Owen is knocking on the door!

Note: This is a guest post by Jeremy. We're at STL labor and delivery room 4 - water broke this morning around 8 am . . . uncle Jake is here with us. All signs are good, Linsay is hooked up to all the monitors and the baby heartbeat is good . . . she looks beautiful doesn't she??

Will update later!

The due date weekend!

It is the weekend that I have been waiting for, for the last 10 months! Baby due date weekend... will Owen be early, on-time or late to his own party???
I was determined that he would be early, and I still am banking on it. I have said May 28 or 29th... Jeremy says, June 3rd or 4th.

My very good friend, Isabel David, had her son, Elliott Maximilian David on Monday morning- but went into labor on Elliott's due date, Sunday night. Congrats to Danny and Isabel- cant wait to meet the little one!! So, this is a big weekend for us... like I said before- if he doesn't come by my next Dr. appointment on Tuesday- then my doctor will schedule an induction for next week. This is officially, our LAST weekend alone- unless last weekend was and our little gemini comes sometime between today and Sunday :)

A few little facts about this little gemini:
In astrology, Gemini is considered a "masculine", positive (extrovert) sign. Perhaps the most dominant Geminian characteristic is versatility. It is also considered an air sign, and is one of four mutable signs.[4] Gemini has been closely associated with the planet Mercury and is considered to be ruled by it.

Apparently Mercury is released out of retrograde today, its a big day... I don't know too much about this, but maybe it will mean something to Owen?

Have a great weekend!

Deepwater Horizon

NYT Headline reads: " BP Resumes Work to Plug Oil Leak After Facing Setback"


"BP officials, who along with government officials created the impression early in the day that the strategy was working, disclosed later that they had stopped pumping the night before when engineers saw that too much of the drilling fluid was escaping along with the oil." (NYT, 5.27.2010)
So, (they) implied that this "top kill" strategy was working all day today, only to tell us later this afternoon that they found out that this was in fact not working, last night?


I am just in awe that it has been over a month (since 4.20.2010) and this is what BP, the third largest global energy company and the fourth largest company in the world, and Transocean, the world's largest offshore drilling contractor TOGETHER are capable of. Once again, proposed solution is a failure.

I really hope that once Owen arrives and I come out of my MIA status with him that this is over... so sad!!

Oil slick as seen on 5.24.2010 from NASA's satellite:

{Vitamin D Time}

Today I took some time and lounged in the pool and read a book (which is incredible, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo- FYI if you haven't read or heard of it). Tate and I lounged and soaked up some rays. The pool is even more amazing when you are pregnant- makes me forget that I have a 20 lb stomach in front of me.... I feel light and that is a priceless feeling being 3 days away from my due date and feeling very heavy.

Tate LOVES to lay in the sun- if there is the least bit of shade on him he moves to a sunnier spot. He enjoys hanging out up on our upstairs deck in the sun. I wonder if I am freezing Tate in the house like I am Jeremy and that is why he acts as though he has to defrost in the heat? Mmmm?


We are still waiting...




Heaven:

275 days down... 5 to go

39.5 weeks .... SO close!

WOW, 275 days! I can not believe I have been pregnant for two hundred...and seventy...five... days!!!! That is a really really long time! Since the end of August!
It has flown by quickly!! I have to thank Jeremy for putting up with me pregnant for 275 days... it is as much of a trip to be pregnant that long as it is to have a wife pregnant that long (well, being pregnant might take the lead by a little there, but you get my point). I have the most amazing, supportive and loving husband. He claims its so cold in our bedroom at night he should be able to hang meat- but somehow I wake up at 2am every early morning fanning my face and he continues to not say a word, sleeping in pajama pants and socks to stay warm. Need I point out that it is the end of May in Houston, Texas?! (I am sure he is going to pull his beanie hat out by the end of the week)!


Here are a couple pictures:

I am smiling but secretly whimpering behind that smile. Owen, sweety, it is time to get up and get out...now! Love, mom.



POP!

Waiting....

We are just waiting for Owen to get here...

