Please excuse any hanging participles

Rachel likes to say that I have 3 jobs now - a teacher, a father, and a homeowner.  Apparently blogging does fall anywhere within those job descriptions, because it has been awhile.

I actually started this blog post countless times in my mind.  And a couple time on the computer.  The baby is resting on my lap right now, in a state of not-quite-awake-but-not-settled-enough-to-lie-down-on-my-own.  But he is content enough to let me type a few minutes. 

As a father, I am quite happy.  A newborn is relatively easy for a father to deal with - you don't feed him, and he does not need a lot of stimulation.  So as long as I can hold him, swaddle him, shhhhh him, and change his diaper, then I am a superstar.

Rachel said that I am supposed to brag about how little sleep I am getting.  Well, I am starting on my night shift with Andrew right now.  He has his evening feeding and Rachel went off to bed.  But he is not ready to sleep, so I am stealing some 1-on-1 time to do manly things like fixing the bathroom tile or watching Sportcenter.

So yes, it is past my pre-baby bedtime, but staying up an extra hour or two pales in comparison to waking up every few hours to feed him.  I am keeping my mouth shut before Rachel reconsiders how nice she is being to me!

The little man is growing and changing with each day.  Well, honestly I do not really notice each and every day.  But he looks different than when he was born, and he has not been out here for that many days...so he must be changing every day, right?

My biggest surprise is the power of the swaddle.  I always figured the secret weapon of the baby whisperer was in the proper pat on the baby, or the secret string of baby talk cooed into his ear.  But no.  It is the tight wrapping of a piece of cloth around him.  He fights it with all his might; arms flailing wildly in an attempt to avoid containment.  But thankfully at this point I am still stronger than him, and my will wins out.  Once he is bound up and picked up, the shrill screams of horror immediately subside into blank stares of seemingly narcotic-induced bliss.  Yet, he does not know what is best for him.  For once he is laid down on his own, he springs into a fit of Houdini-like writhing that results in the eventual freeing of his hands over time.  Only to have me wrap him up again.  Repeat.  Sigh.

Rachel commented recently on how the pride of parenthood has hit her.  She wondered what it would be like to be a mom, to have that responsibility over a child.  But now she can relish every new thing that Andrew is able to do, and feel that tingly warmth whenever people compliment him.

Andrew during Tummy Time

Andrew has also had a humanizing effect on my work life.  Now, students and staff (who before may have never engaged in small talk with me) constantly ask, "how's the baby?"  It gives them something they know they can talk to me about.  It is a good thing.  Also, I love the reaction of the students - because I am a science teacher, they assume I am smart.  Since they think I am smart, they all comment how my son is going to be a scientific genius. 

At work, it has been a tough transition back.  Leaving home is okay, but the problem is that I had a lot piled up.  Things from spring break were pushed back due to working on the house (pulling staples, for example).  After that, the baby came.  Then moving.  In all that, I have amassed a lot of work to grade and a lot of paperwork to fill out.  I have been making good progress on it in recent days, but needless to say I am counting the days until summer begins.  

At home, our new house is wonderful.  I am almost as happy about living here as I am about being a dad.  My mind is spinning with the things I want to do with the place this summer (time and money allowing, of course) but in a good way.  It is going to be a blast.

It is 10:45 and he is already asleep.  Sweet!  I need to take the bus in the morning so I need to turn my alarm back a bit.  

With that, I will throw a few pictures on to the end of this and call it a night.

-alan

Moving on up...to the northside

Monday we officially left Bridgeport for our new lives north of Madison.  It will be strange writing the N instead of the S when filling out my address.  The move went off without any major drama.  Movers took care of the big stuff and we loaded the last of the odds and ends into our vehicles. 

Andrew has been remarkably good throughout this process and has slept a lot!  He still has his inconsolable moments but he has really been a good sport. 

Right now I don't have a strong sense of "I'm home" but I am definitely happy to be here.  I think things will sink in more once everything is in its proper place.  I am thankful for Alan's mom and my sister Becca who are here with me now.  Slowly but surely things will come together. 

-rachel

Lessons of love

I am very appreciative for all the well wishers and those who have been excited for us in the last week and a half.  It is great to know that Andrew has fans all over the world and we have a great support network of friends and family. 

