boo boo baby and butts

When Kait read about Pyloric Stenosis in a book Holly gave her, something told her that was what was wrong with Jack. And it was.

Our dear Mr. Jack--aka Spewing Fountain of Formula--went to a new doctor (a greatly improved one who actually listened to her, not the one he's been seeing since birth and who blew off the frantic mom of a 7 week old who could keep nothing down) yesterday morning, was sent to the local hospital for an ultrasound and then directly to the nearest Children's hospital for IV fluids to get his whacked electrolytes straightened out and then into surgery first thing this morning.

Fortunately, the surgery is fairly simple and results are immediate. Jack just returned home...with three teeny incisions and a working digestive system. He's 100% better already.

Unfortunately, while I was rushing around to get them to the hospital yesterday, a knee gave out and I fell down the stairs. I'm pretty sure I broke everything. I didn't have time to be broken. Finally flashed my butt at the mirror while getting ready for bed around 1:30 this morning. Holy bruise-a-thon. If I didn't already break off my tailbone and have it fished out...

totally finished object

The sweater, not so much the baby...

he's got some growin' to do

(no, that button's really not cutting into his chin)

And another one started

five things

In effort to lose myself in the zen, I'm spinning thread (wads of merino/silk laps from Leah), sipping really good coffee (I finished the chocolate cake), jumping around from group to thread on Rav and half-listening to a TV morning show. He's job searching, she's stressed. They should talk. Not rehashing "It's so bad" but "Five good things." Five things they're grateful for. Every day.

I'm not so good with the every day thing, at least not here. But five things today (not promising tomorrow but we'll see) sounds do-able.

1. I'm grateful for 3AM. The time I woke up to the P-man's alarm going off yesterday. Because it meant he had an early morning meeting at his job (yeah for employment!) and I, afraid he'd fall back asleep and be late, got to stay awake and talk with him while we lay like a pair of spoons. These days, he's gone before I wake up, home late and barely gets dinner before he's in bed.



2. I'm grateful for friends who Rav message me things like

Well, guild. Block it out. Get your mind off of stupid stuff and hang out with stupid people!! Me and Marty will be at the (usual place) in Galesburg today.
Starting around, hell, when we get there. Call me if you want.

love (eleventy bazillion)


3. Friends who, when I order--URGENT, NEED NOW!!...because I procrastinated and the shower is 5 days away and the lace cloths won't be quite enough as game prizes without the--soap from them on a Monday, get it to me on Thursday. And when I open the box, in addition to perfect yummy soap

the sage & citrus is amazing

I find a basketball-sized bag o'this

Which she included because I'd asked if she had any more of the sample she'd sent in a previous order, which I spun up into this

And she said she didn't think so but she'd look.

4. Chocolate cake. For breakfast.

5.

Happy Jack Day

Jordan, Jack and Kait

Jack Elliot

February 5, 2009 3:40 PM

7 lb, 4 oz

The details

(as posted to ZPDK Rav group)

Mr Jack decided to try to flip himself in the right direction during the night. He was unsucessful but it put her into labor. Of course, Kait, who spent the entire pregnancy over-reacting to everything, decided it was probably nothing and didn’t want to wake me or let Jordan take her to the hospital. She was determined not to miss the damn appt. this morning.

She finally called me about 9:45 to make sure I was going to pick her up at 10:30 to take her to the doc and, oh, by the way, I didn’t sleep much last night because of these cramps. Cramps? I ask. Um…are you, by chance, timing these “cramps?” She said they were nothing. I went over early to get her and she had 3-4 “cramps” during the 15 mins to the clinic. I made her stop eating the yogurt she grabbed for breakfast. Couldn’t decide whether I should take her straight to the hospital but the clinic was on the way so I pulled up out front to go in and ask them. They put her on a monitor for a few minutes–yep, she’s in labor…5-6 mins apart–then sent us over to the hospital.

A few hours, contractions (pretty bad toward the end…seriously, why did they have to wait until they got her to the OR to give her the damn spinal??) and waiting for an OR to open up later, we had baby. He’s absolutely gorgeous. Kait’s tired but fine. Daddy didn’t pass out. All is well.

a doctor a day

Poor Kait. A few weeks ago, I went with her for an ultrasound to look into why she suddenly measured seven weeks larger (42 cm at 35 weeks) than gestation and eight weeks larger than the week before (when she was 1 cm under). Here is what we saw (more or less)...

At this point, babies should be hanging out upside-down, just waiting for the signal to exit the building. Instead, Baby Jack is raising the roof. There is talk of external version attempts and/or breech delivery...both of which are deemed too risky. Doc of the day (it's a clinic with rotating doctors) tells her there are only two docs that do c-sections. Kait's seen one (that she really likes) but the other only covers weekends. So she's scheduled with him the following Friday (which was last Friday) afternoon. She's supposed to be seen every week and this puts her at 10 days out but they really want her to see this other doc.

Kait called me from the clinic parking lot about 10 mins into her appointment time. She'd been in the exam room waiting for the doc when the clinic was evacuated due to a bomb threat. A BOMB THREAT. Wtf is wrong with people?? Right after she called, they were asked to evacuate the parking lot. She never even saw the doctor.

She called first thing Monday morning and they got her in right away. But not with the other doc who does c-sections, she needs to see one or the other to schedule and she's already at 38 weeks. They schedule another ultrasound with a doc appt. immediately following on Tuesday (yesterday). Jack's still breech. Doc of the day says he's pretty much run out of room and probably not going to turn. A c-section is inevitable. But she can't schedule it...once again, they've booked her to see a doc who doesn't do surgery. He's out of the office and in hospital on Tuesdays.

So. Kait goes back to see him (please gawd, let them have scheduled her to see the right doc this time!) today. She asked me to go with her since "You're the c-section expert." Huh? I had FIVE vaginal births (the last two--including Kait--at home with a midwife) prior to the emergency c-section with the twins. That makes me an expert on c-sections? Hell, I had no idea how to respond when the anesthesiologist asked whether I wanted an epidural or a spinal.

We're pretty sure Jack's birthday will be on Tuesday, February 10...since doc's in hospital on Tuesdays. I probably won't be able to be in with her, though she really wants me there. Daddy Jordan was freaked at the whole delivery thing even before talk of a c-section. Now he's really freaked. Think we can get him some IV sedation for the big day?

Update: Doc who performs surgery got called out to do...surgery? Kait's appointment has been rescheduled for tomorrow morning. Wugh, the stress of this pregnancy is really getting to me.

To make myself feel better, I called my personal stylist to come over and cut off half my hair. What, you don't have a personal stylist who comes to your home? Eh, she's Kait's friend who actually finished cosmetology school. No, I won't post pics. And yes, Kait got her hair cut a few days ago so she feels better too.

childbirth class

This is Jack.

Well, as seen from the outside. He's due to arrive around Valentine's Day. Daddy Jordan is more than a little nervous about the whole birthing experience. OK, he's seriously freaked and certain he will pass out. Kait asked me to be his support person, or hers, if we totally lose him.

So, off we went to childbirth class (#1 of 5) tonight. Everything was fine and studious and all was good. Until that last part. Where the instructor glared around the classroom with a scrunched up pissed off face and asked, "Support people? What are you going to do if she looks at you like this?"

"Run, Jordan, RUN!"

Yeah, that was me. And I was loud. The hit of the night. I don't think anyone else knew it wasn't meant for laughs. Dude, listen to the woman who raised her. if she looks at you like that, run like hell. She's gonna blow and an entire bomb squad won't be able to save you.