Being a Grammie in FL

This is my 5th day of being a Grammie to Deven and Laura. The job is lots of fun -- Laura sleeps a lot during the day, so Jill and I have time to visit -- and, believe it or not -- read! Derrick is home for the first month, so there really isn't all that much for me to do besides laundry, wash dishes and pump parts, and hold the baby. Oh -- and play Memory with Deven which I'm sure is helping me stave off Alzheimers! The fact that Deven generally wins doesn't bode well for the staving off part, but at least I'm working at it.

They haven't asked me to cook. Good thing. Derrick is excellent, and as we all know, I'm quite capable of applying microwave to food, but not actually COOK.

We're getting more rain -- probably from the effects of Gustav. We can tell because the raindrops make little "G's" in the pool....

Welcome to the World, Baby Girl!

She's here! Laura Indira (Jill says I am NOT allowed to call her "Indi") arrived today at 2:44 pm after a 6 hour labor. I don't have pictures yet -- what's up with that, Derrick? She weighed in at 5#10 oz, and 19 inches long.

Most importantly to this lactation consultant, she's nursing like a champ! No tongue tie... whew!

I can't wait to head to Naples to see her -- yes, she is a hurricane baby, but no, she isn't going to be named Laura Fay.

I also told Torrey she couldn't name a baby Fay. Fay Ray is simply too much to contemplate.

So yes, yet another August birthday. Another periodot. Guess I don't have to give Jill another peridot necklace -- she can just pull out the one I gave her for Deven!

I'm SO excited!!!!

August Birthdays

On Sunday in Parade Magazine which comes with the Chicago Tribune, a question was posed to Marilyn Van Savant (is that her REAL name??) asking which month has the most birthdays. I knew immediately, of course -- August.

My suspicion is, of course, that the reason there are so many August birthdays is because everyone really wanted babies born in May or June, but they didn't quite make it.

We have done our best in our family to make sure we uphold the supremacy of August.

August 2 -- Nephew Timothy
August 3 -- Grandbaby Deven
August 9 -- Son Tim
August 11 -- Daughter Jill
August 24 -- Brother in Law Rob
August 25 -- Me
August 31 -- Niece Rosie

Now, new grandbaby-to-be is due on Sept 1 or 5 (depending on who you believe -- the OB or me, take your pick). If you have heard rumors that a lowered barometric pressure brings on labor -- well, we are eager to see what Tropical Storm Fay does when it hits the Naples FL area tomorrow morning.

If baby Laura is born this month -- at least she'll be in august company!!

Birthday Update, 2008

The last post about birthdays was a bit -- um -- depressing. As dear BIL Rob pointed out, Tim has NO sewer or drainage system in his city....rendering most everything a sea of mud, water, and -- uh -- donkey unmentionables.

But -- a brighter update:

Torrey and Chris rescheduled her birthday celeb for August 9. I've not gotten all the details yet, but am given to understand it was wonderful. She is her father's daughter -- all gifts consisted of sundry and assorted CHOCOLATES!

Then she and Chris went to New Orleans for a conference Torrey had to attend -- and in true Ray fashion, there were unreal airline glitches, including the one in which they got to the airport in Indy, only to discover the hospital system had quite forgotten to actually PURCHASE the ticket for her to get to NO. Of course, being that it was Monday -- there was no one in the travel department to talk to, so for a mere $800, Torrey bought a one-way ticket to NO. I'm sure if the hospital refuses to pay for a ticket back to Indy, she can always bunk with Aunt Rosie and Uncle Rob for the rest of her life.....

I'm sure she'll have an update on HER blog....

Timothy recovered from his birthday bug in time to house-sit for a physician couple in his city who live in what he terms The Palace. A *real* bed, a *real* shower, a *real* potty, air conditioning, wireless internet, a refrigerator and a car....and for company, a dog. Today is his last day of living in luxury. Tomorrow afternoon after a naming ceremony, he goes back to his little cement box with no electricity. The battery operated fan we sent him back in June quit after two weeks, and though I've scoured the Jewel, there don't seem to be any more. (Well, OK, I've not hit Target, Walmart, Dominicks, Walgreens, CVS.....yet.) So it was only $5. So -- it should have lasted longer than 2 weeks, for pity sake!!

Jill's contractions petered out, got stronger the next day -- enough to send her from work to the OB office where she was deemed to be Not In Labor Yet. But 3-4 cm dilated. Her bags are packed, she's ready to go....

As of today she is either 37 weeks, or 37+4 (if you like my due date better), and Derrick is heaving a great sigh of relief. She's off work today, tomorrow and Sunday, and if she is still With Child, she's working 8 hours on Monday as her last day. Then she gets to sit around and twiddle her thumbs.

And perhaps she'll put a new and clearer message on her new iPhone -- Derrick's birthday gift.

As for me? I'm home (for just over 48 hours before heading to Salt Lake City), and loving it. A Chair of Bowlies -- oops -- a Bowl of Cherries for nibbling (OK, so there is a bag of chips calling to me), and enough work to keep me busy for at least 4 days -- and here I am....blogging.

At least it isn't MY birthday yet.

Birthdays -- 2008

The kids' birthdays have all come and gone for 2008. Torrey's was first, on July 19. It was a big-un, her 30th. Chris made elaborate plans for a surprise birthday party complete with a menu to rival all.

BUT -- that was before the 4th of July accident to his foot. He spent Friday the 18th in surgery, so the party ended up being a rather small one of four -- Bob and I drove down as planned, but instead of Chris' wonderful eats we had take-out PF Changs and a Coldstone Creamery cake. All of a sudden, our gift of 30 wrapped gifts took on more significance. I think they would have paled in the face of 25 or so guests -- but with only four of us there, they made a big splash! (OK, so they were LITTLE presents. But Torrey is like my mom -- if you give her a pencil as a gift -- as long as it is wrapped, she thinks it is great stuff).

Tim's day was next, on August 9. He turned 24 -- and spent his birthday with some type of a "bug" (I won't elaborate for the sensitive who read these posts) -- the worst of which he has experienced since he went overseas -- including passing out when he got upin the middle of the night. A couple of days before that there was a rainstorm -- very unusual in his part of the world -- a very BAD rainstorm that absolutely pelted them for about 3 hours in the middle of the night. His discovery -- his roof is not rainproof....he spent the night filling up and emptying assorted pots, pans, and even cups. Because there is sewer system or drainage facility in his city he said it was pretty much of a mess for a couple of days -- one didn't know if one was stepping in rainwater or, um, other more unmentionable liquids....(remember, much of the transport of goods is done by donkey cart).

Two days later -- August 11, our Jill turned 34. I called to check and see how her day was going -- and she was spending it with Deven having premature labor. Oh joy. Contractions 10 minutes apart....I pulled out my old birthing center tricks and suggested a warm bath and a glass of wine to see if she could stop the contractions -- it IS after all, a bit too early for this baby to come. No alcohol of any sort in the house. But evidently the warm bath helped, because when I called back later that night, contractions had petered out.

Hmmmm. With all these great celebrations going on, I wonder what is going to happen on my birthday in less than two weeks?

At least we can be quite certain that I won't go into labor!!