Okay so I totally misunderestimated (new word, you heard it here first) just how long Kristen would be pregnant. Now I know that the typical human pregnancy is nine months, and I know that we have only been pregnant for approximately 8 ½ months; however for me it has seemed like the first 7 months flew by really fast, but the last month and a half have taken twice that. I keep anticipating “The Call”, and I think that may be the reason for the long last 6 weeks.
The anticipation for “The Call” all stems from 7 little words: “The baby could come any day now”. In my mind there is nothing worse than being in Salt Lake City, 30-40 minutes away from a wife that is pregnant, and asks every day before I leave for work, “Do you have your Cell Phone?” Each and every time that Kristen’s Ring Tone starts to play, my heart beats really fast (kind of ironic that her ring tone sings the words “You have stolen, my heart”) anyway…whenever it rings I think to myself...here it is, “The Call”. However to this point whenever I answer the call it’s only a question about shopping trips, bills, gas mileage or another usual everyday question. I then take a big deep breath and calm myself down.
I think all of my anxiety comes from having a wife with an incredible pain threshold. As a nurse, Kristen ignores her own pain, and only goes into the doctor when things are really bad. When Kristen was pregnant with Luke, we were about a week late, and finally going into labor. We had an appointment the next morning to go in for an induction, and Kristen was willing to wait until then. I didn’t think we would make it that long, and was barely able to talk her into going in that night. When we arrived at the hospital, Kristen was already dilated to an 8. All the nursing staff told us to come much earlier next time or we would be having our next baby in the car. So my job with Jack is to get Kristen to the hospital much earlier so that doesn’t happen.
Sure this may seem like a simple task, yet I have more to deal with this time. Luke needs to go to a babysitter’s house or the grandparents (depending on the time of day), we are going to a hospital that is further away, and once again I work 40 minutes away from home. From the time the call comes in, to the time we get to the hospital, it is possible that it could be near 2 hours later. Is that going to be enough time? I just don’t know, and it is driving me crazy.
Despite my anxiety, I am very excited for what the near future holds, and can’t wait to welcome our little Jack into the world. Once Jack does come I will be sure to add some pictures and get some of Kristen’s thoughts out there for everyone to enjoy. I know that Kristen is also excited for the arrival of Jack, and I can’t wait to watch her hold him for the first time.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Sunday, March 15, 2009
T-Minus Three Weeks or so.
So here we are entering the home stretch of a nine month adventure. Sometimes it has seemed to go by really fast, and at other times it seems to have taken forever. Kristen has done really well this pregnancy. We were a bit worried with her health that having a baby might not be good for her, but so far so good, she even mentioned at one point that this pregnancy was better than her first.
We have decided to name the baby boy Jack. We are still deciding between middle names, but it is down to Phillip (Dave's Step-Dad's middle name) and Everett (Kristen's Grandpa's name). For last names, I guess we will just have to go the traditional way and so the Jack's full name will either be Jack Phillip North or Jack Everett North.
Lately Kristen has been having a few contractions on days that she works (she really doesn't like those very much, they are kind of painful). And oh my gosh, that baby is a mover. Each night Kristen and I will watch as Jack pushes and kicks and prods Kristen's belly, possibly trying to make more room for himself.
Jack is going to be a big boy. About five weeks ago, Kristen was at a Doctors appointment, and when they measured him, they came to the conclusion that he was already measuring about 5 lbs! (some say that a baby will gain about 1lb every week the last month, so that is going to make for a BIG BABY).
When we had Luke, Kristen was about 1 week late. We went into the Hospital already dialated to an 8, I think it was. All the nurses and our midwife suggested that next time we come in a little earlier, or we would be having the baby in the car. So this time around, I am wondering when it is that I need to talk Kristen into coming in. This is a hard task because Kristen, as a nurse, hates when people make a big deal out of a little pain, and it turns into being nothing at all, thus her pain threshold is pretty high. So I need to convince her that "YES, this is the time", oh and so it would be helpful if I knew when that time was, it's a mystery to me, but yet I may be the one to tell her that this time is the time.