We have enjoyed delicious meals prepared by people in our church and I have been supported at home by Northwestern friends (Kate and Katy) who have come over and helped me take care of the wee one now that Alan is back to work. 

I can't help but be overwhelmed by all this love that is poured out upon us.  We are truly blessed!

I am learning my own lessons about love and showing it to my little boy.  Definitely it is a sacrifice of time, sleep, and sanity at this point but it is totally worth it.  I don't have a single poignant anecdote to capture my current feelings, but all I can say is my heart is growing in love each day.

Below are some pictures...I know his fans are getting restless!

-rachel

Happy Mother's Day!

Today is Rachel's first Mother's Day.  And good news - she got her #1 Mother's Day wish, which was to get some sleep.  Andy cooperated and slept well (not through the night, of course, but he went back to sleep reasonably fast after his night feedings), and she was also able to get a mid-afternoon nap. 

It was our first time using the stroller (works great) during our first walk (nice weather).  Andrew slept through his first church service (we will forgive that for the first few years) but was cooperative for family photos after the service (let's work on that smile, though!).

Here is the latest of the proud momma and her little chickadee.

And a shot of Andrew at our friends' condo, looking disturbed but wearing his favorite outfit:

And of course a Happy Mother's Day to our moms, who provide the inspiration for us to take such good care of our own child!  Thank you!

-alan

Busy Day - too busy?

Today was Andrew's first big day out.  Early this morning, we did the parent juggle as we showered, ate breakfast, packed up, and readied Andy for his doctor appointment.  Not bad for a first attempt, but I am sure we can make the whole process a little more efficient with practice.

We made it on time for his 4-day checkup.  The pediatrician gave him a clean bill of health, and earned brownie points with us by affirming his cuteness.  He is gaining weight, and his jaundice appears under control.  He is eating regularly, and pooping and peeing as a newborn should.  What more can we ask for?

From there, we headed to the house for the first time in a week.  We brought Andrew in but I think he just slept through the tour.

The floors have had time to cure, so the smell is not so strong anymore.  Rachel and the baby headed upstairs for a nap while I started cleaning.  The floor sander unfortunately put a fine layer of red oak sawdust all over the house, so it needs to be dealt with before we move in.  A lot of swiffering is in order. Oh yeah, and packing.  Lots more packing.

Back at our apartment, I opened up the grill (for the first time all season, thanks to my laziness) and cooked dinner for Rachel...and the Weddles. 

Rachel is in bed now, while I take the babysitter night shift.  And by babysit, I mean sit with the computer while he sleeps in his vibrating chair net to me.

-alan

Birth story

It began on Sunday afternoon.  Rachel braved church in the morning, and successfully avoided facing too many "Why haven't you had your baby yet?" questions.  We went home and busied ourselves with the Sunday paper and a few small chores; shortly thereafter, Katie McFeely stopped by on her way out of town.  She had been in Chicago for a wedding, and our apartment is conveniently located on the road leading out to Ohio/Indiana/Michigan.  Though she was hoping to be able to see the baby, we visited for awhile and talked much about the ordeal that was yet to come.

Late afternoon, I decided that we should go out to dinner; the induction was scheduled for early the next morning, so I knew this was our last dinner alone.  Rachel has a hankerin' for some chicken wings, so we headed over to the local Buffalo Wild Wings clone on Halsted.  However, the lingering crowd from the Sox game and the thought of hot wings and onion rings sitting heavy in my belly led me to call an audible and move over to Nana's, which is a relatively new restaurant that prides itself in making real food.  It was a good compromise, because we ordered the "Sunday Supper" - fried chicken, biscuits, veggies, mac and cheese, and slaw.  Oh yeah, and dessert.  Boy was I stuffed.

I paid the check as Rachel hit the bathroom one last time.  After she came out and we headed to the car, she let it slip: "I think my water just broke."  She was not entirely confident of this fact, because unlike TV, there was no gush, puddle, or soaked pants for her to look at as evidence.  However, she talked herself into it once we got home.  She called the doctor, who offered a choice: stay home, and wait until the induction appointment, or go to the hospital now. 

