Healthy Girl!

We are continuing to settle in, and Cora so far has been an angel of a baby. Yes, it is early yet...

Last night (Monday night) was much better than her first night at home. She only got up when it was time to eat, so we managed to get in a bit more sleep. When I changed her diaper in the morning, she found her thumb - quite an accomplishment, considering her hands are normally flailing all over the place when she tries to find something to suck on.

We had our first outing as a family yesterday - a well-baby doctor appointment, a stop for frozen yogurt and a walk to the pharmacy for pain meds for Mom. (Day Four - Soreness Sets In)

The pediatrician said she is very healthy and looks "perfect." Her weight was 7 lbs 5 oz, so a very small drop from her birth weight (which is expected). The doc didn't do a jaundice check, because she thought her coloring looked just fine. Her birth weight and length were both about exactly 50th percentile - can you believe her rather, um, small parents had a baby smack dab in the middle range of baby sizes?

Cora's Homecoming

Cora and I came home from the hospital Sunday. Stace and I had a quiet day learning how to operate in our new life as a family of three - diapering, changing clothes, nursing, standing over the crib watching her sleep with tears filling our eyes. We were told many times while I was pregnant that you won't be able to believe how much you will love this brand-new little person, and that is the truth.
Our first night together was, predictably, a long one. Sleep for baby and parents came in one-hour spurts around feedings, changings, and short crying spells because Cora got her arms out of her swaddling blanket. She LOVES to be swaddled tight.

For Somer, it was not exactly love at first sight. Rather, our outgoing, talkative cat turned skittish and silent. When we first arrived home, Somer would inch toward the carrier, eyes wide and fur standing on end, and then quickly back away whenever Cora made a noise or movement. She eventually got close enough to sniff the carrier itself. After a while, she seemed more like herself and now seems to be accepting of her new friend.

Ladies and Gentlemen....

.......let me introduce to you....

Miss Cora Rose Howard

Cora Rose Howard

Today at 8.59am/4.59pm Lisa gave birth to a cracking little baby girl.
Weight 7lbs 11 ozs
20'' long
It took just 34 minutes and 10 really ace pushes.
Lis was in labor since 7.00pm last night (3.00 am in England)
I'll put pictures on the blog when i go home for a kip.

Labor!

I'm in the hospital! 3 cm, 100% effaced and painful contractions that are getting more frequent. We came around 4 p.m. If I haven't had Baby by early Friday morning, I'll be induced.
Stay tuned!

Full term - come on, Baby!

I'm officially 40 weeks today. The doctor said I'm still at about 2 cm dilated, and the baby's head is quite low. I started having occasional Braxton-Hicks (fake) contractions on Sunday, and they have continued intermittently. No pain, just a tightening of my belly. When she did my internal exam, the doctor also did a thing called "stripping the membrane" - basically running a finger along the bag of water to try to spur things along. She said it has a 50-50 success rate of getting labor going within 24-48 hours; I suppose it depends on how ready baby is to come anyway.

In case I'm still pregnant at the end of the week, I have an appointment set up for Friday at 2 p.m., where they will listen to Baby's heart beat for 20 minutes to make sure there is no distress at being post-term. And I'll be induced Tuesday the 13th if I haven't delivered by then.
One way or another, we'll have a baby in a week!

One week left???

I had my 39-week appointment this morning and the doctor said I'm dilated "a good two" centimeters. Still no effacement or contractions of any sort. He did say that I could still go into labor this weekend or next week; that my slow progress now doesn't necessarily mean I'm weeks away from Baby making the grand appearance.
I have another appointment Tuesday...

two weeks and counting

It's now less than two weeks until Due Date, or D-Day, as the case may be. At my appointment Wednesday, Baby's heartbeat sounded very strong, but Baby hasn't dropped yet and I'm dilated only 1 cm. So it appears that delivery isn't imminent yet.















With our spare room becoming a nursery, we bought a new couch with a pull-out bed. It arrived today...

End of Era

Friday was my last day at work as a full-time reporter for the Antelope Valley Press. Though I am pregnant enough to need a break, and have lots of little things to do before Baby arrives, after more than six years it was quite strange to pack things up and clear off the desk. I've greatly enjoyed my time as a reporter and have made a number of good friends, including Allison, who sits near me. I can only hope to enjoy this next "job" as much.

