Linc's Arrival, Part 1

As I type this, our Cookie, who we were so sure was a girl, is sleeping peacefully beside me in his swing (which kind of looks like a spaceship). It's amazing how much life changes in a matter of hours. For JBB and I, 14 hours and 10 minutes, to be exact.

Saturday, March 23 at 8:10 pm, our perfect baby boy, Lincoln Lambert Blythe, entered the world, and I can't remember a time he wasn't the center of our life. Linc is truly our dreams and our love personified. He is healthy, and big and pink and has the sweetest, faintest little eyebrows, and long skinny feet, and his daddy's mouth, and little dark hair on the back of his head, and the most amazing blue gray eyes you've ever seen. In short, he is perfect. And he is OURS! We will work the rest of our lives to live up to the honor of being his parents. He is my purpose in life, and I hope to God I don't fail him.

The Wednesday night before Linc's birth found JBB and I at the ER at Carmel St. Vincent, the same hospital our OB is at and where we would be delivering. All day Wednesday, my right foot and ankle was swelling bigger and bigger; and not just the normal "end of the day" swollen ankles. By about 8:00 Wednesday night, it was the size of a loaf of bread. The weird thing is it, it was only my right foot. Although we had just had a check up the day before and my blood pressure was fine, I was worried about pre-eclampsia so we called the "after hours" line to talk to one of the doctors on call. Because of a history of blood clots in my family, they had JBB and I come to the ER for a deep vein thrombosis ultrasound to rule out a clot. We got to the ER at 9:00 exactly; we arrived home at 12:45 am, very relieved to know there was no blood clot. Just a strangely swollen foot, most likely caused by how Linc was laying in utero. Since the doctor didn't put me on any bed rest, I decided to go to work on Thursday; something in my mind kept telling me Linc would come early and I didn't want to waste any of my days off that could be spent with him. So, Thursday and Friday I worked all day, never feeling a contraction or anything other than the run of the mill 38 week pregnancy discomfort. JBB and I drove to Tipton Thursday night and took my grandpa cupcakes for his 91st birthday and spent the evening with him, listening to stories, checking out his boats, and eating cupcakes. Friday night we had a follow up with the doctor to checking the swelling, which was gone at that point. She did the normal measuring and checking, and we had no indication how our life would change in less than a day.

Friday night was supposed to our "last hurrah" date night, which I was so excited for. JBB and I had big plans to see the movie "Admission" and eat at Outback (one of our faves) using one of my many coupons. I even saved $50 of my precious tax refund to buy a cute new maternity outfit, as I was very sick of wearing gray leggings with black sweaters. I hit Target and bought the cutest pair of pistachio jeans capris, a bright purple top, and new sandals. I was ready to rock for our last date as a family of two. Mother Nature had other plans, however, in the form of an impending snowstorm, and an impending baby. By the time I got home from work Friday night, I was so tired I was in tears, telling JBB I didn't think I could stay up for dinner AND a movie, and besides, it was too cold to wear my new outfit anyway, so what was the point? (I was a little dramatic.) True to form, JBB saved the day, and we had a "date night in", complete with Hot Box breadsticks, cookies and ice cream, and NCAA basketball. For some reason, I was very clingy that night and wanted to spend every second with JBB; normally Friday nights I would get in bed about 8:30 and watch my shows while he puttered downstairs, watched ESPN, and then would come up a few hours later. Friday night I think JBB sensed I wanted to be with him all night, so after watching two basketball games together, we climbed in bed where JBB very gamely watched two episodes of Project Runway with me. We went to bed at 11:00 pm, with plans to eat pancakes at Bub's Breakfast Cafe on Saturday morning, and then see a matinee on Sunday. We were going to spread out "date night" into "date weekend."

Linc had other plans; date weekend was going to become baby weekend! I got back from a 5:45 am bathroom break only to lay down and feel like I had to go to the bathroom all over again. I very grumpily told JBB, "I have to get up again and I just went". Turns out I didn't know quite how much I was about to "go." At 6:00 am on the button, my water broke, and there was NO doubting what had happened. No trickle for me - without getting too gory, this was a gush that went through my pjs, the sheets, the mattress pad, and the mattress. JBB and I stared at each other for a few seconds, started shaking, and called the doctor as instructed. We were told that I had time to shower, eat, and then head to the hospital. The next hour was a surreal 60 minutes - I showered, dried and flattened my hair while JBB ran around gathering up cell phones, Ipads, chargers, magazines, etc. At one point I heard him cussing from the bathroom; he was so nervous and his hands were shaking so badly he couldn't even get his contacts in. I was strangely calm, asking JBB to swiffer the bathroom floor so it would be clean when we got home, and taking pictures of us together so we'd have a "before baby" picture. At 6:45 I sat down to have a big bowl of Captain Crunch, only to find out our milk was spoiled; of course. So, I had dry cereal, a Sprite, and a roll. JBB threw our dirty bedding into the washing machine (he takes his role as laundry chief very seriously) and we were on our way. Our very excited, scared to death way.

At ten till 7:00, JBB and I drove to the hospital. The CD we made to play during our wedding reception happened to be in my car, so I played John Fogerty's "Joy of My Life" and "Thinking About Your" by Trisha Yearwood on the way to the hospital, which got me crying all over again, just anticipating the love we'd feel for our baby. Our baby who was actively on his or her way. We pulled up in the parking lot, and as JBB grabbed my suitcase out of the backseat, it spilled over the concrete. We'd forgotten to zip it; at this point we looked at each other and just started laughing. And then we headed into the hospital, ready to meet our baby. Which we did, 13 hours later.

