Baby Fisher!

I am sitting on the couch, with a cool breeze blowing in through the window. It feels good to be home. Sophie is asleep in her crib, and Jon and Ransom are having that perfect "newborn sleeps on Daddy's chest while he sleeps" moment.

Yes. Ransom.

Late Wednesday afternoon I started getting really uncomfortable. Around 9pm or so, the contractions got worse, but after having visited the hospital with false labor a couple weeks ago, I was in no hurry to go in. We watched a movie, I took a bath and went to bed. They were still getting worse, but not lasting longer than about 30 seconds, so I didn't think too much of it (though they were about 4 minutes apart at that point...) Finally Jon talked me into calling our friend to stay with Sophie, and we left.

We got to the hospital about 12:30 at night. We went through the whole admittance process in no hurry - the nurse told me later she thought I would be in labor for several more hours. So did I.

Finally, about 1:00am, she checked me out. She got a really surprised look on her face and said she needed to go call my doctor - I was at 9! They told me to not push until the doctor got there (seriously? SERIOUSLY?), which he did a little after 2. I pushed for a few minutes, and at 2:21am on August 20, Ransom Decatur Fisher was born!

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I wrote all that last Saturday. What can I say, I have a newborn and a toddler...

All has been going well. He's eating like a champ and is above his discharge weight. We went to the doctor yesterday for his first routine appointment, and the doctor was afraid he was jaundiced. We did the blood test, and the results were "not alarming" - so we don't have to do anything! What a huge relief...

Sophia absolutely loves him, though by now she has gotten pretty used to him. The first day she wanted to hold him and be by him constantly, the next day she just needed my and Jon's attention. By now the novelty has pretty much worn off. I'm sure there will be more difficult times ahead, but kids adapt easily.

My parents have been here for a few days, which has been a huge blessing. For reasons I'll write about in another post, Jon has had to go to work every day this week, and I've been gone some as well. Having someone here to watch the kids - and keep the house from falling apart - has been wonderful. They're leaving tonight about the same time Jon's family is coming in - so glad it worked out for them to come before school starts!

Ok, I've been writing this over several days, and if I keep going it will digress into more and more rambling. Instead, I leave you with pictures!

38 and counting.

Well, here it is, August 12, the date that was my guess to have the baby.

The end is not in sight. I went to the doctor this morning, who informed me - unsurprisingly - that there has been no change in the past 2 weeks. The way I have been feeling, I expect the baby to make his grand appearance around Halloween - I feel the same as I did a month ago, except even fewer of my clothes fit! The other day I didn't update my Facebook status all day, so my sister took that to mean I was in the hospital! No such luck...

What is nice is that, since I got everything done that I wanted to before our Nashville trip, I have been enjoying relaxing and reading these past couple weeks!

Ah yes, Nashville. I suppose that's something non-baby I could talk about. The Army, in its ever infinite wisdom, realized a few years ago that - surprise - the military doesn't exactly make marriage easy. And since, in most cases, happy marriage = happy Soldier = good Soldier, they decided to do something about it. Hence the inception of Strong Bonds.

Strong Bonds is a Marriage Enrichment Retreat program run by Chaplains. Two weeks ago, Jon and I, along with 19 other couples from Redstone, went to the Opryland Hotel in Nashville for a few days for this retreat. Aside from a few minor hiccups, all went well! Jon taught on, among other things, The Five Love Languages and healthy conflict resolution. He is a really great teacher - of all the hats he wears as a Chaplain, that's probably his favorite! The couples seemed to interact with the material and respond well to it. Though these events take a ton of work on Jon's part, it is great knowing that these marriages are better off because of it.

We were planning on staying an extra night, but I thought I was in labor. Silly me. I think all the walking around made me go into false labor, and being 2 1/2 hours from home, I didn't want to risk it... It was a beautiful hotel, albeit a little ostentatious. The photo is of us at the garden. INSIDE the hotel.

Baby Pool

It's that time again!

Here are the stats: I'm at 36 weeks right now, 2-3 cm dilated.

