Invasion of Offspring

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, dogs and aliens, I humbly offer up proof that intelligence is contagious.
My PhD wife (aka MrsB) gave birth Saturday night to a beautiful baby girl, henceforth to be called Babyrian or Hordling, unless one of you people comes up with some even wittier play-on-words :wink:

The birth story was hellish, and most of the reason my postings have been scant in the past two weeks. My wife’s water broke early in the morning on Sunday the 10th, but either she had an abnormally large amount of fluid in her chorion, or she had a high-level leak that patched itself up 18 hours later. I can attest through direct observation that being on pitocin for a long time without any action in the cervical region is no fun at all.

Since we had a progressive doctor, live 5 minutes from the hospital (I can see it from my apartment), and there were no signs of infection in my wife, we went home for the week. On Friday afternoon my wife had the classic “Hollywood gush”, and away we went for round two of prostaglandin gel, pitocin, and a very reluctant cervix-- until just before 11 pm Saturday night, when she hit 4 cm.

I was starting to think I’d be sleeping in that room’s hospital chair until Monday. But at that point my wife’s pain got worse (she went for an epidural late Saturday afternoon), she started feeling pelvic pressure, and the doc decided to peek into the room at 11:30 because the baby’s heart rate had dropped while she walked past a hallway monitor. Who knew that cervix’s are like writers on deadline, waiting for the last minute to get anything done?

28 minutes later a delightfully perfect little girl was lying on MrsB’s breast, and I was cutting the cord. 2.725 kg (6 pounds 1/4 oz). Monday at dinnertime we walked home and started exploring this city together. She’s had a couple meltdowns, but today has been great-- we went for a very long walk to the doctor’s office and back (including stopping for lunch), and tonight I rigged one of my wife’s sarongs as a sling, so I can hold her and have both hands free to type. Or make dinner. Or do laundry.

You want pix? Sure, as soon as somebody shows me how to set up a website, or points out a good picture hosting site. You won’t believe how cute she is :slight_smile:

2

Awwwwww–how sweet! Congratulations to you and Mrs. B, and welcome to the littlest barbarian. I can’t wait to see some pictures!

3

Congratulations and Good Luck! May your joy increase every day. Personally I think Barbabyan scans better than Babyrian, but that’s of no consequence. Best regards and wishes to you all.

4

Congratulations! What’s her name??

5

Congratulations! Felicitations!

I’ll set up an album for you at our subdomain, if you’re so inclined. Email me at gingerofthenorth at hotmail.

6

That sounds good Ginger, and I’ll send you a line soon.

Barbabyian. hmm. I may need to set up a poll. :wink:

7

Just hang tough if I don’t respond right away. I’m pretty busy today, and each weekend until June. I’m home with the baby though, so I do get to the computer throughout the day.

Again, congratulations. What do you need for the baby? I’ve got a ton of things that are too small for James.

8

Congratulations on your little girl :slight_smile: Can’t wait to see some pictures!

9

The email has been sent Ginger, but there’s no need to rush to a response. Heck, my child’s a week old, so it’s not like I’m going to spend hours and hours in front of the keyboard anyway :wink:

Baby’s name is Giselle, btw-- and thanks for the offers, but I think we’ve got everything we need on the baby front. I live in a baby-stuffed neighbourhood, so we already got quite a few handmedowns-- and the side-effects of living in a one-bedroom in Manhattan is that you don’t really have room for stuff that isn’t absolutely necessary, and you learn how to maximize space.

Her changing area? I ripped the doors off a closet, moved the contents to my wife’s lab, installed a dresser with a changed pad on top-- and got one of those shoe-rack cubbyhole things that hangs from the clothes bar to hold her diapers, change clothes, etc… And drilled through my wall so I could run an extension cord to the lamp I hung from the shelf.

10

congrats on Giselle.

btw, baby bjorn’s are great and easier than using your wife’s sarong if you need a kangaroo type infant carrier. The baby bjorn is pretty easy on your back, etc.

11

Congratulations. Six pounds is so tiny but they grow so fast. Was she early?

Sleep as much as you can right now. The things you think are necessity you’ll soon find you won’t need. The things you wondered why anyone would buy you’ll find you need.

A fitting nickname will come to you in the next few weeks. I call my son Monkey Boy because he would cling to my chest like a monkey baby. Now he’s starting to make monkey noises.

We’ve been having a lot of Doper babies lately. Or maybe I’m just noticing it because I had one myself.

12

Fitting nickname? She had three inside of 24 hours :wink:

And China Guy, I’m using a sarong because she’s too small for my Baby Bjorn!