OMG, is this it? Beta-chan, are you coming?

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
61

Still no Beta-chan sightings. We are concerned about the 70 to 80 minutes it takes to the hospital from our house, so we came out to a friend’s house last night after getting out from the hospital, and stayed the night. They live closer to the hospital, so we felt a little safer here.

There’s no doubt that we’re gun-shy, but I think people can understand why we don’t want anything to happen this time.

There’s the two (and 99/100s) of us, my mother and her mother and then the friend and her husband. The wife is from Uyghur, the husband is Japanese and most of us speak Japanese. The wife also speaks Chinese so she can talk to my mother-in-law, but no one speaks English well. My mother feels a little out if it, but that’s what happens when there isn’t a common tounge!

The friend’s older brother is visiting now, the conversation is now all in Japanese, in which two participants are Uyghur, one Taiwanese, one American (when I’m not typing this) and only one Japanese. My mother is busy cross-stitching a baby bib.

Speaking of baby things, so many people gave us clothes, we’ve got over 40 things (new or used) for newborns. I suspect there will be many which will be given to friends without ever being worn!

The Uyghur friend is pregnant and we’re hoping she’ll have a daughter for a playmate, and also to have someone to give the girl clothes to!

62

As in Uygur Nationality from Xinjiang China or a more colorful background that that? That’s a looooong way from Tokyo, and I don’t mean just geographically.

All the best for a safe delivery…

63

Babies are certainly unpredictable. Since my first born was over a week early, I was convinced my second would be even earlier and had things prepared way, way ahead of time. And then I waited. And waited. And waited. I started rewashing things I’d washed the month before. Due date came and went, still no baby. I had all the classic signs and symptoms that things were ready and progressing, but she was just a bit too comfortable apparently. Two weeks after my due date, I waddled into the doctor’s office. She took one look at my face and said, “Are you ready to have this baby?” And the next day they induced me. If baby had had her way, she’d probably still be in there, 15 years later! (And probably still asking me to drive us to the mall…)

Hang in there. I know the waiting is so hard. Wishing you and your wife the most lovely, healthy, sweet and no-longer-sticky baby in the world. We’re all waiting with you.
ETA: Ok, who’s the wise guy who turned the signature files on as default option with no way to edit them out???

64

Ethnic Uyghur from Xinjiang China. She looks more Italian than anything else, although her brother looks Turkish.

My Taiwanese wife isn’t among the top billion fans of China, and there aren’t many Chinese fans in Uyghur either, so not a few complaints were heard tonight.

The Uyhur friend is really nice, and a close friend. It’s great that someone close is also having a baby about the same time, and should be in the same school year. (which starts in April).

We came back home tonight. Being this far from the hospital is a bitch. The room for margin becomes less knowing that you’ve got to spend 70 to 80 minutes getting there. I was really concerning about it yesterday and today, because part of the route gets really heavy traffic on the weekend, and I could see it taking more than 90 minutes. When her friend offered to let us stay with them, I talked my wife into that for the weekend.

Beta-mama is feeling OK, but tired. She’s had low levels of contractions for four days now, and it’s getting old for her.

Still, the good news is that Beta-chan is healthy, and moving around. Just a little more, we hope.

65

Bumping the thread, to check on (hopefully) slippery little Beta-Chan.

I picked last night at 9:30! :smiley: (What time is that in Japan?)

66

Tokyo is 14 hours ahead of you, .

67

Then it looks like when he posted last was already past 9:30 Japan time. Oh, well, she’ll come out when she’s good and ready!

Thanks, Marley.

68

I think I would need some kind of epidural for this wacky adventure alone!

Sending positive vibes for a delivery that is easy as Sunday Morning!

69

It has been nearly 27 hours since daddy-to-be posted!

Here’s to hoping that means something is happening!:stuck_out_tongue:

70

Fingers are crossed.

71

Well? No news is good news, I assume?

72

I know it’s silly to be counting like this, but I can’t help it.

Over 35 hours now. I keep hoping to hear the good news!

73

応援してるぞ！ (Ouen shiteru zo —> We’re cheering for you!)

74

Significant gap in posting…place overrun with relatives (excellent motivation right there for a therapeutic break/vent on the Dope)…repeated unsticky mojo beamed thattaway…

We may have lift-off.

(sends strong, comforting, deep-breathing thoughts toward BetaMama and BetaChan)

75

Go Beta-chan, go!

76

bounces like crazy all over the place

77

When we have news that this baby has been born healthy and happy, and the parents are happy and tired, and stuff, you know, I am going to be bawling my eyes out. I hope I don’t find out at the office.

And I’ve never actually met these people. It’s nuts! But I care.

78

I know, it’s funny to think that half a world away an entire community is holding it’s collective breath!

I’ve had a little slip of paper on my Buddhist altar, all these months, that just says, “Sticky, Sticky, Sticky!”.

Now it’s gone, and in it’s place: “Slippery, Slippery, Slippery!”

79

Why? Why? Why? Questions without answers, queries without kindness.

A mere twenty short minutes, a flash and a blink. That is what delivery was like for a friend.

But no, no. Not for us – or rather, not for Beta’s mama, enveloped in the midst of numbing days of a continuous, endless cycle of now stronger, now weaker contractions. Sleep a precious commodity, only the memory of which is still retained.

Why? Why? Why are some lucky but not others. We’re not cursing fate, and we’re certainly lucky to have Beta-chan but it would also be nice to catch a break here.

Gurrr.

We went on another false run to the hospital last night. I got back last from work, which happens to be the busiest period in the year for me, we ate dinner and she started a run of contractions, still only eight minutes apart, but they were starting to last longer and longer.

Being so far from the hospital, we went in again, only to be sent home, getting back about 1:00 am.

My mother, a veteran of five pregnancies, the aunt of 29, and a now-retired new born nursery nurse says she has heard of this type of multiple day labor, but hasn’t seen it herself. Beta-mama’s doctors say that it does happen sometimes. There’s no way to tell if we’re a half a day or a week away from welcoming our little girl.

I’m tired, and I’m not the one with a stomach getting kicked apart and squeezed into pulp. As the father, you are really concerned, and rub away any ache you can. After days of this, everyone gets down.

So no news. No news but that the wonder of the beautiful new life is still around the corner. No news, but that each rush to the hospital brings a reassuring that Beta is fine, just a little shy. No news, but that our joy is not now, but in front of us.

A few days, a few very, very unpleasant, miserable, horrible days, but a lifetime of laughter, of smiles and tiny kisses lay ahead.

Soon, it will all be OK.

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We’re waiting with you!