again for one more week. So more water, more resting, and then you get another photoshoot next week. Get your camera-face ready!

Aside from all the ultrasound-ing, we've been working on your room. This is SUPER FUN. I already posted about Dad putting together your crib, but we've added a lot more and I can't wait to take some pictures and do a reveal! I'm still looking for the perfect dresser to make into your changing table, and that will be the final "big" piece.

Today all the families are arriving - your Grandma & Grandpa James and Uncle David and cousin Logan, and your Grandma & Grandpa McMinn and Aunt Ashley! We are having a big party/BBQ/baby shower tomorrow with them and lots of friends. I can't wait for the fun to start!

Love always,

Momma

A Daddy Rite of Passage

The crib for baby's room arrived and I went to pick it up yesterday. The Wal-Mart employees were unusually helpful and competent, and it was a quick and painless process. The guy who loaded it in my car looked a little concerned when I pulled up in the Fit, as the box containing the disassembled crib was really, really big. I think he was impressed when he was able to make it work!

Ben has been working such long hours, all day every day, but even though he came home last night about 1am, he still pulled the box out of the car so we could open it this morning. Then, as an unexpected but blessed surprise, he didn't have to go in to work today until this afternoon! So he went ahead and carried all the pieces upstairs and assembled the crib.

It came together really easily. Okay, so I didn't do any of the work per se, but I did go and get us lunch and by the time I came back he was all but done. I love it so, so much! Even more than I thought I would!

The mattress should come in next week and then I still have to sew all the bedding. You know... once I learn to sew...

I'll wait for the laughter to die down.

When he's little bitty he'll be sleeping with us in our room anyway, so I have some additional time should learning to sew be harder than it looks.

I can still hear you laughing. It seemed like a good idea five months ago, okay?!

Anyway, the crib is done, I love it, and I'm so proud of Ben for completing this important fatherly rite of passage. I took a bunch more pictures but they are stuck on the camera until I find the cable to get them off. So more soon, maybe!

For anyone who is interested, this is the Baby Mod Olivia crib, available to order online only from Wal-Mart. I wrote more about it in this previous blog. A big thank you to the collective grandparents, from whom the crib was a generous gift.

Movies!

I love movies. Here are a few I'm looking forward to this summer. I know, I know, I'll have an infant. We'll go to the matinees, okay? I'll leave if he makes a peep.

Except for Harry Potter. I'll leave that when someone carries me (and baby) forcibly from the building.

The Hangover II

Super 8

Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows (Part II)