Monday, March 31, 2008

Hiking with Rachel the Day Before Labor

On March 31, the day before the baby's due date (and when I began labor), I went hiking at Sycamore Canyon. I've been wanting to check out this place for a long time and grabbed
this opportunity while the weather was sunny and breezy, cool enough for
hiking in the open. Luckily, it was Cesar Chavez holiday so all friends
were off from work at CSDR, so Rachel Smith was available and willing to
join me for company and precaution in case I fall helpless or start
labor in the middle of the trail.




We found the trails a lot more challenging than anticipated, especially
for me when fully 9-months pregnant! We climbed up a few steep trails,
shuffled down others trying not to fall, and tightroped down a very
narrow trail on a slope only to reach a dead end at a dried out creek
covered deep with dead branches and twigs, and having to return back
where we came. Thank God we found another short-cut trail that led us
back to our cars!It took a full hour for us to hike
around and back.

I felt exhilarated being out in the open, exercising and taking in the refreshing air and expansive view of the Riverside trees, golf courses, hills and vales, especially after many months of preferring to sit indoors, tired from the symptoms of pregnancy. A nice change! Now that I look back, that was clearly a part of my "nesting" urges with such outbursts of energy and desire. Next mission: Mount Rubidoux with the family!

Sunday, March 30, 2008

No Baby Yet, Still Waiting


No baby yet... due date is still april 1st, but I had thought he'd come earlier, if it's my 2nd pregnancy. I'm at full term now, 40 weeks. I've just begun my maternity leave, wanting to rest and prepare before 'delivery so I'd have energy and be less overwhelmed as possible once baby comes. The baby's name will be Blake Evan. We can't wait to meet him! Niel's 'relatives (dad, granddad, brother) on the Thompson side will be spending the weekend at our house April 19th/20th to meet Blake. On April 26th, Erika's mom and sister-in-law Lisa are hosting a "Meet Blake" party at Mom's house, with family on my side. Friends are welcome to visit anytime. Caleb will be at daycare only on Tues and Thurs starting this week, to keep up with his social skills and educational structure, while I get to enjoy him on Mon, Wed, and Fri all day. I'll miss that once I return to work in August. Niel will be "Mr. Mom" next year. When I deliver, I will be paging 10 people only who will forward the message to everybody else. My pager has a limit of sending the same email to 10 people, otherwise email gets bounced back. If nothing happens this week, delivery will be induced on Tuesday April 7th, 1 week past the due date (hope not the case- more painful and not natural. We're registered at Babies r Us if anybody would like to know what Blake needs that we don't already have. Thanks!

Cold Case - TV Episode

Caught the last twenty minutes of "Cold Case" TV episode last night. Deaf kills Deaf because of the cochlear implant? What a unfair plot! I must say, though, that the Deaf actors did well on the show- Handplause to you all- Bob, Michael, Sho, Evelina, Sheena, Lisa, and especially lead actor/Cold Case victim Ryan Lane, a former student of Niel's who graduated from CSDR in 2007! Anybody who taped the show who could loan us the tape??