Hello, World!

At 5:12 pm Charlotte Annalie Criswell was born weighing 7 pounds 5 ounces. Mommy and baby are fine, and Daddy is very happy!

Due Date +2

So here we are, two days past our due date and absolutely no sign of baby.  We had a visit with the midwife today, who assured us everything was absolutely normal.  Rachel’s health is good, the baby is fine, it’s just a matter of waiting.  The midwife is fairly sure the baby will come in the next 2 weeks, but if it doesn’t we’ll have an induction in the hospital on 29 May.

Actually, if one were a fly on the wall, the session with the midwife was probably fairly amusing.  Here was one stressed out ‘I want to HOLD my baby’ dad and a bored, frustrated ‘I’m done work, NOW WHAT’ mommy.  Both have university degrees and are pretty intelligent folk, but were reduced basically to the state of helpless, slightly whiny toddlers by the hormonal reckoning of an 8lb infant inutero.  Probably the funniest moment was when the discussion got around to the fact that Rachel, and one or two of her other sibs were over due (in Rachel’s case, 2 weeks late–born thanks to the wonders of caster oil).  The ‘and you thought this baby would be on time because’ look on the midwife’s face  was a classic.

Summoning all of her best pep talk skills, the midwife suggested that Rachel stop spending her days waiting for the baby and get out in Oxford and do something.  She also reminded us that is it a real blessing that Brian can just start his paternity leave as soon as ESTABLISHED labour finally happens.  (She’d just seen a couple where the husband had to book his time away.  He’d booked according to the due date and the kid was born 11 days late).

All I can say is it’s a good thing we live in a university town.  Rachel’s found lecture on everything from reporting on the war in Iraq to Mexican labour exports under NAFTA to keep her mind engaged in the next 2 weeks (yes there will probably be a historic sight or museum trip and copious amounts of coffee in there too).

Baby, Come Out Now?

Only 10 days until our due date and both of are getting very impatient! Rachel is tired of trying to find clothing that fits (down to only 3 possible outfits for work–and as you can see from the photo, some of these barely work); swollen appendages (hasn’t been able to wear her wedding rings for over a week now–and generally has to wear flip flops wherever she goes); and false labour. Brian, is being really really supportive, but has to listen to a whinging wife a lot, do the dishes (Rachel can’t load the bottom rack of the dishwasher any longer), and continuously make contingency plans for work…just in case.

We were hoping that today would be the day, as it is Onnie’s (Rachel’s maternal grandmother) 90th birthday. ‘Charlie’ had other plans, however.

Hello world!

Welcome to the new home of the Criswell Clarion!