Safe and Sound in Calgary

Well, we have arrived safe and sound in Calgary. The drive took 4 days, but we all made it here in one piece. For those of you who are interested, here is the tale of our journey.

Day 1 (Wednesday) - Abilene, TX to Clayton, NM
Rebecca turned 1 week old today, and we set off on our journey northward. We left Abilene around 11 am. Months ago, I had prepared a schedule for us of places to stop and hotels etc. I had done this up with the thought that I would still be pregnant (the schedule had us only stopping twice a day for meals...not every two hours for feeding!) So, on day one we were supposed to travel 642 miles to Colorado Springs. Needless to say, between leaving 3 hours later than scheduled, having to stop every two hours for me to walk (to prevent blood clots) and feeding Rebecca, we didn't make it to Colorado Springs. We did make it out of Texas and into New Mexico though. We stopped to eat our packed lunch at a small park by the lake. Jesse had fun running around and throwing rocks into the water. The ducks and geese thought it was food and came rushing over. Some baby geese wandered over, and the mama and papa geese hissed at Mike and Jesse before herding their young away. We stopped in Clayton, NM for the night - at the same hotel we stayed at on our way down. It was 11 pm before everyone was in bed and asleep. Rebecca woke up around 2ish, hungry. She ate for over an hour. Then she woke up at 5:30 to eat again. This time Jesse also woke up and climbed into bed with Mike. Jesse laid there contently, talking to himself and snuggling with Mike. Around 6 everyone was up, getting showered and packing up. We managed to eat breakfast and leave shortly after 8.


Day 2 - Clayton, NM to Wheatland, WY
We managed to put a good 3 hours in this morning while both kids slept in the van. We traveled slowly through New Mexico where they are still working on twinning the highway. As we entered Colorado and drove through the hills on the southern border, we reminisced of driving down to Abilene pulling the trailer, and how nice it was to actually go the speed limit this time through (which is a wonderful 75 mph on the interstate). We stopped for lunch in Pueblo, CO at a McDonalds so Jesse could play in the PlayPlace while I fed Rebecca. When she was done and we were getting ready to eat our packed lunch, Mike pulled out the Cool-a-tron, and noticed that all our food was warm, really warm. He had plugged it in backwards, on the heat setting. I found it extremely humourous. Mike didn't at the time, but I'm sure he will someday. So, we picked through the food and threw out our yogurt, mayo, turkey meat, and milk (which had started to separate or curdle or something!) Then Mike and Jesse went to Wal-Mart (which just happened to be in the same parking lot) and bought some food to replace what we had lost. I sat and fed Rebecca again. Then we ate in this big grassy area beside the parking lot (Colorado grass is so nice). Rebecca ate once more (she's a hungry girl) and had another dirty diaper (third one since we had stopped), and we were off again. We drove through Denver. Traffic wasn't too bad, but still not fun. It took at least an hour to get through the city. At some points, the interstate had 6 lanes each way, and traffic still came to a stop. We were glad to get out of there and stopped in Lafayette for a supper break. Jesse was spinning in circles in the parking lot and fell, scraping his face all up. Our second night we got a hotel in Wheatland, WY (same city we stayed at on the way down, different hotel). Jesse and Mike had a blast down at the pool while I got Rebecca ready to bed. We had a fairly good night, and got up around 6. We were on the road again by 8 which felt good.

Day 3 - Wheatland, WY to Great Falls, MT
Today was a long day. Jesse did fairly well considering this was his third day stuck in his car seat. We stopped in Kasey, WY for lunch at a rest area. Jesse got to run around in the pet exercise area with Mike while I once again fed Rebecca. After Kasey we drove to Billings, MT where we decided to stop again at McDonalds. Jesse had fun at the PlayPlace, I fed the baby, got my "lunch" to go (it was around 5 before I got to eat it), and we were on the road again. We really wanted to get to Great Falls since it would make the next day a lot shorter. Jesse cried for over an hour on the way to Great Falls. We kept expecting he would fall asleep since he was really tired. As we drove, Jesse started making this strained face like he was trying really hard to poop. We thought he was constipated since he hadn't had a lot of fruits and veggies in the past couple of days. Anyway, he probably strained for 10-15 minutes. When we got to the hotel, Mike went to change Jesse's diaper. It was really full, and Jesse was definitely not constipated. He had pooped just fine, and boy did it smell. As Mike described it "the smell burned my eyes." We took it out to the dumpster, but our hotel room still smelled until morning.