I loved the idea of waiting until the induction appointment.  Rachel was not having contractions, so I knew the baby was not going to be born on our couch.  I was stuffed, so I felt lethargic.  Probably not the best feeling right before going in to have a baby, right?  So even a few hours sleep sounded wonderful.  Of course, the decision was not really mine, so the anxiety level of my wife was enough to have us pack up and head out.

Upon arrival, we walked into the Receiving room, and saw it was as crowded as an emergency room.  I was fearful, but scanned the room and figured out that there was only 1 other actual pregnant person there.  The balance of the room was apparently family, friends, and well-wishers of someone inside who decided to make this their own waiting room.  Thankfully Rachel was in good spirits, or we would have been quite bothered by the lack of privacy and bickering going on between siblings and the use of a smart phone. 

Within minutes we were whisked into our triage room, where the nurse confirmed that Rachel's water had broken.  From there, we headed up to the 8th floor and I unloaded our belongings into the labor and delivery room.  We were in room 888; coincidently, the number 8 is a particularly lucky number in China, being associated with wealth and prosperity.

Initially, we settled in comfortably; there were no painful contractions and Rachel's doctor would not be in for several more hours.  The resident on call told us to turn on the TV, at which point we spent a couple hours watching the news broadcasts of Osama Bin Laden's death.  I thought that if Rachel sped things up, we could have a "Bin Laden Baby."  I don't think she liked that idea too much...

A little after midnight, things got more tense.  A variety of factors, none of which was terribly serious, resulted in Rachel (and as a consequence, me) getting anxious.  In the midst of a mild panic attack, the nurses slapped on some oxygen to calm her down and ordered the anesthegiologist to come in to start her epidural.  When I came back (the anesthegiologist kicked me out), Rachel was cool as a cucumber again.  She had overcome her metaphorical hump.

And so, the waiting began.  I got some sleep, starting at 1am.  I awoke once to the sound of a nurse setting out a torture-chamber worthy assortment of metal tools on a big metal tray.  I awoke again to the sound of the nurse saying, "Oh, you are fully dialated.  You are going to have a baby soon!"  It was as though I was dreaming, except this time the dream was real.

Rachel's doctor came in and explained the process of pushing.  Without anymore than a pause to collect our breaths, she ordered Rachel to push.  I helped hold Rachel's dead leg - the anesthesia seemed to kick in on her left side much more strongly - but otherwise the work was all her.  The baby crowned after only a few contractions.  The doctor was effusive with praise at how quickly Rachel was getting that baby out.  And with a little more encouragement, the baby was born at 5:24am...less than 40 minutes after the pushing began.  Amazing!

We stayed down in the delivery room for another several hours.  Rachel lost an above-average amount of blood (pushing too hard, I guess!) and so they had to sew her up and monitor her for a bit.  Of course, we did not know that - and waited to make phone calls until after we moved.

Rachel immediately after delivery, with the baby.








Nonetheless, the phone rang shortly after delivery. Rachel's Dad was on the phone (with a room full of Taiwanese ladies in the background, apparently). He stalked us down and sweet talked the nurses into patching him through to our room. Ha!


The last 2 days we have been in the hospital, making the adjustment to our new lives. Feeding, changing diapers, soothing, sleeping, not sleeping...the learning begins. In a few hours we will head home. I will be off the rest of the week, and back to work the next. Rachel will then have a stream of visitors to look forward to - Kate, Katy, Becca, and my Mom. Fun!

Here are some other pictures of Andrew:

Rachel enjoyed the room service!!

Old man hands!!

Sarah and Dave - with their new nephew.  They were out first visitors!

Our little pseudo-photo shoot.  The hospital photographer came in to take some pictures, so we recreated her poses after we left.

Stop bothering me!  I just want to sleep!!

So fast at changing diapers - I am a blur!  (and nobody tell Sarah that I never helped change my nieces' diapers)

Our hospital recovey room.

Little Andy sleeping tight in his swaddle!

-alan

Happy Birthday!

This morning at 5:24am, Rachel gave birth to Andrew Charles Allmen.  He is 7 pounds, 13 ounces and measures 20.5 inches.  Everyone is doing well.  More details to follow later today / tomorrow.



-alan