I had Sophie at 36 weeks/5 days, which would be this coming Monday (August 3) if this baby were to be the same.

So, what are your guesses - when do you think we will meet Baby Boy Fisher?

(For what it's worth, my guess is August 12...)

Put your guess in the comments section! :-)

I really should write more often...

I'm sitting outside right now, under the covered patio, eating chips and cheese, watching it rain. I love this. The cool breeze is such a welcome break from the 90s weather we've been having - I'm actually wearing a sweatshirt right now! Feels like fall...

It's been busy around here. It's definitely a different kind of "busy" than the last unit - but busy nonetheless. Those "leave work at 5" days (novel concept!) have quickly fluttered by... ah well... so, here's a recap of the last few weeks...

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We went to our first 832nd Hail & Farewell last week. It was by far the shortest I have ever been to - and they were farewelling the Commander! Usually these things take HOURS - even with the meal, this one was done in about 90 minutes! It was cool to get to meet more of the people in Jon's unit.

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Sophie is growing more interactive every day! She is getting to a really fun age - there are times I'm not sure what I'm going to do with a newborn again! She is very independent and loves doing things that Mom and Dad do... though not always exactly the way Mom and Dad do them. For example, she loves helping me unload the dishwasher. There is a low cupboard with plastic things she can put away, but lately she has been putting away the silverware for me. Unfortunately, since she can't reach the drawer, she has claimed another low cabinet for silverware! She very purposefully gets each piece, one at a time, walks over, and puts it on the shelf. She's trying so hard to help I can't bear to stop her!

Last night at Bible study one of the Soldiers put Sophie up to the microphone - she didn't even hesitate doing exactly what Dad does... she leaned forward and started singing away! The words consisted mostly of "duh"s and "nuh"s, but it was definitely a song! When he tried to put her down, she grabbed the mic and started singing louder!

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Thanks for all your suggestions about play group. We didn't go on Tuesday, and there weren't any problems today. There were fewer kids there today, plus one of them was a 6-year-old girl who loved helping Sophie play all morning!

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Long story short, I got some good news about my degree last week! They FINALLY got all my transcripts evaluated (2 1/2 years after the process began...) and they accepted ALL of them!!! The one blow-off AP math class I took in high school even paid off - not only did they give me 3 credits for it, but it waived THREE math classes! All said, it seems I have 3 CLEPs and 6 8-week classes left! Even taking my time (and a term off for the baby), I should be done in less than a year! Woohoo!

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We were visited by yet another "official welcoming committee" this week. It's funny to me that every group comes individually - I think this was the 3rd. They came with a cookbook with recipes from spouses (Officers' Spouses Club), so that was cool. I have heard people talk about not feeling very welcome when they move on post, but that hasn't been our experience at all! People here seem just the right amount of friendly - they'll welcome you and talk to you, but don't intrude! ;-)

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I'm officially in my third trimester! Let me tell you... this kid... shirts I wore up until the day I had Sophie are already stretched tight around my belly. After I eat, I have to push him down so I can breathe. I'm really hoping I go early again, because I have a feeling he'll be bigger than Sophie was! I would love to do a natural birth again, but if he's big... I just don't know...

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Ok, that's enough for now. I'm off to write the first paper for "Music of the United States"... it's a book report of the table of contents and chapter summaries. Seriously?!?! I think I'll like this class...

It's a...

Wow, so I just realized that in the midst of my blogging absence, I forgot to tell you we got an ultrasound!

The day before we moved, we trekked down to Ft. Stewart at 6:30 in the morning to get to see the baby. Because of the move, I have yet to see a new OB/GYN, and since they don't have any on post here, that will necessitate me getting my insurance switched to here (check), setting up an appointment with a family doctor on post (hopefully I can set the appointment tomorrow, but at Hunter it routinely took over a month for this to happen...), wait for the referral, call the new doctor, and wait for an available appointment there. Suffice it to say they wanted to make sure everything was ok before we had that long break!