Day 4 - Great Falls, MT to Calgary, AB
We got on the road fairly early again today, around 8. We were at the border by 10ish and maybe waited in line for 20-30 minutes. When we got to the window, we breezed through questioning and were on our way. That was a huge relief for me, since Rebecca doesn't have a birth certificate yet. We stopped in Lethbridge for lunch at a park by the lake. Mike and Jesse got to play at the playground (Mike commented today that he feels like a single parent the past couple of days). We ate down by the lake. Jesse had fun watching and chasing the birds. It was a great place to stop and nice weather too. Jesse fell in the parking lot and scraped up his knee, but recovered fairly quickly. I was changing Rebecca before we left, and had just gotten her diaper off and her all cleaned up when she started peeing. At it wasn't just a little pee either. It went everywhere, all up her back and in her hair (she was on a slight incline). So, she got a baby wipe bath and a new set of clothes. At least when little girls pee, it doesn't spray all over you! We arrived in Calgary around 4, and at John and Brenda's by 4:30. Jesse finally got to run around and chase the puppies. Rebecca got loved on by her grandparents. Mike won't have to drink any more energy drinks. And I can finally stop wearing my compression socks!

We are glad to be here and look forward to settling in to a routine over the next couple of days. I will try to do a better job of keeping everyone updated on what's happening out here.

Rebecca Grace

I can't believe it's taken me this long to write a post...but I guess I have had my hands full the past 5 days. My delivery went very well (much better than last time) and my recovery has also been much easier so far. I was discharged from the hospital after two nights, and we even went out to Benjamin for church on Sunday. Everyone there was excited to see Rebecca, and Jesse and I (we haven't been out for the past two weeks).

We are settling into life here at home..and plan on leaving on Wednesday or Thursday for Canada. Rebecca has been sleeping pretty well at night. I don't know if this is because of the painkillers I was taking and they just made her sleepy, or if she will just be one of those babies that likes to sleep. Either way, I don't expect it to last very long! We are slowly getting the hang of nursing. I thought that it would be easy this time, because I had already done it once with Jesse - I had a year's experience. But, I forgot to remember that Rebecca has no experience, and she has to learn how to eat. That seems so silly to say, but it really is true. Babies are born with some instinct on how to nurse, but they still have to learn how to latch on right and to be patient...sometimes it takes a while for the milk to get there! Anyway, I think we are getting the hang of things now. Yesterday I was ready to quit...sure she wouldn't be able to figure it out. Then I was reminded by Mike that she was only 5 days old, and with Jesse we were just taking him home from the hospital at 5 days old and we struggled with nursing for a good week after that. So, with that in mind, we will continue to try with renewed patience. She has only lost around 10 oz (Jesse dropped almost a pound in the same amount of time), so we aren't really concerned yet.

Some of you may be wondering why there aren't a lot of videos of Rebecca on the Dropshots site...that's mostly because all the seems to do is eat and sleep. I could take a video of her sleeping if anyone out there would like me to...and as far as taking a video of me feeding her, I think that's best left off camera!

So, there you have it. I am feeling great and we have a beautiful little girl.

We have a daughter!

It is a good thing that I decided to read Trina's post from yesterday, otherwise I might not be writing this.

Everything went extremely well, both the delivery and Jesse waking up to unfamiliar faces and not seeing me until 11:45am or so.

Our daughter (name TBA) was born at 9:51am on May 16, 2007, weighing 7lbs 12oz and measuring 19.25 inches. We are excited!

Mike

We're having a baby tomorrow!

No, we aren't kidding...we really are having a baby tomorrow. After my doctors appointment on Monday, they decided it would be best to schedule my c-section for Wednesday. So, our baby will be born on May 16th around 9:00 am. Mike and I will go to the hospital at 5:30 am (so incredibly early!!) for all the prep work and stuff. Jesse has some people to look after him, and we are hoping that everything goes pretty smoothly for all concerned.

Anyway, just wanted to let you all know. Maybe Mike will post a short note on my behalf after the baby is born to let you all know about him/her. So, here's the last picture of me pregnant (at least with this baby) and in about 12 hours, I will hopefully be a lot skinnier!

Yes, I'm Still Pregnant...

