Because I recognize that updates are now obligatory...

[rivka]

...I'm still not in labor.

Preliminary signs of labor continue to be encouraging: more cramps, more show, a restless and backachy night. No contractions.

I went to the library and picked up a stack of frivolous reading material: five Georgette Heyers, four YA fantasies, and the lastest Jasper Fforde. We did a dry run of the drive to the hospital. (Yes, it's only five minutes away. Yes, we drive past it frequently. Yes, curiousangel insisted anyway.) Now curiousangel and saoba are out buying the last couple of things we need. I've got a load of baby clothes in the dryer. Hospital bag is mostly packed, except for my snacks and drinks. (Yay for midwives who let you eat and drink during labor.)

Other things left to do:
- Burn two remaining "labor" playlists to disc.
- Make out an on-paper list of people to call when the baby is born, and retrieve their numbers from the various places I have them stored.
- Set up an e-mail group for people who will be receiving the announcement that way.
- Leave my LJ password for saoba, who will be coming back to the house after the birth to notify you all. (curiousangel will be staying at the hospital.)

I am feeling good: happy and excited. I'm hoping that labor starts in the next couple of days, and from my symptoms I kind of expect that it will, but I'm not desperate.

Comments

[huladavid.livejournal.com]

May all go well.

[therealjae.livejournal.com]

Very glad to hear you're not desperate. Because I *totally* would be by now. Proof that you actually are more patient than me, I think. :-)

-J

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Very glad to hear you're not desperate. Because I *totally* would be by now.

I think that deciding to stop work took a huge weight off me. If I were facing the prospect of going to the office on Monday, I think I'd be feeling much more stressed out right now, and much more like "I'm not going to be able to take much more of this." But now, if the baby doesn't come right away, it's just going to mean an extra couple of days resting, reading novels, and chatting with saoba. That wouldn't suck so much.

[boxofdelights]

Thank you for letting us know.

[hobbitbabe.livejournal.com]

Hope all goes well. We're thinking about you here.

[geminigirl]

We anxiously await news from you here, and wish you, curiousangel, saoba and the baby all the best.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Good luck.

B

Labor Playlist

[adriang.livejournal.com]

- Burn two remaining "labor" playlists to disc.

What sorts of song are appropriate for such a disc?

Adrian

Re: Labor Playlist

[rivka.livejournal.com]

I have three playlists.

The first one is very soothing, mellow, relaxing music: for example, Simon and Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Waters and Vienna Tang's Lullaby for a Stormy Night.

The second one is more uptempo, positive, encouraging music: for example, Carly Simon's Let the River Run and the Indigo Girls' Hammer and a Nail.

The third one is all music without lyrics, or music with lyrics that aren't in English (in case I start finding words annoying): for example, Emma Shapplin's Spent le Stelle and Bare Necessities' Well Hall.

In the event, I may not listen to any of them. I'm told that often people think they'll want to hear music more than they actually do. But it's good to have them, and it was fun to create the playlists.

Re: Labor Playlist

[papersky.livejournal.com]

That happy bouncy feeling? That's another sign that you're about to Do It.

My friend Derek Stokes, the guy who ran the first SF bookshop in the world, Dark They Were, and Golden Eyed in London, made a tape of labour music for me. (They did have CDs in 1990, but not of a sort you could make yourself, and anyway I didn't have a CD player myself until 2002.) On this tape was every song he could fit into 90 minutes that mentioned babies. So there's Don MacLean's "Wonderful Baby" which the midwives loved and danced to, and Jefferson Airplane's "Belly Button Window" and a country-rock song called "My Baby's Feeling Funny in the Morning/ She says she's got a lot on her mind/ nature didn't give her any warning..." about an unexpected pregnancy, and lots of really odd and cool and peculiar things. Most of them I'd never heard before, and some of them I still don't know the artist or anything about them. We didn't play it beforehand, and we took a couple of other things with us to the hospital, but we ended up playing it pretty much end to end through the 27 hours of labour. Zorinth was born, as I've told everyone ever since, to "That song about the two cats in the yard."

I used to play the tape every year on his birthday until he got old enough to be embarrassed. I still have it.

Re: Labor Playlist

[adriang.livejournal.com]

Seems like "Parasol" by Jesse Cook, from the album "Tempest" should fit in there, somewhere. Perhaps the third disc is the right place for it.

Adrian

Re: Labor Playlist

[wcg.livejournal.com]

Well Hall

*smile* Yeah.

[datagoddess.livejournal.com]

Hope things go well!

[edschweppe.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't say that updates are obligatory, but they are certainly greatly appreciated.

More yayness for the happy, excited and soon-to-be-delivered you!

[kightp.livejournal.com]

I knew saoba would be a tonic for you. Tell her she's missed, and give her a hug for me!

"Still not mom"

[ailbhe]

Hurrah for you! You sound suspiciously energetic and efficient. Yippee!

[writingortyping.livejournal.com]

I think the Georgette Heyers are a FABULOUS way to pass the time until the Li'l Critter graces us with her presence. Good for you - you sound ready: ready for the event, but also prepared for the wait, which is (to this patience-deficient one) more than half the battle.

[filkerdave.livejournal.com]

Eagerly awaiting the word :)

Re: Because I recognize that updates are now obligatory...

[pir-anha.livejournal.com]

excellent reading choices, *grin*. i've heard people say that they went into labour soon after they had this cheerful, excited feeling, so who knows, things might start moving soon. very best wishes!

[minnaleigh.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you're feeling good. It sounds like deciding to stop working was a very good decision!

Both Sven and Trina asked after you last night and they send their best wishes for a safe delivery very soon.

Eeeeee! I'm so excited! Baby!!

[kalmn.livejournal.com]

we took a vote at minicon, and there are several of us who think that minnesota is a fine fine place for delivering babies and we don't understand why you're not here. hmph!

;)