And I'll get to that in our next blog, as said baby is looking so cute beside me in his swing that I'm going to break the cardinal rule and pick up a sleeping baby, because I want to hold him, and I'm his mom, and I can.

Part 2: Our two week early 8lb 10 oz love muffin is here!!

Waiting on Linc...

And we wait...

A wise man (Tom Petty) once said, "the waiting is the hardest part." To which I would like to say, preach it Mr. Petty! While I feel like most of this pregnancy has flown by, what with getting married, settling into a new house, going on our honeymoon, the holidays, yada, yada, yada, the last few weeks have crawled by. And I need them to sprint by. (Let me clarify - I won't be sprinting anywhere. Just need the weeks to.)

We are 37 weeks tomorrow, and I have recently become consumed with knowing if I'm harboring a boy or girl Cookie. I've made it 259 days in a very zen, "it's going to be the ultimate surprise" mindset, but now, damn it, I. WANT. TO. KNOW!!!! Twice this week on the way to work I have flat out started crying imagining the moments after Cookie is born and they place him or her on my chest and we can finally see that sweet little face. JBB wrote a little message to Cooks in the baby book, and I sobbed. I think he was a little alarmed by my reaction. (In my defense, it really was very sweet. And I really was very tired).

Doctor appointments are weekly now, which I'm actually excited about. That means every week someone a whole lot smarter and better qualified than me is checking on my baby and making sure everything is how it should be. We got the all clear with our last ultrasound and blood work that whatever antibodies I may or may not have floating around aren't hurting Cookie in anyway, so I can permanently cross that worry off my list.

Speaking of crossing things off the list - a momentous thing happened last night in the Blythe household. I went to "my office" (the a fore blogged about roll top desk. I'd love to tell you all about it. I'm obsessed with it.) and consulted my to-do list, which for the last 9 months has had at least 20 items on it. It had two. Two things left to do. And they are both things JBB needs to do, not me. I'm not sure how I feel about this. While I thought I'd be swinging from the treetops with excitement, I felt a little deflated and a sense of "now what?" I've got to have something to do these last three weeks!

In typical me fashion, I've found new things to fixate on - namely, trolling Tiny Prints for baby announcements (I currently have 43 favorited. Someone stop me.), and - couponing! I've turned into a real couponer these days. Nothing excites me more than cutting coupons from the Sunday paper; I've joined Coupons.com, and Marsh.com and Kroger.com and whatever else I can find online that will give me .25 cents off toilet paper. (Pregnant women use a LOT of toilet paper). I even found myself reading aloud to JBB from an article on Pinterest about how to be a savvy couponer. Who have I become? In addition to my obsession with couponing, I've started making weekly meal plans. Which, every week have the same meals on them - tacos; breakfast for dinner; spaghetti; chicken and potatoes; pizza. I'm not terribly creative, but sometimes I get fancy and switch up the order, or the seasoning for the potatoes if I'm feeling wacky. I've "pinned" approximately 250 recipes on Pinterest, but somehow eat the same 5 meals every week.

In addition to turning into some weird 1950's hybrid version of myself, I'm also in a phase of trying to meet up for lunch or dinner with as many of our friends as possible before the baby comes, partially to keep busy, and partially because I know I will drop out of the "social scene" for awhile. While I love seeing my friends, I've become aware of not over scheduling and ending up with something booked 6 nights a week, as all that does is exhaust me.

Until recently, I had a lot of events at work that kept my focus off of the impending arrival - I worked the first two Saturdays in March, had a Family Fun Night, and various other meetings to focus on and lots of loose ends to wrap up. Even all of that is winding down, as I'm transitioning everything at work over to my replacement so that everything is transfered over and in good shape when I leave. Driving home from last Saturday's 10K event was a very, very strange feeling - typically March is when I really start mentally gearing myself up for the crazy 2.5 months ahead that is "season" at the 500 Festival. Instead, I was driving home from my last event until 2014. Strange.

Speaking of things winding down, we even had our last baby shower over the weekend - hats off to Steph, Krissi, and Nicole for an amazing shower! The thought and love that went into it knocked my socks off - from the "Baby Pictionary", to the "blue Kool-Aid if you think it's a boy" and "Pink Lemonade if you think it's a girl" drinks, to the amazing food and decor, it was incredible. JBB and I are continually humbled by the love and interest our family and friends have shown our baby. It was truly an amazing day. In fact, an amazing weekend, that I was so happy to spend with Nicole who drove all the way from Wisconsin just to be there for the shower. We did a lot of eating, watching HGTV, and just catching up. Cookie even put on a show for her Aunt Nicole, moving her big foot all over my stomach just to show off and say hi.

Celebrating our little rascal to be. Such a fun shower!

Think girl? Grab a pink lemonade!

Sure it's a boy? Have a blue Kool-aid.

Two of my very favorite ladies!

Look closely...JBB and I's picture is on these M&Ms. Funniest thing ever!

Love this picture! Can't believe Aunt Lisa and Ali drove all the way from Michigan to celebrate Cookie. Love you guys!

Steph wouldn't stand still for a picture until after the party was over. Truly the hostess with the mostess!

Cookie decorated her door for her Aunt Nicole's arrival!

So. That's it. We're just waiting. JBB and I are spending a lot of time together just the two of us; we have a "date" to see the new Tina Fey/Paul Rudd movie Admission next weekend and go out to dinner. I figure that might be our last hurrah for awhile. I didn't think it was possible to love JBB more, but as I watch him prepare for Cookie's arrival, and experience every day how achingly sweet and patient he is with me as he listens to me vent, makes dinner for us without ever complaining, and helps me out of bed when my back hurts too much to stand up, I do indeed love him more. Waiting for JBB was the best thing I ever did.

Celebrating "National Pie Day" at Shapiros!