Checking in.

I'm sitting here in my robe leaking milk all over the floor. Been walking my colicky baby all morning, and he's finally asleep. I should be taking a shower or doing the dishes, or washing the pile of sour breastmilk-encrusted nightgowns taking over the corner of my bedroom... but so rarely do I have both hands to type with.

I really did forget how much work a newborn can be. Grouper's first couple months are a total blur. Maybe because I was still so busy with Puffer being only 18 months old, I don't remember Grouper being colicky at all. Somehow I got it in my head that only first-borns are colicky. And I thought I was in my pjs 24/7 and didn't go anywhere but my mom's house for six weeks with Puffer because I was a first time mom. Um, no. Number three is equally as challenging. So, I'm getting hours worth of working out each day swinging this kid around to keep him happy. And in between I crash on the couch to watch reality tv shows about postpartum moms and beg UberDad to bring me food. And sometimes I even pay attention to my other children. ;)

So, that's life at my house for now. And now I'll attempt to wash the milk off my legs before my youngest wakes up again.

Postpartum mom is sleepy...

All three... count them, THREE, of my children are asleep -- and I should be, too. But I didn't want to let another day go by without saying thank you for all the notes of congrats. Also, new photos have been posted to Flickr. Enjoy! I'm going to bed...

Must have been the moon...

He's here! Our newest little fish was born at home yesterday morning, June 10, 2006, at 4:09 a.m. He weighed in at 10 pounds, 10 ounces, and is 21 inches long. He's an expert nurser, has the sweetest cry, and is adored by his two big brothers. They were both close by to greet him immediately after his birth.

We spent yesterday attempting to recover from a night without sleep. This morning UberDad is taking Puffer and Grouper to church, and I'm headed to the shower while Baby Fish sleeps in his Nana's arms.

Maybe tonight's full moon will do it...

Last night I called my mom over after the boys were asleep so UberDad and I could take a walk while it was cool outside, and maybe get labor moving. With my labors with both Puffer and Grouper, I had to do a lot of walking to move from the latent stage of labor to active labor. My mom and I had already walked in the morning, and it helped, a little.

So, around 10 p.m., we headed out into the privacy of the darkness. The sky was clear, and the moon was high, bright and nearly full. Supposedly more babies are born when the moon is full. I was definitely having stronger contractions during the walk. But then we were home again, and getting sleepy, so we went to bed. And so far, once I go to bed, my body chooses sleep over labor.

Yesterday my neighbor took my boys and her kids to a big park where they got to watch peacocks do their mating dances. They had a blast. UberDad went grocery shopping, and I hung out with my mom, whose vacation ends Sunday. She baked my favorite cookies for me in the afternoon, and I'm trying to make them last in case we need late night energy food to share with my midwife and her assistant.

Oh! I forgot to share that UberDad got the job! He'll be teaching math at a local high school just a few miles from home. He found out the morning right after his interview, which was awesome. Thanks for your prayers! He's now officially home on vacation for the rest of the summer! YAY!!! Now, we just need the newest member of our family to arrive...

No, this is not the post you've been waiting for...

Yes, we're at 41 weeks and STILL counting. But I'm cool with it. Really I am.

My sister arrived from Tuscon on Thursday, and heads back home tomorrow evening. She's a Shiatsu practitioner, so she's worked on me a few times using acupressure to see if we can get labor going. When she first came, she felt some resistance. Though I thought I was ready -- have all the stuff, housework's caught up -- I still felt nervous about having enough privacy at home, considering the open door/yard policy that's usually in effect around here, and I wasn't sure what to do about it. Why it seemed so hard to explain to our friends and neighbors that I needed some alone time, I don't know.

So, Saturday I posted this note on the front door:

"Please forgive us for not answering the door today! We're taking a Pre-Labor Family Holiday. Feel free to leave us love messages on our voice mail or via e-mail. We'll be in touch again after the baby arrives. Thank you! And have a great day!"

I spent most of the day doing laundry, piddling, and napping. UberDad took the boys to run a couple errands, and then to the water toys at the park around the block. I got the house to myself for awhile, and managed to relax a lot more. After dinner, my sisters came over to do some more acupressure, but we didn't get very far before Grouper needed Mommy back.

On Sunday UberDad decided to go shooting, since he'd stayed home the previous weekend and nothing happened. The boys and I hung out with my parents and sister, and then we all went out to lunch when UberDad got home. Grouper and I took a really long nap in the afternoon. It was a restful, peaceful day. But I was still getting nothing that qualified as labor contractions.

So, today UberDad went to work. He has a job interview this afternoon which we're hoping will bring good news about next fall. He's ready to be back in the classroom full time. While he's enjoyed serving homeschooling families at the charter school, it's been mostly paperwork. So, there's another prayer request. New job, new baby. SOME kind of news would be great.