Dr. Ivey told me that he could come anytime between now and Sunday (5/30- O's due date)... but if he doesnt come by Tuesday, we are going to have to discuss evicting him and scheduling a time to induce me. Owen- please please please come before next Tuesday! Please come before this Sunday!

We had a very chill weekend. Jeremy played golf and I continued to 'nest' and relax around the house. There was some serious video gaming going on in the evening when Uncle Jake and Noush came over to hang out with Jeremy... I think they are trying to get in as much gaming as possible before Owen gets here.

Until Owen knocks on my door... we are just waiting....

The Season Finales of LOST and pedicures....

We are exactly one week away from Owen's due date- "yes!" (insert a fist pump)!! I am so ready to meet the little guy! However I do realize that my days will be changing drastically! So I got a pedicure and manicure this weekend in preparation for the temporary personal pampering drought that will accompany Owen's arrival.

As much as I am anticipating the season finale of LOST tonight, I also realize that this is the final episode- no more Tuesday nights with the black smoke(aka Lock), creepy psycho Claire, Jack and his god-complex or Kate and Sawyers island adventures! We will miss them but I think Owen will do a good job taking over Tuesday nights... and Monday nights and Wednesday nights and every other night of the week for a while :) So perfect timing, ABC.

And just as much as I am anticipating Owen's arrival, I do realize that this is the "season finale" of my 'free personal pampering time' to get manicures, pedicures and such... but I am okay with that:)! This last week I got a facial, manicure and pedicure- so I am ready to go.

My feet, as of a couple days ago, have started swelling and I have definitely taken on some rather unattractive ankles and toes...Jeremy likes to call me "cankles" because he knows how much I hate it- haha!('cankle'- where there is no distinct ankle bone visible, merely a blend of calf and ankle- yuck). I suppose I am pretty lucky its waited until the the very end to swell up because swollen feet and ankles are not only unattractive but painful.

Here is a picture of my piglet toes- well, pretty & painted piglet toes but not cankles. While I admit that I do in fact have them, I don't want any documented evidence floating around out there. And yes, I have the tiniest toe nails ever along with the tiniest ears (pictures not included of ears). So since this has been a blog mainly about the preparation of Owen's arrival its only fair to include the entire experience- head to "toes"! (Ha!)



We will keep you posted on Owen's arrival... Until then, I will just sit uncomfortably on my left side with my fat feet propped up, whimpering silently but patiently until he decides its his day....

CHOPS

Tonight we had dinner with my in-laws for my brother-in-law's graduation dinner celebration. James will be graduating from Cinco Ranch High School June 5th and will be attending Rice University in the fall. But that is not it.... he will also be playing for the Rice Owls football team. We are so proud of him!

We are so excited that he is going to Rice because not only is it a great school but its a great school located right around the corner from our house. We are already talking about our pre-game tailgating plans at Barkdull. And to start the season off, Rice's first game is against University of Texas at Reliant Stadium- that is right, that is how we do it, right out of the gate!

Owen is going to love watching Uncle James play football- I can already see him carrying a football around wearing a little Rice t-shirt with 'Radcliffe' on the back.

Dinner was great- but now that I am pushing 9 months pregnant and sporting a belly that measures almost 40 cm (up & down), there is not much room inside for my stomach along with everything else! I imagine it is mashed somewhere in between Owen's feet and my ribs, therefore, I am only able to eat small amounts at a time... making a steakhouse serving quite difficult to conquer. 1 more week until Owen's due date is here! (thank goodness!)

Below are some pictures from the evening.
(click on a picture to enlarge)

{The High School Graduate}


{James and his girlfriend, Katherine}


{My handsome husband and me}


{Jeremy, me and Uncle Jake}


{The Radcliffes}

Tick tock...

39 weeks down... well, 38 weeks and 5 days to be exact- but, basically 39 weeks :) And we are officially into SINGLE digits, people! 9 days left!

Here is another attempt to take a picture of myself today. I am still amazed at how far my stomach 'pokes' out... it amazes me every single day.

Tate Time!