Harsh Winter

Santa Clarita was greeted Wednesday by hail and snow. For several hours - well, minutes - the Arctic storm wreaked devastation across the Valley. Ordinary life came to a standstill; work at HR Textron came to a screeching halt as the work force rushed to the window to take in the shocking sight.
Here you see our balcony, bearing the brunt of the devastation. Luckily no one was hurt.

Winter Golf

Playing golf in Southern California is not all shorts and suncream you know.
Today it was -4 degs C (25 degs F).
Out came the 4 layers of clothing, thermal socks and wooly hat. I was still cold!
It was just like being up at Windwhistle in the winter, apart from the rain and mud.

Here we are all together, Me, Brad, Larry and Scott.
Larry and Scotty feeling the effects of the cold.
I know it looks sunny......it was, but it was bloody freezing.
I used to play in the cold all the time, even the snow on a couple of occasions, but not since I've moved over here.
I have to admit it. Today I turned into a Weather Wimp.

36 weeks

I had my 36 week checkup on Wednesday, this time with an honest-to-goodness doctor (the medical group I use has you see a nurse practitioner until 36 weeks for low-risk, normal pregnancies).

The doctor was very pleasant and professional, and explained everything she was doing - I had to have a certain routine swab taken and she was very kind about it. I'm measuring right on schedule for my due date, and she felt around my stomache and said the baby's head is down where it should be.

I would say I'm definitely feeling very pregnant these past few days. I'm swelling a lot more in my legs, feet and hands (but my blood pressure was fine, so it' s just normal late-term swelling). My hands hurt when I wake up because of the swelling, and my contacts don't seem to be fitting as well as they used to. Things are blurry, which makes driving at nirght interesting. That's another normal problem, according to "What to Expect When You're Expecting." The left hip pain and occasional morning sickness are still problems, too, and I'm not sleeping very well. Neither is Stace, for that matter.
It's all God's way of getting mom to the point of readiness for labor, I guess. (As in, Get this baby out of me!)
I'll see the doctor again next Wednesday.

Morro Bay

For my birthday, and for a last getaway before we're not willing to be more than an hour from Henry Mayo Newhall hospital, Stace and I went away for a night in Morro Bay, up on California's Central Coast just north of San Luis Obispo. Morro Bay is a beautiful, quaint fishing town with its landmark volcanic rock. We enjoyed the town, and later checked out San Luis Obispo for a few hours on Sunday. We saw a number of sea otters, sea lions and even five wild (I think?) turkeys!
It was a great little trip, and we felt a long way from home (which we were - it was nearly 200 miles up the coast).

I'm now 36 weeks along, and see the doctor for the first of my weekly appointments on Wednesday. I'll give a pregnancy update then...

Morro Bay

Stace in Morro Bay State Park, with the Rock in the background

Lisa in front of San Luis Obispo Mission

Melanie's Wedding

Lisa's friend Melanie Guthrie got married to David Podley on Saturday in Pasadena at the Valley Hunt Club. Lisa was the token 8 months' pregnant bridesmaid.

Here we are with John and Linda Massei.
Check out that baby bump.
It was a lovely day. Best wishes to Melanie and David for the future.

Baby Room

I had the Christmas week off from work and managed to get the baby room finished.
I put up crown moulding, changed all the power outlets to child safety types, set up our old bedroom furniture in the baby room, modified the old double into a single and organised all the shelves in the wardrobe unit.

Lisa likes it, so big brownie points for me. No doubt I'll be needing them soon.
This weekend we're off to Babies R Us (again) to get the essential supplies, car seat and the like.

Ho Ho Ho!

What better way to start Christmas morning than a quick dip in the pool.

And yes! It was bloody freezing.

A couple days ago we had freezing temperatures and the pool is not heated.









Ahhhhh! Warmth
Good thing the hot tub was still heated.

Merry Christmas........

.... and a very Happy New Year

Love and Best Wishes

from

Stacey and Lisa

Oh yeh! and Somer

Bedroom Furniture

On Friday we had our new bedroom furniture delivered. The two delivery blokes thought I was joking when I told them to take it up the stairs. So they wiped the smiles off their faces and got on with the job they were being paid fro. How nice of them!
We spent all day Saturday setting the room up and sorting out clothes that needed to be chucked out. The room looks nice and organised.

32 weeks

We had grand plans for a mini "photo session" with my dad, and thought going to the beach at Ventura would be nice. So we all got in the car and left a perfectly gorgeous day in Santa Clarita - fluffy white and grey clouds, blue skies - to find rain and heavy clouds as we approached the sea. Still, we made the best of it and had a good laugh. I'm about 32 weeks along here, so officially eight weeks to go.

