Friday, July 27, 2007
D-day
So my due date - July 25 - has come and gone. The few days before d-day, I felt somewhat antsy about baby's arrival, like I could will my labour to commence or something. I quickly identified that my angst (although very minor, I might add) about baby's arrival was more about my character than my circumstance. Quite frankly, I am a punctual person. In fact, I consider being on time arriving ten minutes early. It drives me crazy when I have to make a call, albeit very infrequent, to say that I will be late. Usually, in the event I make that call, I arrive on time anyway. So, I felt that baby would be... you know... on time. It just goes to show that this kid is going to test my character. Haha on me.
I had a great d-day, hanging with my sister and my neices at Harrison Lake. We drank in the sun, ate yummy summer eats and licked plenty of ice cream, for me, with full knowledge that at some point my ice cream eating days are soon to be over (my one prego indulgence). I escaped the d-day panic completely, later hanging with the whole family at my sister's eating more good food and celebrating life, imminent change and sunshine days.
On d-day and since, my energy levels have been high. I enjoy long walks, picking up daily groceries (the cashiers anxiously awaiting my absence from the daily check-out), reading great books and, of course, watching movies.
I just finished Richard Russo's Pulitzer Prize winning novel Empire Falls. I love it when I find a new writer to read. I can see myself consuming the rest of his work quickly over the next while. I have to learn to pace myself though, more often than not I read all a writer's work and then feel annoyed that I'm waiting around for their next piece. I do this with films too. Or, I o.d. and tire of their writing voice, which is so silly of me to do. Or, even worse, the writer dies! Then I'm s.o.l..
Empire Falls is the kind of book you settle into. The title of the book is the town in which the characters live and where the reader lives for the duration of the read. Russo knows how to love his characters, even the nasty, crusty and insecure ones. In that love, Russo gives the reader an opportunity to choose to love the characters too, while being completely authentic about their flaws, their sins, their despicable betrayals, and their imminent mistakes. I felt that Russo didn't have to twist my arm to love Jimmy Minty, a small-town policeman with a chip on his shoulder and who ain't all that bright, or the Silver Fox, a wannabe-lothario who is actually really cheap and really old despite his constant verbal jousting with other men in the room. These are annoying characters! But, each of these Russo characters live in a reader's life somewhere, if you look close enough, they're there.
By chance, the film Nobody's Fool played on the telly a few days ago. This film is based on a Russo novel. Paul Newman is glorious - isn't he always? - in this film. I really enjoyed watching the film again, like eating dessert after Empire Falls. EF is one of the best reads for me in a very long time... and I'm reading good books!
I had a great d-day, hanging with my sister and my neices at Harrison Lake. We drank in the sun, ate yummy summer eats and licked plenty of ice cream, for me, with full knowledge that at some point my ice cream eating days are soon to be over (my one prego indulgence). I escaped the d-day panic completely, later hanging with the whole family at my sister's eating more good food and celebrating life, imminent change and sunshine days.
On d-day and since, my energy levels have been high. I enjoy long walks, picking up daily groceries (the cashiers anxiously awaiting my absence from the daily check-out), reading great books and, of course, watching movies.
I just finished Richard Russo's Pulitzer Prize winning novel Empire Falls. I love it when I find a new writer to read. I can see myself consuming the rest of his work quickly over the next while. I have to learn to pace myself though, more often than not I read all a writer's work and then feel annoyed that I'm waiting around for their next piece. I do this with films too. Or, I o.d. and tire of their writing voice, which is so silly of me to do. Or, even worse, the writer dies! Then I'm s.o.l..
Empire Falls is the kind of book you settle into. The title of the book is the town in which the characters live and where the reader lives for the duration of the read. Russo knows how to love his characters, even the nasty, crusty and insecure ones. In that love, Russo gives the reader an opportunity to choose to love the characters too, while being completely authentic about their flaws, their sins, their despicable betrayals, and their imminent mistakes. I felt that Russo didn't have to twist my arm to love Jimmy Minty, a small-town policeman with a chip on his shoulder and who ain't all that bright, or the Silver Fox, a wannabe-lothario who is actually really cheap and really old despite his constant verbal jousting with other men in the room. These are annoying characters! But, each of these Russo characters live in a reader's life somewhere, if you look close enough, they're there.
By chance, the film Nobody's Fool played on the telly a few days ago. This film is based on a Russo novel. Paul Newman is glorious - isn't he always? - in this film. I really enjoyed watching the film again, like eating dessert after Empire Falls. EF is one of the best reads for me in a very long time... and I'm reading good books!
# posted by tfoxfan @ 11:02 AM 
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Glad to hear about your good energy and artsy indulgences (the ice cream is a different kind altogether). Something to look forward to is all the additional reading/movie time you'll still have while nursing! It's enforced relaxation and it took me by surprise how much of that stuff I did when I would normally be feeling pressure to clean up or grocery shop.
Looks like my day will come and go tomorrow, we'll see.
Looks like my day will come and go tomorrow, we'll see.
Ah, I've heard that forced relaxation time during nursing is quite delightful. Betty told me that I should pick out a series or something to watch for those late nights.
Oh, your d-day is tomorrow. I've been thinking of you too - wondering who'll go first. I still can't believe we're in this lot together - what a blast.
Oh, your d-day is tomorrow. I've been thinking of you too - wondering who'll go first. I still can't believe we're in this lot together - what a blast.
Our whole "twin" situation is still unbelieveable. Somehow it just sunk in that we'll be going through all the developmental stuff together too. I think I had it in the back of my head that this parallel experience would end with birth when really that's the start!
Apparently only 5% of babies arrive on their due date so I'm probably safe for the day. We've got guesses here for this babe on the 29th, 31st and August 1st. I figure sometime before the long weekend and have fingers crossed for under 10lbs!
I had a message on my answering machine yesterday announcing the arrival of a baby due in mid-August - three hour labour home birth, first baby, 5lbs 12 oz. I was thrilled that I felt genuinely happy for them, I didn't know if I'd have it in me anymore.
Apparently only 5% of babies arrive on their due date so I'm probably safe for the day. We've got guesses here for this babe on the 29th, 31st and August 1st. I figure sometime before the long weekend and have fingers crossed for under 10lbs!
I had a message on my answering machine yesterday announcing the arrival of a baby due in mid-August - three hour labour home birth, first baby, 5lbs 12 oz. I was thrilled that I felt genuinely happy for them, I didn't know if I'd have it in me anymore.
Your D-Day was a day to remember! Great company, great food, great weather! I was excited when you called to see if we could all hang out at the beach. And to top it all off a great dinner. Good times!
You have had such a possitive attitude while awaiting the arrival of baby! Good for you! Love ya sista!
You have had such a possitive attitude while awaiting the arrival of baby! Good for you! Love ya sista!
Yeah, Sis, D-day was a blast. I just love my nieces and where they're at in their wee lives. Thanks for all the love and encouragement for me during these preggy days. I know you're my number one cheerleader!
Just so you know... I am your #1 cheerleader!!! (haha). I too, am very proud of you and how you are handling this whole pregnancy thing. You have and continue to be exciting to watch. You are just so matter of fact with the whole thing.
I love how you describe your feelings, your anticipation, your expectations, even though they do not always turn out how you expect.
I too am one who does not show up late... early yes, but late... uh uh!!! If late is a possibility, I will always call, and like you, usually arrive within minutes of the expected arrival time.
I think this is something we have inherited ( haha, if you want to call it that) from my dad, your Opa. He has never been one who is never late! It was his biggest pet peeve , as I was growing up, to have my Mom peetering around the house and not in the car as he had hoped, when it was time to go somewhere. We, all four of us kids and dad, would be in the car waiting for mom, and my dad would be honking and honking the horn, just to let her know that the time was up and she was expected in the car. She would then cascade down the outside backyard stairs, like a model on the runway, with a sheepish like smile on her face, thinking... I wonder what is bothering him???
With all this being said, baby will make a grand entrance when she is good and ready (I say this with a sheepish grin).
Love you...
Mom
I love how you describe your feelings, your anticipation, your expectations, even though they do not always turn out how you expect.
I too am one who does not show up late... early yes, but late... uh uh!!! If late is a possibility, I will always call, and like you, usually arrive within minutes of the expected arrival time.
I think this is something we have inherited ( haha, if you want to call it that) from my dad, your Opa. He has never been one who is never late! It was his biggest pet peeve , as I was growing up, to have my Mom peetering around the house and not in the car as he had hoped, when it was time to go somewhere. We, all four of us kids and dad, would be in the car waiting for mom, and my dad would be honking and honking the horn, just to let her know that the time was up and she was expected in the car. She would then cascade down the outside backyard stairs, like a model on the runway, with a sheepish like smile on her face, thinking... I wonder what is bothering him???
With all this being said, baby will make a grand entrance when she is good and ready (I say this with a sheepish grin).
Love you...
Mom
If you loved Jimmy Minty in the book, you should watch the mini-series. Despite a huge list of famous actors including Newman, the character actor who played Jimmy Minty got him perfectly.
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# posted by 
: 11:17 AM
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