I went to the Dr. today...everything is great. Owen is definitely headed our way soon but no idea when he will decide to come. I sure do wish he could give me one kick for early or two kicks for late- that sure would be nice!


Yesterday Tate and I went for our daily walk and hung out at our neighborhood park so I decided to snap some photos of him with my iPhone (hence the poor quality- sorry). Pretty soon the camera will be all about Owen.... oh, who am I kidding, it will be Owen AND Tate together!

38 weeks!

We (Owen and me) are 38 weeks down... 2 to go! I look like I swallowed a large beach ball- and boy does it feel like I did! Owen continues to move around- stretching mainly and kicking his knees and feet everywhere. My stomach can definitely take on some different shapes.

We are officially in the RED ZONE... count down begins... you see that little baby ticker to the right of this post? Yeah, that is right... it says 14 days right now.. but in a few hours, " its going to be 13 days... and then 12... and then 11.." (that is an inside joke to my mom! haha).

xoxo

Tate's Chair

This may be Owen's room, but I think Tate has claimed this chair as his own... and Ill let him think it is his for the time being :)
Tate looks like he belongs in this nursery... he resembles a stuffed animal- so cute. I couldn't resist another post about my dog- Owen needs to get here soon so I can start posting all of his updates!
Its a beautiful day in Houston today. I forsee some pool time, walk time followed by some mani/pedi time... all ME time before Owen gets here!

"You're doing it wrong!"

This week I went to Texas Children's Hospital to have my car seat installation inspected. I figured this would take about 10 minutes- they would make sure the seat was on properly, sign-off on it and say " Good luck and congratulations!". Uh... nope. Did not go like that at all.

I have to say though, that we are lucky to have people who take their jobs as serious as these women and men do because they taught me a thing or two about my car seat and how I was basically doing everything wrong. Everything. But about 45 minutes later they had showed me how everything works and how the angle of the seat is very important etc.

First of all- see this little guy below? Well, he is not allowed to be hanging on the car seat- and none of his friends are allowed either.... nothing is to be hanging/dangling from the car seat- ever. "Yes, mam"



Also, you are never to have any sort of car seat cushion or pads in the seat that did not come with the car seat. None of those have been crash tested with the car seat. Check.

And your car seat should go in the middle of your back seat if possible- that is the best place for it. Not behind the passenger seat like I had it orginally placed... I figured it would give Tate a little more room back there with it behind the passenger seat. Sorry Tate, your space is already getting cramped!

They took my seat out of the car and showed me how to properly install it. I will save you all the details, but in short, lets just say that I am so glad I took my car seat over there. They also showed me how to properly place and strap a baby in- I think I almost broke the baby dolls arms getting it under the straps because they were so tight! But, I guess that is how tight those little angels are supposed to be strapped in there!

Below is the finished product- we are ready to go to the hospital... now we just need a baby in that car seat!





Nesting is almost complete... 17 days to go!

I guess from this point forward I will always have a car seat in my car... kind of funny to think about!

Practice makes perfect...

Tate and I went for a 3 mile walk today and we were both exhausted afterwards. It is starting to warm up in Houston and with that heat comes humidity, unfortunately. I am so happy that Owen is coming in the next couple weeks- I don't think I could handle Houston heat in my condition!

Here are a couple pictures of Tate today- he is practicing his nap time so that when Owen gets here, he is on the same schedule :) I am going to start practicing too!

We are ready, Owen!

Owen's room is finally ready... we just need to bring the gliding chair upstairs and put it in the nursery by the windows. I was able to get the linen curtains hung (thank you, Boysh!) and everything in order this week... and I think we are officially ready for the little guy to get here... there is no specific theme- Im not a 'themer'- just wanted something simple and soft.

BEFORE:
*this used to be our workout/yoga/kick boxing room




AFTER:
* its a little confusing to decipher the room with the mirror- but this is a picture standing from the hallway looking in




Yes... he already takes after his mom- uh-oh:



Just a few of his stuffed animals from friends:




Here is a pic of his artwork- the amazing paintings from the grandparents:



Mobile that is hanging above the bed:
*vintage sailboats





This child just doesn't have enough stuff... don't know what we are going to do?!