Everything is healthy and developing well. This U/S Tech was much more aggressive and thorough than the one who did Sophie. After checking all organs and such, I was pretty sure what I saw - then she confirmed it when she looked at me with a contented smile and said,

"You are having a little boy!"

We're really excited - though (as always), we would have been happy either way, I was really hoping for a boy! :-)

In other pregnancy news, the little kiddo is continuing to use my insides as a jungle gym. I'm feeling fine, though a little more tired, sore (and heavy!) than with Sophie. I'm now at 22 weeks - over halfway there!

New Baby Pics!

Thanks for all your advice and encouragement about Sophie. It seems it is a passing stage (which I figured, but it's still nice to hear!) - she's only done it a couple times since I last posted. I have realized that she refuses water a couple times, but if I keep offering it, she eventually wakes up enough to see what it is, guzzles it down, then goes back to sleep. She drinks a lot during the day - I don't think she's dehydrated - but I suppose I wake up thirsty too!

Today we had our first appointment for the new baby! It's a long story full of the hospital not recording our appointments correctly, and me sitting there for four hours this morning... but it was worth it! The doctor actually gave up her lunch hour to see us, and even did an ultrasound!





I have been feeling better; it seems the worst is behind me. And, I can breathe a sigh of relief now. Even though I had no reason to think anything was wrong, hearing the heartbeat always helps, you know? I actually had a nightmare (yes, I would call it that...) last night of this appointment today. They were doing the exam in the waiting area in front of everyone, and the nurse was actually a drama major merely practicing the role of a nurse. She would stop to do monologues in the middle of the exam. Fortunately, even with the wait, the actual appointment went MUCH better than that! :-)

Everything looks good and on schedule - August, here we come!

So, uh...

Sorry I've been avoiding you.

It's not you. Really. It's me. The last month I have had the energy of a slug.

And it's been busy, much going on.

And, it's difficult to blog when the only thing I feel like writing about I'm not ready to.

So, to sum up, here's what I would have said over the past month or so:

I'm tired.

I'm hungry, but nothing sounds good.

I eat anyway.

I want to sleep.

I think I'm going to throw up.

I can't wait for Sophie's naptime so I can take one too.

I shouldn't have just eaten. Still feel like I'm going to throw up.

Still tired.

Being pregnant with a one-year-old is much more tiring than just being pregnant.

Now, aren't you glad I didn't blog? What a complainer!

We also went to Atlanta for an impromptu trip with Aaron & Jenny, I hosted a Coffee, went to to the Hunter Spouses Club Luncheon, a Hail & Farewell for Jon's Battalion, Chaplain/Family luncheon, Jon started teaching a weekly financial class on Wednesday evenings - plus the usual PWOC and such.

The pregnancy is going well. I'm now at 10 weeks - due August 26. (Or August 3, if this baby is like Sophie...) I've been feeling ok - mostly tired (see above).

On that note, I've been sitting here for the past hour and need to get some things done - more updates soon! :-)

Pics!

We finally updated pictures! I tell ya, we have been taking pictures left and right... and there they sit on the camera... you can go to the Fisher family website (again, please email me for password info) for all of them, but here are just a few to enjoy!

In other news, congrats to Jacki on winning the delivery pool! Jon was actually the closest with December 25, but since he got his prize (a new baby!), I thought I would officially award Jacki, who guessed the 26th. I haven't had a chance to get to the post office yet, Jacki, but it's coming soon!

Without a Hitch!!

Whew! I am breathing SUCH a sigh of relief!

I don't remember if I posted about this... but a few months ago, something inexplicable came over me, and I decided to put on a children's Christmas program. Well, long story short, it ended up as only a small part of a large installation chapel Christmas Music Fest. Which was tonight. Kids Church sang two songs, then a couple narrators read the Christmas story from Luke 2 while other kids acted it out. After seeing how the practices went the past few weeks, I was REALLY nervous... but they did great!! They were super cute in their little shepherd and angel outifts, and the kids sang louder tonight than they ever have.

And now, I can breathe.

I learned A LOT through this. I'm not sure I will ever do it again... though, if I do, I have a lot of good dos and don'ts! Okok, sooo... more "don'ts" than "dos"...