We also picked up our crib and mattress from Babies 'R Us - thanks Mum, Dad and Nan (Sue, Gord and Mary)! - and got it put together. Somer has only tried to get in a couple of times, and Stace promptly told her off.

Showered

I was blessed with a beautiful baby shower Nov. 25. We had about two dozen ladies, and my dad taking photos. The games were cute, the food and cake delicious and the gifts were lovely. I felt very loved! Here are a few photos: At left, we have our hostesses, the Lindas. Above that, a group shot, of most of the group; and on top are my bridesmaids still in California - Kelly and the Melanies.

Windwhistle golf at last

I finally got to play golf up at my old club Windwhistle. Over the last few years it's either been rained off or the course has been shut. The weather was a bit windy but the sun was out and no clouds. Perfect for the views of the Somerset Levels.
It was great to see Andy "The Cougar" Campbell again and get a game in. The match ended with Andy beating me on the last hole for a draw. A fair result.
Last night I met up with Dunc, Lyndsey, Connor and Chelsea. Little Chelsea has really grown from when I saw her in May.
Dunc and I then went out to play skittles. I hit a very respectable and I must say suprising 51 and we won the game.
Today I spect all morning in Westland Helicopters. It's the first time I've been back since I left nearly 3 1/2 years ago. Everyone was pleased to see me and wanted to know when I was coming back to work. Gavin, my old work mate, picked me up from the main gate security office and we walked around the site chatting to lots of people I used to work and socialise with. It was really nice to see them all again.

With Andy up at windwhistle

The Cougar in full swing

Connor and Chelsea

Back Home

I've taken a trip back home to Martock without the missus.
Dean and I suprised Mum and Dad by my arriving early.
All worked out as planned.
Been spending time with Mum, Dad, Nan, Dean and Jenny and
anyone else I bump into around the village.
I've seen Dunc, Matt, Grinder and a few of the other footballers.
Wayne came down with Dean and Chloe the other night,
we'll get together on Saturady as well for kick-around down the recreation field.
Dean is a budding footballer and a future England player.
On Sunday we all went out for a nice meal at the Carpenters Arms.
Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding can't be beat.
Monday was low key, caught up on some sleep and hung around the village.
Today Mum and I went to Bristol to look at cots/cribs at Babies R Us.
It was bearable, she is the worlds worst shopper normally but was quite restrained today.
Tomorrow we are all off to Exeter to do some Christmas shopping.
Thursday I'm playing golf (in the rain) with Andy "The Cougar" Campbell.
Some time this week I hope to catch up with Gavin and Westland Helicopters.
More Rodent Ramblings soon.......

My village of Martock

Nan was glad to see me!

Zomerzet Zider, best in ole World

Dean Richards and sister Chloe

updates

It's becoming more real that we're having a baby - funny how having a baby shower can do that.
On Friday night, two work friends through a shower for me, and about a dozen ladies from work came to celebrate Baby Howard. We had a very nice evening, and it was fun to open the gifts - once in front of everyone, and twice, to show Stace and Somer the next day. Somer in particular enjoyed opening the gifts. She attacked the tissue paper and the ribbons, and was especially excited by a raffi type ribbon on one gift bag. We should have had the video camera rolling.

In the baby's room, Stace finished the window molding and window sills over the weekend, and he's now looking ahead to starting the crown molding.

Public Property

It's amazing how when you're pregnant, you become so much more popular than you ever were before. Everywhere I go now, I seem to attract comments. From people at events I cover (whom I hadn't met before) to the lady working the counter at the mini-mart, the questions and comments are constant. I don't mind, really, but I do find it strange.
My size, for how far along I am, seems to come up more often than I'd like. Some women have said that I don't look too big, that they were much bigger than me at the same point, while others nearly shudder, I suppose in reaction to how much bigger they think I'll be at the end.
At work, the comments come nearly daily, from people in other departments whose names I often don't know. On Friday, wearing the top you see in this photo, one guy said, "How much longer do you have? You look like you're about to pop!"
Thanks. Um, answer would be THREE MONTHS.
Anyway, Stace and I had a good weekend - got some things done around the house and went to a fun, poker-themed birthday party Saturday night for a college friend. Mark's wife went all out for his 30th, even hiring two dealers and tables. We luckily sat at the beginners' table, which is exactly where we belonged.
On Sunday, Stace worked on getting the window sills cleaned up and moulding put up around the windows in what will be Baby's room. One home project on the go, several more in the pipeline.