Last Year At This Time

Today, I give you my journal entry from one year ago.
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29 December 2005: Last night, I went out to the Dark Horse Saloon to throw back a few with Brandon, Tony and Flatscreen. Got home at around midnight. Wasn't drunk. Wasn't really too buzzed either. After only three beers in about five hours. Climbed into bed with Lisa who was already fast asleep. She was snoring like a beast so, after about twenty minutes, I grabbed my pillows and headed out to the sofa. M*A*S*H was on. It was the first episode with BJ in it, which would have made it the first episode of season four. I fell to sleep in the middle of it.

I awoke at 2:00 am to Lisa, standing in front of me, claiming that her water had just broken. I jumped up and called Jeannie, the nurse midwife. The contractions started at about this time. I was trying not to freak out. Jeannie told us to go to the hospital. I was a nervous wreck as I crammed everything I could into a small suitcase. By 3:00 am, we were at the hospital. Lisa was going through unbearable pain until she received an epidural at about 9:00 (finally!!). I left at about 9:30 to get some coffee and something to eat at the Bread Company across the street right after she fell to sleep. I had gotten a message from Brandon. I spoke with Mom twice, Dad once and [Papa] Jim about three times. He and Karen are on their way. I left a message with Matt. I've been reading the biogaphy of Paul Klee by G. Di San Lazzaro and am at the point in his life where he and his wife, Lily, have just welcomed their first son. Cool.

9:55 am: Matt just called. While talking to him, Karen called. Then Lisa called while I was talking to her and Matt was still on hold. I'm a nervous wreck. The time is now 9:59 and I have no idea what we're having and people won't leave me the hell alone. It's either going to be Audrey Elizabeth or William James but I haven't a clue as to who.

12:20 pm: Jim and Karen arrived a couple of hours ago and sat for a while. I gave them the key to the house and told them they could go back and take a nap. After they left, I went outside to make some phone calls on my cell phone. After about ten minutes, the nurse came out and told me to come in quickly. It seems that the baby keeps losing oxygen and there's a strong chance they may need to perform an emergency C-section. Seems like whenever I leave the room, I leave bad luck behind. I intend on not leaving again until a baby makes an appearance. Now we sit and wait. Things are looking normal again. At last measurement, Lisa is dilated 7 cm, which is two more than an hour ago. Before the oxygen scare, they estimated the pushing would begin at around 7:00 tonight. Now if a C-section is needed, it will be much sooner.

1:18 pm: I grow more nervous the longer I sit and stare at this damn heart monitor. Its beeping haunts me. I decide to try to get some sleep. However, I jump at the sound of the smallest noises. I get up to pee at the same moment the nurse enters the room. She jokes that her threat to order a C-section apparently scared the baby because he or she is "cooperating again." I'm afraid that if I fall to sleep, I'll let my guard down and another crisis will arise. I want to listen to music, but am afraid I'll end up sleeping through something bad that might happen. I also fear that that damn phone will ring as soon as I climb aboard the Slumberland Express. I think I'll call Mom and head her off at the pass....

1:39 pm: I made a playlist for the baby on the iPod. The theme began as any song with the word "baby" in the title. This expanded to "kid" and "child."

The playlist:
01. Babe, I'm Going To Leave You -- Led Zeppelin
02. Babe, You Turn Me On -- Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
03. Babies On The Sun -- Sparklehorse
04. Baby Gonna Leave Me -- Tom Waits
05. Baby, Now That I Found You -- The Foundations
06. Eyeball Kid -- Tom Waits
07. I Can't Quit You Baby -- Led Zeppelin
08. It Ain't Me Babe -- Johnny Cash and June Carter
09. Little Fat Baby --Sparklehorse
10. Mama Had A Baby And Its Head Popped Off -- Atmosphere
11. Mother And Child Reunion -- Paul Simon
12. My Baby -- Emmylou Harris
13. Ooh Child -- The Five Stairsteps
14. Please Call Me, Baby -- Tom Waits
15. Problem Child -- AC/DC

I decide to stop with the mix when I realize that I'm really stretching it. Especially with that last one. I also fear that several negative and/or demented song titles may bring bad karma. I'm considering deleting them from the playlist if any problems persist.

2:43 pm: Several people have called to check on Lisa's progress. Mom arrived a short time ago and, to my surprise, only started crying once. At 9 cm, its looks like this baby is going to be delivered much sooner than anticipated. Dad is on his way, as are Jim and Karen. I've given up on trying to sleep. Too much excitement, I guess.

3:15 pm: Lisa started pushing at this time and went until about 3:50. Audrey Elizabeth Teel came into the world at this time and is beautiful!

30 December 2005: Neither one of us can believe we have a little girl. Last night they moved the three of us to a regular room with two beds (one for us and one for Audrey. Just kidding!). The parents stayed for a while. Dad was his usual zany self, making jokes about me wetting the bed and how the nurses had to put plastic sheets on it because he told them to. At one point, he wanted to turn on the TV and, thinking my iPod was some sort of remote control, he picked it up and pointed it toward it, trying to turn it on. He wasn't trying to be funny but, rather, again found himself bewildered in the face of modern technology. Ellie and Jeff were here for a while too.


I'd had an appointment to meet with a police officer to have the carseat installed in the CR-V. Brandon showed up as I was leaving so, after seeing the baby and talking to Lisa, he went with me. The officer asked "what's your daughter's name?" and I had to think for a second before telling her. The exchange just seemed unusual. Then I had to fill out some paperwork and it asked for her name and I wasn't sure how to spell it and asked Brandon what he thought it was. Thankfully, we were right on the money. After we got back, everybody had left in time for Jimmy and Kelly to show up with flowers and a balloon that actually kind of looks like Audrey. Jimmy also had his new camera and took some awesome photos of the three of us.

Sleep was sporadic. The baby slept a little but woke up crying in the middle of the night. I changed diapers for the first time after waking up this morning and am proud to say I'm quite comfortable with it. It's 10:48 am as of this writing and the groupies should begin arriving at any time now. Speak of the devil, Karen just walked in. Hello, Grandma.

9:57 pm: Audrey is a popular girl! Today, she had several visitors--Renee and Jim [Tharp], Brandon (again), Jeno and Kevin, Larry and Grandma. The Flatscreen came last, bearing flowers. He actually tried to get me to go across the street with him to Birdies for "just one drink" after visiting with us for a bit. I told him no and he didn't push it. This morning, I had to get away for a little bit so I went by the health department to drop off some paperwork for Lisa. Some of the women came out to ask about Lisa and Audrey. It's been a long day and we're both exhausted. We asked the nurse to take the baby to the nurse's station so we could get some sleep tonight. Tomorrow we go home and the real adventure begins.