Have you placed your guess in my delivery pool yet (see below)? You can go here to see the calendar with the dates everyone chose. Again, it's fine to have more than one person on the same date.

Now for the matter of the prize... I have no idea what it will be- that depends on who wins! (So no worries, Rhonda- if it's you, I PROMISE it won't be coffee! :-) I mean, don't expect some fantastic grandiose award... but it will be cool nonetheless!

ETA: If you tried the calendar earlier tonight and google tried to make you sign in, I changed to a different calendar program so you won't have to do that- try it now!

Pregnancy Pool

Alright, I want some fun in my life, so I'm running a pool for my delivery! (btw- if you haven't read the post directly below this one, please do so now! :-)

Here's how it will work:

~ Post in the comments section of this post the date you think I'll deliver

~ Deadline is Sunday, December 16

~ I'll send a prize (yes, a real prize...) to whoever gets it right!

~ If more than one person guesses the right date, I'll draw a name to decide the winner

~ Only one guess per person

~ Open to everyone- even if I don't know you! :-)

Keep in mind, my due date is January 6, but the doctor told me today she thinks I'll go early.

Good luck!!

Expecting the Unexpected

This has been quite a day. We got lots of new information and news... with mixed feelings...

You can go to Jon's blog to read about one part of it. But I shall not write about that. At this point, it would really be best that I not think about it... welcome to the Army...

Onward and upward...

We are in our final countdown! Yesterday marked one month until our due date! Yes yes, I know that a very small percentage of women actually deliver on their date, that two weeks either way is normal, and that most first-time moms deliver late. Yes. I know.

We had a doctor's appointment today. First of all, I must say that we love our doctor. At the last appointment, she spent extra time explaining things to us (mostly fears which had been instilled from the previously mentioned birthing class...), which was immeasurably helpful.

Though there is no sure-fire way to tell such things, she told us today (based on 27 years as a midwife) that she expects our baby will weigh within ounces of 7lbs (give or take), and that she would be very surprised if I make it to my due date- to pretty much plan on going early. This was really exciting... albeit full of yet another dose of reality... that we are actually having a baby. Soon. Very soon. As in, pack-your-bags-write-out-your-birth-plan soon. Well, I suppose the bags don't have to be packed QUITE yet... but you get the point.

On the house front, we also heard from our realtor today that the couple who looked at our house earlier this week loved it and would have immediately made an offer... if it weren't for the next door neighbor's big, loud, obnoxious dog. That was the deal breaker. Fantastic.

Well, it's showing again in the morning, so I best be off to cleaning...

Once again...

I.hate.moving.

Have I ever told you that? Get ready to hear it a lot more. Fortunately, if all works out according to plan (which may or may not happen...), the Army will pack and move us this time, and every time for the next 20 years. That will be nice.

What the Army ISN'T doing, though, is getting our house ready to put on the market. The realtor is supposed to come by this afternoon to take pictures for the online virtual tour... and I am nowhere near ready. You don't have to know me well at all to know that not only does clutter not bother me, but I really don't notice it. I will walk into a room and think it is clean and clutter-free, until my loving and patient husband points out the hour's worth of work it would take to actually get the room to said state. I am much neater (and cleaner) now than in my earlier years, no doubt. But, well, suffice it to say my eyes float right over piles without giving them a second glance.

Which is making this difficult.

Anyway, back to moving...

We finally stripped the wallpaper and painted the bathrooms a couple weeks ago. Isn't it funny how we have all these grand plans when we first move in, but then the motivation wanes until we have to sell?

On the up side, as of December 31, this will be the first time I have lived in the same place for a year since high school. Now that I think about it, I did live with my parents for about 13 months after college- but the last 5 of that was spent knowing they were selling their house and I would have to leave at any time. Even still, this is my 16th move since high school graduation- a mere 6 1/2 years ago (that is, if you count the month I lived out of my car as one "move"). I'm ready to settle down; unfortunately, our way of life doesn't allow for that.