Some of you may be wondering what I look like these days (being only two weeks from my due date). I will relate two stories to you instead of posting a picture. The first story occurred on Monday of last week. We went to Sonic to have a cold drink and let Jesse play on the playground there. When the girl arrived to drop off my order, she handed me my change and asked if I was having twins. I said no, I'm just getting close to my due date. She just looked at me and said, "Oh, 'cause you look huge." And then she walked away. It kind of surprised me, because first of all, most people don't make comments like that to your face. And secondly, almost everyone else has been telling me how good I look this pregnancy. And thirdly, I have been measuring on track for this baby (Jesse measured 2 weeks big all through the third trimester) and I have only gained 4-6 lbs since I found out I was pregnant.

Okay, second story. Yesterday Mike, Jesse and I were getting out of the van to shop at WalMart. A girl in the car pulling out of a stall near us called out her window, "You look so cute pregnant. I was huge, but you look cute." I have no idea who this person was, or what possessed her to say I looked cute (I was wearing a baggy t-shirt, rolled up sweat pants, and hadn't showered that day!) But, both Mike and I found this extremely humorous, especially considering the previous incident.

So that may, or may not, help you have a better idea of what I look like these days. I'm actually feeling pretty good. A little sore (some from lifting boxes that were too heavy or carrying Jesse around, some just from being pregnant), occasional heartburn, but overall feeling pretty good considering how close to my due date I am. Even with that said, I am looking forward to having this baby and losing some of my extra girth. Every once in a while I forget about the basketball belly I have, will get to close to the stove and get a little warm; or I will walk into a counter; or Mike will forget and walk into me!

I see the doctor again on Monday afternoon, and will hopefully have some news to share then!

Fire Ants and Cranky Boys...

Well, we are almost settled in our new place. Friday night we officially were moved out of our old place, and were living amidst our boxes in our new place. Mike just set up our computer last night (hence the reason I haven't been online to post any pictures or news), so it feels a bit more like normal.

So...fire ants. Not nice. Canadians, don't worry...they will probably never venture that far northward because of the cold (I do miss winter specifically because it kills off the bugs!) Here is some of what Wikipedia has to say about fire ants, "Fire ants often attack small animals and can kill them. Unlike many other ants, which bite and then spray acid on the wound, fire ants only bite to get a grip and then sting (from the abdomen) and inject a toxic alkaloid venom (piperidine). For humans, this is a painful sting, which leaves a sensation similar to what one feels when they get burned by fire — hence the name fire ant — and the aftereffects of the sting can be deadly to sensitive individuals. The venom is both insecticidal and antibiotic....Red imported fire ants are more aggressive than most native ant species and have a painful sting. A person typically encounters them by inadvertently stepping into one of their mounds, which causes the ants to swarm up the person's legs, attacking en masse. The ants respond to pheromones that are released by the first ant to attack. The ants then swarm and immediately sting when any movement is sensed...Red imported fire ants are extremely resilient and have adaptations to contend with both flooding and drought conditions. If the ants sense increased water levels in their nests, they will come together and form a huge ball or raft that is able to float on the water, with the workers on the outside and the queen inside. Once the ball hits a tree or other stationary object, the ants swarm onto it and wait for the water levels to recede. To contend with drought conditions, their nest structure includes a network of underground foraging tunnels that extend down to the water table. Also, despite the fact that they do not hibernate during the winter, colonies can survive cold conditions as low as 16°F (−9°C)..." Okay, I know that was a lot of info...but despite being nasty pests, they are pretty smart. Okay, so why am I suddenly fascinated with fire ants? On Friday we came home from lunch, I went into the baby's room and killed a flying ant. Didn't think much of it. Then I looked at the window and notice 10 or so ants crawling around on the sill; some flying, some little red ones. I told Mike about it and we decided that we probably needed to have the pest control people come and spray our place soon. About 1/2 hour later, I went back in the room and there were hundred of ants crawling around in there. Mike had to leave, so I was left to deal with them until pest control arrived in two hours. I didn't want them crawling everywhere in the house, so I decided to plug the crack they were getting in through, and kill as many as I could. I sprayed the ants with window cleaner (it was all I had here...) The little ones disappeared back through the hole, and the winged ones couldn't move that well. I squashed them with an old papertowel roll. Then I plugged the hole with a wet papertowel to hinder any other trying to enter the house. I could see them swarming outside the window, but it appeared I had them under control.
When the Terminex guy arrived, I explained what I had done. I'm sure he thought I was an idiot, but frankly I didn't care what he thought. He looked at the dead ones and the few that were still crawling around and said that they were definitely swarming fire ants. Then he sprayed something around the window, injected some kind of goo into the crack, and went outside to tackle the nest. He said that they shouldn't be back as long as he could find the nest. So far, we haven't seen any new ones. I'm glad we came home when we did (and that they were in an empty room) because he said that they could be thousands of them in a few hours. So, for the first time in my life, I now own a can of Raid and a set of fire ant traps. Mike and I laughed one time because we saw a sign in WalMart that said "Fire Ant Killer" by the "Light Bulbs, Paint..." signs. Now we know why!