About 8 months ago I was a bit overwhelmed with everything that is out there that people say you 'need' or 'have to have.' With the help of some girlfriends I was able to compile lists from each of them of necessary items and I went from there. They have no idea how much they helped me out. I never knew there were so many different options from strollers and gear to particular bottles and pacifiers that you need! I sure hope it is safe to say that we wont be making any trips to any baby superstore anytime soon- those arent my favorite places to go... I have found that I enjoy internet shopping and baby boutique shopping.

In an effort to cut down on the amount of plastic baby stuff- I tried to get as many wooden items as possible as opposed to ugly plastic items that would have a potential to take over our living room. Jeremy and I have already agreed to start saving our "old cell phones" for future toys for the little guy along with other items like remote controls and game controls. Kids always want YOUR cell phone anyways after about 10 minutes with their unrealistic version of whatever it is you gave them... they love real remotes (Henry has changed the channel on me many times!), your cell phones, real cash registers, and boxes... I remember when I was about, oh.. probably 8 or 9, and I wanted a cash register so I could play superstore - I always wanted to work at the grocery store and check people out and scan their items when I was little. Therefore, my mom bought me a cash register- the read deal. I dont know where she got it, but I do remember that I LOVED it. It had the perfect buttons that you could press and it made the real sound.... oh I loved the sound of the drawer opening and me slamming it back as I counted out the change to "my customer"- ha!

So, we are going to do our best to recycle around here.... Some friends laugh at us and say 'good luck, just wait until you hit that point where you will throw anything at your child just to keep him entertained so that you can take a shower or answer an email...or finish that phone call"...

Inching closer...

I went to Dr. Ivey today for my 37 week appointment. I have 2 weeks and 5 days to go until Owen's due date. The appointment went great- I am measuring right where I should be and Owen's heart beat was at 130- active little guy. Dr. Ivey pulled in the ultra sound machine and did a quick ultra sound because he wasn't quite positive that he could feel his head down- but the little guy did in fact have his head down... his arms were hanging over his head so it made it hard to feel his head... I laughed and said that he was hanging upside down like a little monkey. I'm not sure where he has room to put his arms over his head- but I guess he is making some!
We are still on track for May 30th... unless he comes earlier. Owen is not allowed to come next week because my doctor will be at a conference all week... so Owen, come now, or stay put! :) Who am I kidding... I am acting like I have some sort of say so in this whole process- its clearly all up to the little monkey inside- only time will tell..

Happy Mother's Day, Mom! xoxo

I am so blessed to have such a loving and supportive mother. I was a very lucky child to be given one of the best gifts in life- my mother. She is the mother I hope I can be to my son. She taught me responsibility, discipline, and respect through her love... and to always sit up straight and keep my elbows off the table through her nagging ways .... :)

She set a great example through her own fashion sense and taught me how to keep it classy, elegant and simple (disclaimer: I guess I always had a thing for short shorts- :)).

She taught me about great shoes (love those Louboutins, sorry Jeremy), "natural" make up application and good wine ( my first glass was in London with her- I thought it tasted terrible- never knew I would love it so much!)

She taught me how to take care of my skin and the importance of staying out of the sun... which took me a little while to get, I was more interested in tan legs at the age of 16 than 'wrinkles' - I never imagined I would get those! :)
When I think about the drama queen that I was at the age of 13 and the trouble maker I was during my teen years (yup, I think it is fair to say that I definitely tested my boundaries in Uvalde) I often don't know how she put up with me!! :)

Thanks mom for your unconditional love! :)
I love you so much!


PS- I never appreciated or thanked you for the comfortable, dark, warm 9 months you provided for me before July 14, 1984- I never appreciated that until now :) xoxo

Me and mom at my baby shower:



In Denver:



My wedding:




Christmas 2009:



Chicago:



Christmas 2008:



2008 Thanksgiving:






MS Benefit/Casablanca Party, 2007: