One week old!

To celebrate her first week of being a baby today, Nora shows off her diaper-kicking skills with a paparazzi beatdown that makes Sean Penn look like Rosie O'Donnell.
Or maybe Chris O'Donnell.
Chris Penn?
No, Sean Penn - there we go. It all comes back around like a roundhouse kick.
Baby booya!

Babystravaganza - Day 5

We are well underway here in the roles of parents to our wonderful daughter, and I'm delighted to report that we are well rested, organized, and have been bathing regularly. Nora, at only 5 days, has become toilet-trained, sleeps peacefully through the night and cries only when she reaches the end of one of her poetry books. Writing it, I mean. And it's more like bittersweet weeping than crying.

These are all lies, naturally.

We love this kid more than anything and she's blown our world apart. Night is day, up is down, NBC is ABC - it's bloody madness and it's wonderful.

Example: I've never been a morning person, I need at least an hour (with or without coffee) to deal with other humans. As Gillian says, I'm a Master Sleeper. Thank you and yes, I do conduct seminars.

Nora, however, is an impossible target for my pre-dawn crankiness. Even when she's got a diaper full of goodies. Even when those goodies don't always stay where they should.
Haha!
There simply is no possible emotion besides total self-deprecation in these circumstances. You can only laugh, because you sure as heck can't go back to sleep.

There are other things: The wellspring of love and support from friends and family, some of which takes the form of delicious meals without which we'd likely starve. Or at least stop eating after breakfast.
There's the realization every 10 seconds or so that, "laadi da, I'm going through my day and everything's norm-Oh my God there's a baby right there. And it's MY baby. And she's so beautiful. And man, she never stops feeding.
There's the fact that I'm more tired after a day of being a dad than I've been after a week at work.

And there are photos. They live here and we try to update them as often as we can (scroll down for the newest additions).

Things are very, very good and we can't wait to introduce our Nora to everyone.
Just not all at once and only between the hours of 1 and 4, Monday thru Wednesday.

Stay tuned!

And 13 hours, 12 minutes later...

This happened.

On 12/22 at 12:22 p.m., we welcomed Nora Somerville Jorgensen into the great big world.
8lbs, 2 oz
21 inches long
Obviously crushingly gorgeous (or is that just her dad talking?)

Tears were shed, heroes were made, minds were completely blown and all are amazed and grateful and exhausted.

Pictures and more lucid and detailed accounts to come soon.

Joy!

At the birth center - 11:10 pm

Next stop: Baby!
More on this story as it develops...

NST Results: All is Well

Our baby is not stressed. Nor should it be. Yesterday's non-stress test resulted in a great variable heartrate via the fetal monitor and proof of plenty of amniotic fluid as measured by a no-fuss-no-muss ultrasound. We continue to be at "yep, progressing, could be any day."

This type of "any day" is much more comfortable now that we've passed the due date(s). We're getting closer and can feel it (literally, for me). Progressing towards the birth of our child and not just a date on the calendar makes all the psychological difference.

If the baby has not arrived by Friday, we will go back in for a bio-physical profile. There are no worries or concerns; just next steps with the passing of days. At least, we and our midwife are not worried or concerned...nor should you be.

Today's featured step: viewing the next round of episodes of Slings and Arrows!

Who's Counting?

I have a sneaking suspicion that some of our relatives are counting down (or up) the days to a birthday more than we are. I mean, we are the ones who immediately get to have the wee babe and don't have to travel anywhere to meet it. We already have the ability to poke at it and make it move around whenever we feel a need for companionship. Basil sometimes does this a bit too zealously: the other night he pushed my belly a little too hard and responded with "I was just trying to get our kid; I forgot about you!"

Yep: still pregnant. Though I've been having non-progressing contractions since about 4am. Fun for all! Why fun? Because they do at least mean that we're getting closer and they made for a fine excuse for Basil to stay home from work.

As it turns out, it's even better that he did stay home because we're going in to do a non-stress test today. I had no idea all we would have to do is show up--our midwife already called and prepped them for us; we just have to walk in. Since Basil is already at home, I don't have to pry him away from his desk. Well, his work desk. I am still prying him away from the home desk.

The non-stress test, for those curious, just means taking a little gander at the babe via fetal monitor to make sure all systems are go: plenty of amniotic fluid, preliminary lung action (that was not the actual medical phrase), and general overall health of the kiddo. We'll know more later today and maybe even have a new picture!

If we have no new picture of the baby, the least we'll do is post a photo of our Christmas tree. It is as of yet undecorated, but it smells fantastic and is ready for us to add lights and ornaments (of which we own about four, so it'll be a crafty day as well!). I suppose we could just decorate it with baby socks, but that seems slightly maudlin or at least a smidge too close to Mr. Krueger's Christmas.

So, there you go. An update. If you're really good, maybe we'll tell you the story of how we were locked out of our car--even though we had keys in hand--while at our apartment.

Meanwhile, maybe it's time for you all to start betting on the birthday of this little little. The prize will be one whole baby!

Calendar says baby

Today is officially our 9-month mark - our "due date", if you will - according to the chronological baby-growing timeline. Of course, the due date based on the growth and size of the baby was last week. Then you have the notion that most first babies are born late. Although some aren't. But sometimes, you never know.

So no baby yet, is what we're saying.

We are ready, though! Here's proof:

What's that in the rear view mirror?

Another mirror!

And what's that in the other mirror?

A ghost?
A baby?

Santa?

No...

Car seat!

Buckled in, prepped and ready for transport.
I took no small amount of satisfaction installing this space-age green and silver baby pod. Though for safety's sake (and if time permits), we're bringing it in for a once-over by a certified car seat installation specialist. Also known as the VW dealer across town. I'd be a little more suspicious of this whole "you think you installed it correctly, but we'll just see about that" aspect if:

1. It weren't about, you know, safety
   
2. I wasn't a guy who likes to do everything right the first time
3. It wasn't free (Cause it would be a freakin' RACKET otherwise)

I continue to be mildly suspicious (see also item #2 above), since the instruction manual seems to be written for semi-literate 2nd graders with ADD. Lots of pictures, bolded words and repetition of the most basic information.
Apparently, you should not install your car seat on the hood of the car (see fig.1), in your kitchen (fig. 2) or on top of your baby (fig. 3).
To review: Car seat goes In the car In the car In the car.

So we have our bags packed now, waiting by the door. The apartment is as ready as it's ever going to be, there's gas in the car and the car seat is prepped.

The truth is, we really can't wait to have this baby. If for no other reason than we'll have something to tell our families next time we call and I won't feel like I'm disappointing my co-workers every time I show up for work in the morning.
I mean, more than I usually do.

February 2058

That's when I'll stop crying. (Possibly.)

Why so teary? Because our musical mastermind of a friend, Jose Bold, included a song for the baby on his annual December album. Here it is: Little.

You can listen to or download the whole goshdarn album here. (Is my very own sister featured on one of the songs? Why, yes!)

I'm telling you, plenty is right in this world.

It was a real party! In our house!

For proof of the success of the baby shower, I was going to post a photo of Basil on the clean floor of our living room covered in the bounty of gifts we received--complete with his arms clothed with BabyLegs topped off by little cowboy boot slippers on his hands--and angled in such a way as to show off the artfully apportioned space that is our new home.

You are not seeing that photo because the Must Do Laundry Before the Baby Comes brain cells kicked in before I got out the camera. Which is also to say I didn't have to do a single thing because these days the laundry is all Basil: getting all the way down to the basement from the fourth floor whilst lugging loads of laundry is a little beyond my threshold right now.

So, no photos. Yet. Perhaps we'll do a feature series each time the babe wears something that was received at the party.

Said party was hosted by our lovely friends B. and P. and was held on two floors: our apartment held the food, B.'s apartment held crafting supplies. It was a really wonderful afternoon: 'round about 40 people throughout chatting and eating and enjoying themselves plus eight gamboling kids. It was particularly nice considering that we've not had anyone over to visit in numbers larger than two in either of the apartments we've shared. This made for an excellent little pre-baby housewarming plus celebration. We are satisfied!

...now all we have to do is have the baby!

...but we'd like our car back from the shop before labor kicks in, please.

Inside is Outside Whenside?

According to this sonogram, it is quite possible that our baby will be born TODAY. Yep, the first and second trimester ultrasounds indicated that the due date was Pearl Harbor Day.

...but we're still sticking with our mathematical due date of December 15th. Why? Mostly because first babies tend to be born within eight days after their due date and we don't need anymore waiting than necessary. Although what do we know? Lessee...

• We are excited about the Sharpie Squirmus Ribsy kid.
• Like, a lot.
• We'll post here when appropriate (including Baby Shower Follow-up, Headed to the Birth Center, Baby Born, and Anything We Think is Just So Amazing About Our Child).
• We will post with a frequency that will satisfy far flung relatives.
• We will try not to embarrass our child too much.
• Basil will be the first to fail at that last item.

So, keep watch for announcements, photos, short videos and various delights!