In other news, the baby is doing great. She's bouncing all over the place! It's now to the point that I feel her at several different places all at the same time- I can tell she's growing! We went to our first birthing class the other night (not at all the tv lamaze class I was expecting- it was actually lecture-style in an auditorium with about 50 people), which was, oddly enough, much more beneficial than I was anticipating. We're down to 8 weeks until my due date- that will fly by!

Ah, well, enough procrastination... I must at least make an attempt to de-clutter...

Pics from Savannah

My parents came in for a few days last week. They bought tickets for last weekend's Nascar race in Atlanta last year when we were living near there- about 5 miles from the track, actually. But, as is our lives, we moved four hours south right after they bought the tickets... but, hey, what's another 4 hours after driving 10 to get to a car race, right?

We had a great time with them here. We spent one day walking around Savannah and ending with a seafood buffet... what a great way to enjoy coastal Georgia! Right on the river is this section of shops and restaurants- including THREE candy shops! Gotta love free samples! Here are a few pics, especially for those of you who have yet to see me pregnant...


















And if that weren't proof enough...

Crayon Box

I have started about three posts, only to realize none of them were interesting enough to publish. So, instead, I have decided to grace you with several of my here-and-there thoughts, a "crayon box" of sorts...

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The last few nights, Jon and I have sat out on the deck... and I could wear SOCKS! Yes, and long pants, and - get this - long sleeve shirts! Ah, bliss.

On that note, I purchased a homemade pumpkin spice candle from a PWOC friend, and she delivered it to me today- can't wait to try it out! (Every fall, I spend like $3 on the Walmart version, which kinda smells a little for about 10 minutes, then it just burns. Glad I went with quality this year.)

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If you read my husband's blog, you remember him posting a couple weeks ago about a Derek Webb song. Yes, to calm any family grumblings, it was in fact my brother-in-law, Dave, who introduced me to this favorite of mine a couple years ago (by the way, Dave, I don't think it was KFC- I think it was a mom&pop diner that took about an hour and a half for us to eat at...) Derek Webb used to be in Caedmon's Call (and is married to Sandra McCracken of the same fame), then went solo. His album "She Must and Shall Go Free" is all about the church and has incredible lyrics. Both Derek and his bride are also a part of the Indelible Grace project- if you've never heard them, look them up on iTunes!!

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There is another brigade out of Ft. Stewart getting ready to deploy next month, so the train behind our house has once again been busy transporting various fighting vehicles. It has been a long road for this brigade, as they were "supposed to" deploy in July, then it kept getting delayed... the only thing worse than a deployment is an incessantly delayed deployment... the more time they spend here now, the longer it will be before they come home...

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The pregnancy is going well. I'll have to take a picture so y'all can see! It's funny, I now weigh what I did on my wedding day. Today someone told me my nose is getting bigger. Has anyone else heard of "pregnant nose"? Apparently I'm out of the loop on this one. I am pretty sure, though, that the wee one has changed her sport of choice from soccer to gymnastics- sorry, Dad!!

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Kids Church is going well, too. After starting to plan the Fall Fest, I was made aware that MWR (Morale, Welfare, & Recreation- they're in charge of the "fun" stuff of the Army) is doing one as well, so I'm just going to set up a booth at theirs. Easier for me. We're also doing a Kids Church Christmas program that will be a part of the Installation Chapel's Christmas Music Festival. It should be pretty cool!

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And, in closing, courtesy of MASH, "Be brave, be loyal, be true... and keep your white flags handy, just in case..."

It's a...

I apologize to my regular readers who have been waiting for the expected news...

um... well...

(I have to use some space so that the preview feature from feedblitz doesn't give it away...)

First of all, everything is great and healthy! Kidneys, spine, brain, heart, other things that I'm not sure what they were... all developing normally and healthily.

So, without further ado, meet our little girl...




In that second picture, please note how she is getting ready to punch me...

Autumn is upon us, and an update on the baby

Today's high is only 88!

Of course, the heat index is estimated at 101 and we are currently at 100% humidity, but hey, seeing a number under 90 is always a good day! Bring on the apples!

Speaking of a good day, today is the big day! Well, maybe not THE big day... but we will *hopefully* (if the wee one cooperates) find out what the baby is!! I have had this appointment planned for WEEKS and have barely been able to contain my excitement... (just ask Jon... I have been reminding him several times a day) I'm trying not to get my hopes up, just in case the wee one does NOT cooperate (which would be my luck...) but it's not working very well.

I told Jon the other day that, according to the week-by-week guides, the baby is about 10 1/2 inches long. He didn't believe me. I told him s/he's all curled up. Still, no. Speaking of, if you see me soon, tell me you can tell I'm pregnant. It will make my day. (Though, a word of advice: saying "I don't really think your stomach is bigger, but your face looks chubby" is NEVER a good thing to say to a pregnant woman.) Seriously, folks, my clothes have not fit in 2 months. I'm pregnant. My belly is bigger. I swear.

Curves, Cravings, and Clothes

As I wrote last time, I went to the doctor earlier this week to discuss how my scoliosis (three curves in my spine and uneven hip) could affect the pregnancy. The doctor literally apologized to me for making me drive over 2 hours round-trip for him to not be able to do anything. He looked at my xrays, looked at me, and said, "You'll probably have pain, but maybe not. If you do, take Tylenol. There really isn't anything else we can do." I just looked at him. Exercises? Shoes? Brace? (These were things my ob/gyn suggested) Nope. Probably a belly brace in the third trimester, but other than that, there's nothing anyone can do to prevent or help the pain. He was really nice and didn't make me feel dumb for being there or anything (unlike other doctors I have seen in the past), but it was still a disappointment! Ah well, at least I know...

Several people have asked me if I've craved anything. Yesterday I met several of the PWOC women at the park for lunch, and one of them even brought an extra pickle just in case! Though considerate, I enjoy dill pickles no more now than I did before. I have, however, eaten three whole watermelons (Jon doesn't like them) since I got pregnant. Craving? Eh, probably just that I love watermelon! (I literally chop it in half and grab a spoon!) My new thing is potato chips and dip. Again, I don't think it's a craving so much as it is that we NEVER have such things in the house, so it's quite a treat that I bought them!

Lastly, at 16 weeks, I am at that dreaded point where I am too big for my clothes, but too small for maternity. Thank goodness for pajama pants! :-)

A couple other thoughts...

Just to put it in perspective, the baby is about 3" long right now. It's so fascinating to think about those teeny tiny little fingers and toes!

I also wanted to add that I think seeing the heart beat was my favorite part- this little blob in the middle of the body fluttering away...

2nd Introduction of the Week... (drum roll please...)

I give you, ladies and gentlemen, the announcement you've all been waiting for: New Baby Fisher!!!

Yes yes, in six months or so Jon and I will be welcoming into the outside world our first child!

I had been waiting to post until we heard the heart beat- and today, we got much better- an ultrasound!



Our doctor was a really cool person- very laid back and personable, and she listened to all my questions and answered them thoroughly (at this point in the journey, I have only good things to say about Army medicine... I hope that keeps up!). When we heard the heart beat (which was enough to make my week in itself!), we also heard little thumps. "Did you hear that?" she asked, surprised- "that was the baby jumping!" She then went across the hall and pulled into the room an ultrasound machine! It was older, but nonetheless, it worked. (see first pic) She was amazed at how much the baby was moving and how well developed s/he is. She actually thought I may have been further along than I thought! So, she called down to the ultrasound tech, who said she could see me right then.



Even though we found out we're no further along than we thought, it was very cool to be able to get to use the nice machine this early- they ususally don't do it until 5 months! The ultrasound tech even noted that s/he is moving and jumping more than babies usually do at this stage. We got a lot of good shots, and I posted the two she printed out. You can't really see it in these, but in some of the pictures we could see the individual fingers and toes, as well as the brain, nose, and lips- and that was all without her even having to tell us what they were! (notice the difference between the two machines in the first and second pictures...) Looks like we're going to have a kicker on our hands!!