With Jack, we might just have him at any of three hospitals, depending on where we are. If we are at work, and Kristen has starts going into labor, she may just end up having the baby at the University Hospital. If we are in an emergency situation, we may just go to Davis Hospital as it is the closest. But if things go as planned, and I am home while she starts going into labor, then we will just go to Ogden Regional. Don't worry, we already pre-registered.
We have the car seat ready for Jack, and his room is ready, clothes are in his drawers, and most of all Luke is excited to have a little brother. He already told told us that he is going to teach Jack how to walk, how to talk, and how to eat. The only problem that I am anticipating is that Luke may try to be TOO helpful at times, but that is only because he really wants to be a good big brother.
We have decided to name the baby boy Jack. We are still deciding between middle names, but it is down to Phillip (Dave's Step-Dad's middle name) and Everett (Kristen's Grandpa's name). For last names, I guess we will just have to go the traditional way and so the Jack's full name will either be Jack Phillip North or Jack Everett North.
Lately Kristen has been having a few contractions on days that she works (she really doesn't like those very much, they are kind of painful). And oh my gosh, that baby is a mover. Each night Kristen and I will watch as Jack pushes and kicks and prods Kristen's belly, possibly trying to make more room for himself.
Jack is going to be a big boy. About five weeks ago, Kristen was at a Doctors appointment, and when they measured him, they came to the conclusion that he was already measuring about 5 lbs! (some say that a baby will gain about 1lb every week the last month, so that is going to make for a BIG BABY).
When we had Luke, Kristen was about 1 week late. We went into the Hospital already dialated to an 8, I think it was. All the nurses and our midwife suggested that next time we come in a little earlier, or we would be having the baby in the car. So this time around, I am wondering when it is that I need to talk Kristen into coming in. This is a hard task because Kristen, as a nurse, hates when people make a big deal out of a little pain, and it turns into being nothing at all, thus her pain threshold is pretty high. So I need to convince her that "YES, this is the time", oh and so it would be helpful if I knew when that time was, it's a mystery to me, but yet I may be the one to tell her that this time is the time.
With Jack, we might just have him at any of three hospitals, depending on where we are. If we are at work, and Kristen has starts going into labor, she may just end up having the baby at the University Hospital. If we are in an emergency situation, we may just go to Davis Hospital as it is the closest. But if things go as planned, and I am home while she starts going into labor, then we will just go to Ogden Regional. Don't worry, we already pre-registered.
We have the car seat ready for Jack, and his room is ready, clothes are in his drawers, and most of all Luke is excited to have a little brother. He already told told us that he is going to teach Jack how to walk, how to talk, and how to eat. The only problem that I am anticipating is that Luke may try to be TOO helpful at times, but that is only because he really wants to be a good big brother.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Kristen is sick
This week has been no fun especially for Kristen. On Tuesday when I picked her up from work, she was so tired, and wasn't feeling well at all. Her throat hurt and she had a fever. So as we went to pick up Luke, I arranged to have our babysitter watch him on Wednesday as well. Kristen seemed to be getting worse and worse as the week wore on.
It is just 8 weeks until Baby Jack arrives, and we seem to be doing something everyday to get prepared for him. Yesterday, we painted his room. Luke helped and really enjoyed paining. Luke is a great helper. He put the tape on the baseboards, with Grandma's help, and of corse he got his own roller. The other day he helped me put together a toy box, and he has helped me to move the computer. He is a great little helper, and really enjoys doing some of the more grown up things in life.
There have been some times this week where Kristen has seemed to be healthy, but then again, there are times when she is just so worn out and tired, that it makes me feel terrible. Sleeping has not been fun at all. Kristen has a hard time getting comfortable, and ends up adjusting and moving around most of the night, and not getting much sleep at all.
Luke has been a great helper. On Wednesday morning Kristen and Luke were home alone for a few hours, and Luke took great care of her. He went up to the Kitchen, got a baggy, and filled it with ice so that Kristen could put it where it hurts. Luke does some of these little things every day to make Kristen feel like she is being taken care of. He is a great helper and seems to love doing it.