Other than that little incident, we have been very pleased with our new place. The one neighbor we have met is nice, other than the fact she smokes all the time. At least it's outside though. And the pool is only open June - Labor Day. That was very disappointing, especially considering the weather they have here...and the fact that it's filled with water and tempting us! But, we have three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and more counter space and better lighting in the kitchen. All bonuses in my opinion!

I suppose Jesse has handled the move well enough, considering the stress of it all. But he has been a cranky boy through the ordeal. First it was the strangeness of being in a new place - he never wanted to be set down to even walk around! Then, he was upset because Mike was gone all the time, and the door was constantly opening and closing but Jesse couldn't run out it. So, when the guys brought a load over, Jesse and I would retreat to a closed bedroom and play while they carried stuff in. It's just been hard for him I think. But, now that we are getting settled in, and things are getting unpacked and looking a little more familiar I think he is doing much better. He will be very glad to have Mike around to play with him the next few days/weeks while we wait for the baby to be born.

So there you have it...that's what has been happening in our lives the past couple of days. There are a few more pictures on the dropshots site, but I will wait until we unpack a bit more before taking pictures of the apartment.

We are Moving!!!

Isn't it exciting?! We are finally moving. That's right, today we get to pick up the keys to our new apartment - almost one month after starting the application process. I will be sure to put some pictures of the new place up soon, but for now you will have to settle for our new address. Here it is:

Michael, Trina and Jesse Coghlin (no new baby yet)
1250 Yeomans Road Apt 13104
Abilene, TX 79602

Our phone number remains the same, as do our email addresses. So there you have it, we should be all moved by Friday and then the baby can feel free to come any time!

On Wednesday we got some crazy rain. Jesse and I had to go out, so we put on his rain jacket and ventured out during some light rain. Before we got down the hill it was pouring; windshield wipers were on the highest setting and we had to slow way down so I could kinda see where I was going. We made it to where we were going, and waited in the car for it to let up a bit. Then we made a dash for the building and arrived soaked and with me completely out of breath (it's hard work carrying Jesse from the car, to the building, up the stairs...) I watched my video that I had to (in order to get an epidural here, they made you watch this video for liability insurance), and we headed out. It was still raining pretty hard, but I figured that we could get wet since we were just going home. So, I let Jesse walk in the rain and he loved it. We both got completely soaked but that's okay. But, now the interesting part....it had been raining the whole time we were inside and the drainage system here in Abilene is pretty bad. We quite often see streets completely flooded with just a little rain. So, for me to get home I have to go down this one street that has a low spot right before rising up on a little hill by the stop sign. There's enough room for about 1 car on the high spot. As we approached this intersection, I noticed a lot of running water flowing across the road. I watched one car go through very slowly, and decided to hang back on dry ground while the truck in front of me went through and waited at the stop sign. I'm glad I did. The water was above the wheels on his truck. He cleared the intersection, and since I had no choice but to go forward, I made my way through the running stream as quickly as possible, hoping that my wheels would stay in contact with the pavement. They always have these warnings on the news about not getting swept into a ditch and how much it costs to have the authorities come rescue you. We made it through just fine, but on the way home our engine started steaming really bad (but no warning lights were going off, so I figured we were okay), and our brakes were making horrible sounds. So, a word to the wise, when the rain starts falling in Abilene, just stay home...

PS - our van is running fine now, no more steaming engine or funny sounding brakes...and our tires are really clean!

I didn't actually see any funnel clouds, but apparently this was taken the same day as the big rain.