Evelyn

May is here, and this commences Evelyn watch for us. Heather has been having non-painful contractions for some time now, with her tummy going rigid at times. At this point, it seems like there are contractions in the lower part or the upper part, but they are not in synchronization yet.

The visit to the obstetrician on Friday was good - 120/70 blood pressure, and everything looking good, although Evelyn was still pretty high at that point. Last night it was as if Evie bounced down low for a little bit, and then back high again. Heather was looking at her tummy and saying strongly, "Now Evie, don't tease Mommy."

We've been waiting for May. This may sound weird, but I was hoping she would be born in "my" month - May 9 is my birthday. But in reality, any day would be fine. We're just brimming with excitement and impatience. Soon!

Heather's on bedrest now. Our obstetrician is being cautious, and making sure things are going well. So, she's been at home, closing out the remainder of her affairs at work so that they are prepared for her absence, and generally resting and sleeping. I think it's very worthwhile, as she's been catching up on all of the sleep and resting that she had not been able to get to because of work.

I have really enjoyed taking care of her. She does so much, with our Evelyn growing inside her and her every moment taking care of the little one inside her, it makes me feel like I am contributing. I try to make sure she's eating and drinking enough, that she is always comfy, and that the hard job of being nine months pregnant is as easy as possible.

It has been a big transition for the both of us. We previously commuted together every workday, we lunched together nearly every day, and our schedules were sort of an average between our different circadian rhythms. I used to feel responsible for making sure Heather had a good lunch, that she got to and left the office at times that were right for her needs, and I could take care of her throughout the day. Now, she is farther away, and it is mostly impractical for me to visit her for lunch because of the distance. I am glad she is resting and I know it is the right thing for her, but I wish I could take a more active role.

But I am incredibly happy Heather is at home. Evelyn could not be taken better care of.

We had an incredible experience today. At around two, we went to our final scheduled sonogram. We'd been prescribed the sonogram to make sure Evie had turned head-down, which she had not at our earlier sonogram months ago.

We were at the radiology office for a long time, with sonography lasting an hour alone, not to mention the wait times. It was difficult to get a full picture of Evie, since the small viewing field of the device meant we only got a small view at a time. But we did see some spectacular things. We saw Evie in profile, we saw her foot and her bum, and we saw her stomach. We saw her heart pumping, all four chambers, which was absolutely beyond incredible. We saw her in profile, and then we saw her face. I saw her lips move as she took a drink.

The thermo-paper that the sonogram photos is printed on doesn't scan well, but I did take a couple of pictures of the printouts using my cellphone. I posted a them to a gallery.

It was completely incredible seeing a real profile of our daughter. We saw her face. Heather and I both just melted. It was an absolutely incredible experience for both of us. She is so beautiful.

We had been somewhat worried about Evie's state. I mean, there is nothing we can do right now, and it is difficult without being able to see or hold Evie like we will be able to do once she is born. But there is nothing like being about to see her and know that she is OK to make you anxious that maybe she isn't. So we are beyond thankful that she is OK.

I love Evelyn so much. Words can not express.

Saturday was the baby shower for Evelyn, and it was a blast. A ton of people were there: family and friends, neighbors and work friends all made it. There were two activities. First, the men were segregated and separated into two groups for a competition diapering relay where the teams competed to see which one could have each member diaper a baby doll while blindfolded. For the second activity, numbers from five to twenty-one were handed out to everyone with stationary and envelopes and each group wrote a letter to Evie for her to read on that numbered birthday. Both were neat ideas that I hadn't ever heard of before. Everyone was so generous. Evie is so loved by so many people, and they are all so supportive of us, it is just amazing. We are so thankful to everyone for such a fabulous experience.

This is an amusing look at what having a child will be like: how a baby is like a CEO.

This morning, Heather and I were getting ready, and Evie woke up in the middle of getting ready. It's possibly the first time that I have seen her kicking Heather so much that it's like she is beating a little drum inside there. I am so proud of how well she is growing, and how strong she is getting. It's hard on Heather, though - when she's not feeling better, having Evie beating directly on her stomach isn't making things easy for her. And Evie spends most of the night doing calisthenics, making it hard for Heather to get any sleep at all. I hope this gets easier on her.

Update: Title changed from "1/11" to "2/11". Duh.

So, I saw Evelyn kick last night. It was quite wonderful - Heather reported feeling a series of strong kicks, and she pulled up her shirt to give me a look. What did I see, but a little bump of a kick, as little Evie gave her mommy a thwack right behind the bellybutton. I have felt the kicks before - in fact, an almost daily occurrence now - but this visual confirmation was amazing.

We went to see our OB/GYN today, and everything is going well.

So, if visual evidence is any guide, little Evie is going to be a hurdles champion, or a kickboxing medal winner...

I love talking to Evie at night. Sometimes, before we go to bed, I chat with her for a little bit. It's kind of a monologue, but I tell her how excited I am to meet her, and all sorts of things.

Someone brought a baby to the office today. Holding the little one, well, it really brought home the fact that I am lucky to have one of these coming.

I love you Evelyn.

You know, sometimes I just think, bubble wrap around children will be legislated (in a Pacific Coast state first, of course). Latest sign of the kidpocalypse: Thudgard, a helmet designed for children just for walking and standing. it looks like a complete bully magnet.

There seems to be a strong element in our society that act like Mrs. Lovejoy in the Simpsons, always crying, "Won't anybody please think about the children?!". How shrill.

Hat tip: Michelle Malkin.

So today was quite wonderful. We went to the "Let's Talk Babies" seminar at The Birthing Inn, the nativity center next to Loudoun Hospital. Then we ate lunch, stopped by the wonderful Cold Stone Creamery in Leesburg for dessert, shopped for some pretty clothes for Evelyn, and came home because Heather was absolutely bushed.

We missed out on a dinner with our friends TJ and Sharon, but I've been feeling so very much disconnected from TJ for a long time now...

Heather is asleep next to me and I think I am going to join her now.