With Kristen on Remicade, it makes it very difficult for her to fight off disease or virus's. So basically when someone gets a cold, it takes them about two weeks to get over it, Kristen might take 3 or 4 weeks to get over it. Lets just hope that this sickness doesn't develop into something more.
It is just 8 weeks until Baby Jack arrives, and we seem to be doing something everyday to get prepared for him. Yesterday, we painted his room. Luke helped and really enjoyed paining. Luke is a great helper. He put the tape on the baseboards, with Grandma's help, and of corse he got his own roller. The other day he helped me put together a toy box, and he has helped me to move the computer. He is a great little helper, and really enjoys doing some of the more grown up things in life. Everyone keep Kristen in your prayers as she continues to struggle to get over her illness. She has quite a bit on her plate with just 8 weeks to go, and hopefully she will stay strong and healthy.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
My Valentine
On this Valentine’s Day 2009, I would just like to mention how much I love my wife. Kristen and I have been married for six years now, and each year has been great. I remember when I first realized that I really loved Kristen. We had been dating for about four months, and my little brother had a few baseball games down in St George, UT. I invited Kristen to go with me and Mitch and my parents.When we got down to St George, I broke out in a terrible fever, developed a deep pain in my ear, and found it hard to swallow. We went to an urgent care, and got some medicine, but it didn’t do anything for me. Kristen just kept smiling. She took care of me and made me feel so special. At the baseball games, I found myself wrapped up in a sleeping bag, lying on the ground with a fever of 104. I got so sick that Kristen just took off with my Mom, Dad and Mitch, and just spent some time with them (had to be pretty awkward for Kristen). I felt so bad, but when they would come back, and I would see Kristen, she would just be smiling and would be so concerned about how I was doing.
It was the way that she would smile at me, and the way she would put her hand on my back. It was the way that amidst all the adversity she kept treating me like I was everything to her. And all the while, I had nothing to offer, I found it painful just to talk, I couldn’t even sit up straight. She calls it the weekend from Hell, but for me, it was the weekend that I fell in love.
Since that day, I have been devoted to Kristen. She has been everything to me, she helps me to be a better person and I am truly the lucky one in our relationship. She has to deal with me and all my little annoyances. I know that I am not a perfect husband, I make mistakes all of the time, but just like St George, Kristen has stuck by my side and made me feel good about myself at all times. Kristen is the love of my life, and I am lucky to have found her. She is my Valentine, and I am in love with her.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Church Ball has always been a fun thing for me. I have found that when I play church ball, I get closer to the members of my ward. After about a two year absence, I found myself playing ball again for the Chapel Hills Warriors. I call us the Warriors because we usually only have five people show up, and we really have to fight to keep up with the other wards. So far our record is a blistering 2-2.
Today however was my last day of church ball for the season at least. You see, I think I may have torn something in my knee (ACL, MCL, or PCL). Let me tell you the story, because there are parts that are kind of funny.
We were playing another ward in our stake, it was the 11 o'clock game, and we were playing a team that had 7 players, one of which was an ex-Weber State Wildcat. He is a big kid, and is by far the best player on the court. We were in the fourth quarter and it was a close game. I believe we were up by four points when one of our towers blocked a shot and kicked it ahead to me for a fast break lay-up. As I was racing down the right side of the court, a defender was coming down the left side (not just any defender, but the one that was complaining about every call, and fuming from the ears because he wants to win so bad). There was under two minutes left, and I was going to take the ball to the rim, draw a foul, and dunk on him. Well everything was looking good, I had done the same thing a million other times, I jumped into the air. There was contact, and so all I had to do was dunk the ball in the rim, and sink a free throw. The only thing is, I can't dunk, heck I can barely jump. The defender and I collided, and came crashing down to the floor. I felt something in my left knee, and looked down to see that it was bending in a way that it shouldn't (kind of towards my other knee). In very slow motion, I thought "Crap there goes my knee" but those weren't the words that came out of my mouth, all that came out was a high pitched blood curling "Aaaaahhhhh". Kind of like how a girl would scream at a Haunted House. Then I thought to myself "Man, I just scream like a girl". I held my knee, as I laid on the hardwood. My team huddled around, and after a few moments, we got me up off the floor, and over to a nearby chair where I watched the last few minutes. Good news, we won the game.
After I was helped out to the car, I drove my way home. At a stop light, I had a moment to reflect about how this injury would change things. I wasn't really worried about any of the finances, but more concerned about how I was going to clean out Baby Jack's room, a worry that has been on Kristens mind for about a month. As I thought about this, I started to cry a little bit because I felt that I have let Kristen down. The last thing I wanted to do was to let Kristen down. So somehow, someway, I will get the two desks out of the room and get the room painted.
Today however was my last day of church ball for the season at least. You see, I think I may have torn something in my knee (ACL, MCL, or PCL). Let me tell you the story, because there are parts that are kind of funny.
We were playing another ward in our stake, it was the 11 o'clock game, and we were playing a team that had 7 players, one of which was an ex-Weber State Wildcat. He is a big kid, and is by far the best player on the court. We were in the fourth quarter and it was a close game. I believe we were up by four points when one of our towers blocked a shot and kicked it ahead to me for a fast break lay-up. As I was racing down the right side of the court, a defender was coming down the left side (not just any defender, but the one that was complaining about every call, and fuming from the ears because he wants to win so bad). There was under two minutes left, and I was going to take the ball to the rim, draw a foul, and dunk on him. Well everything was looking good, I had done the same thing a million other times, I jumped into the air. There was contact, and so all I had to do was dunk the ball in the rim, and sink a free throw. The only thing is, I can't dunk, heck I can barely jump. The defender and I collided, and came crashing down to the floor. I felt something in my left knee, and looked down to see that it was bending in a way that it shouldn't (kind of towards my other knee). In very slow motion, I thought "Crap there goes my knee" but those weren't the words that came out of my mouth, all that came out was a high pitched blood curling "Aaaaahhhhh". Kind of like how a girl would scream at a Haunted House. Then I thought to myself "Man, I just scream like a girl". I held my knee, as I laid on the hardwood. My team huddled around, and after a few moments, we got me up off the floor, and over to a nearby chair where I watched the last few minutes. Good news, we won the game.
After I was helped out to the car, I drove my way home. At a stop light, I had a moment to reflect about how this injury would change things. I wasn't really worried about any of the finances, but more concerned about how I was going to clean out Baby Jack's room, a worry that has been on Kristens mind for about a month. As I thought about this, I started to cry a little bit because I felt that I have let Kristen down. The last thing I wanted to do was to let Kristen down. So somehow, someway, I will get the two desks out of the room and get the room painted.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Boys can play Dress Up too.
Luke has always been such a good little helper. It seems that whatever the task, Luke is willing to get his hands dirty. He wants to be dressed up for whatever the task may require. If Dad wears gloves, Luke needs to wear them too. If Mom wears an apron, then Luke wants to wear one too.
But dressing up in work clothes isn't the only thing he does. The other day Luke wanted to dress up in his Spiderman costume while Kristen and Luke ran their errands. Kristen called me at work to tell me what he wanted to do (I think that was by far my favorite phone call ever recieved at work). So Kristen let him. Luke got dressed up from head to toe in his spiderman costume and put on his Spiderman mask, and they were off. They went to Lukes "Circle Time" (kind of like preschool) to return a game, and then they went into the Elementry School to say hi to his Grandma who is the principal where Luke goes to Circle Time. Grandma took him around to show all of her teacher friends. Lukes favorite stop was the First Graders. They all thought that Luke was really cool all dressed up like Spiderman. Luke would shoot pretend webs at them and even strike poses as all the kids hooted and hollered.
The next stop on the Spiderman tour was to Lukes Grocery Store (we have to go to a special health food store to get all the food that he isn't allergic too). Spiderman looked really cute as he pushed around a kid sized shopping cart.When I got home we went out for our Monday Night Snack, and Luke was once again dressed up like Spiderman. My favorite part was watching all of the smiles that Luke put on other peoples faces. He didn't realize that that he was making so many people happy, but he was and it was cute.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Catching You Up
I have received enough feedback on the blog that I have decided to no longer write in the third person. I thought it would be cool because you wouldn't be able to know who was or wasn't the blogger of the family, but the critics have spoken and found it to be a little annoying. Thanks for those of you that put your opinion in the hat. It really was appreciated.
In November Kristen and I celebrated our 6th anniversary. What a great six years! My wife is truly amazing, and does so much for me. She is terrific! We did go out and spend a night on the town. It seems like that is something that just doesn't happen as often as we would like. Babysitters are so hard to come by, but we were able to get out and have just a wonderful time together.
In December, we have had quite a busy schedule. We have had Christmas parties galore. We have had two work parties, three family parties, and then we have pictures to get taken, family to see, and all sorts of other activities that seem to conflict with something else that we could do. Then on top of all that, you have to find time to shop. It really can be a stressful month. One of our goals to make this a less stressful month was to get all of our Christmas shopping done by December 20th (that's today), and I am pleased to say that I have done all the shopping that I needed to do. Kristen and I are going out today to get a few last minute gifts all taken care of. And after today we will be all done.
One of the exciting things that happened to me was at work. I was the winner of the Presidents Award. This is an award given out to three or four people each year that have proven to be outstanding associates. It is Deseret Mutuals top award. I didn't think that I would even be in the running, but I guess that I was. I was nominated by a fellow associate (I don't know whom) and they wrote some pretty nice things about me. When they announced my name at the company meeting, they had arranged to get my family there to share in this honor. Kristen (my wife), Luke (my son), Craig and Karen (my Father and Mother in-law), and Karen (my Mom) were all there to celebrate with me. That was a fun surprise. When I got back to work, I had several emails from family telling me all sorts of congratulations and support, and that was just a huge blessing and honor for me.
We recently got another Ultrasound for Kristen and Baby Jack. Kristen is almost 23 weeks into the pregnancy, and is looking and feeling great. We were really nervous about this pregnancy since Kristen would be on her medications and we were not sure how she would react while being pregnant. Thankfully she is feeling even better that she was when she was pregnant with Luke. Everything is looking great with Jack, and we are getting more and more excited by the day.
In November Kristen and I celebrated our 6th anniversary. What a great six years! My wife is truly amazing, and does so much for me. She is terrific! We did go out and spend a night on the town. It seems like that is something that just doesn't happen as often as we would like. Babysitters are so hard to come by, but we were able to get out and have just a wonderful time together.
In December, we have had quite a busy schedule. We have had Christmas parties galore. We have had two work parties, three family parties, and then we have pictures to get taken, family to see, and all sorts of other activities that seem to conflict with something else that we could do. Then on top of all that, you have to find time to shop. It really can be a stressful month. One of our goals to make this a less stressful month was to get all of our Christmas shopping done by December 20th (that's today), and I am pleased to say that I have done all the shopping that I needed to do. Kristen and I are going out today to get a few last minute gifts all taken care of. And after today we will be all done.
One of the exciting things that happened to me was at work. I was the winner of the Presidents Award. This is an award given out to three or four people each year that have proven to be outstanding associates. It is Deseret Mutuals top award. I didn't think that I would even be in the running, but I guess that I was. I was nominated by a fellow associate (I don't know whom) and they wrote some pretty nice things about me. When they announced my name at the company meeting, they had arranged to get my family there to share in this honor. Kristen (my wife), Luke (my son), Craig and Karen (my Father and Mother in-law), and Karen (my Mom) were all there to celebrate with me. That was a fun surprise. When I got back to work, I had several emails from family telling me all sorts of congratulations and support, and that was just a huge blessing and honor for me.
We recently got another Ultrasound for Kristen and Baby Jack. Kristen is almost 23 weeks into the pregnancy, and is looking and feeling great. We were really nervous about this pregnancy since Kristen would be on her medications and we were not sure how she would react while being pregnant. Thankfully she is feeling even better that she was when she was pregnant with Luke. Everything is looking great with Jack, and we are getting more and more excited by the day.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
