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We're slowly figuring out the new routine in ...
May 31, 2003 by Adam in Family
 We're slowly figuring out the new routine in the Miller-Mellor household. I had minimal Emma duty this morning, who was again pretty good last night. That girl just wants to eat and sleep and that's about it.
We went to see the pediatrician this morning. Other than a touch of jaundice, she's doing great. Judy left this afternoon as well, so we're on our own again. I have another week off of work, so Jamie won't have to deal with both kids for awhile.
In general, though, we tried to keep today fairly quiet. Sadie and Anna came by to visit, which was nice. We kept trying to get Emma to open her eyes, but she was content to sleep away. Tonight is Jenny's belated birthday, which I'm heading over to shortly.
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Emma's crashed out in her front carrier, happ...
May 29, 2003 by Adam in Family
 Emma's crashed out in her front carrier, happy to be squished and held close. For most of the day she's been eating and sleeping, which is pretty typical of babies so young. This morning, though, Sam and I played with Emma for a good while, amused by her antics.
Of course, last night she was up quite a bit. Judy took most of the brunt of it, getting Emma to sleep again. Other than that, we couldn't have wished for a more content kid.
Sam went off to the farm as part of a preschool field trip. Jamie's been missing him in a funny way, mourning the loss of Sam's "baby in the family" status. He's still doing pretty well with Emma, reasonably gentle and trying to find out the new lay of the land.
Jamie's doing well, physically and emotionally. She's much more mobile this time around, one of the advantages of a quick birth. She also seems amazingly happy, probably because the birth went so well. She also likes having helpful people around, such as her mom and I. It almost makes this a pleasant vacation for her.
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We've brought Emma home, who is happily sleep...
May 28, 2003 by Adam in Family
 We've brought Emma home, who is happily sleeping away. Jamie and I are starting to think that she might be one of those mythical "good babies" that we've heard about but never seen. She does cry, but only when there's a reason for it. She's been eating really well, sleeps nicely, and seems to have a good demeanor.
Jamie's doing quite well, happy with her newfound mobility. Though she's a bit sore, it's not nearly as bad as with Sam. The plan is to take it easy and start figuring out the new routine for our household. I'll probably take Sam hiking this afternoon and give Judy a rest break.
Sam is surprisingly excited to have Emma around. He's been sitting and playing with her since she arrived. It's a good sign of things to come.
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Emma was born this morning at 11:55 am, 8 pou...
May 27, 2003 by Adam in Family
 Emma was born this morning at 11:55 am, 8 pounds, 1 ounce. It was over very fast and mom and daughter are doing great.
Last night was a little rough, as Sam has a cold and eye infection. We were both up early, getting our things together and heading in around 6:30 this morning. Pitosin was started and we settled down for a couple boring hours of occasional contractions. Towards the end they started being very painful, so we got the anesthesiologist in for some pain relief. That hit the spot and very quickly after that Jamie began to push.
It took only three major pushes and Emma emerged into the world. It was so short compared to Sam's birth that I think we were all amazed. Jamie is much less exhausted and Emma seems to be doing really well. She's been quite hungry, happily sucking away.
I'm probably going to take it easy for the rest of the day, keeping an eye on her. Sam is still with grandma Judy. I think that everyone will soon arrive to see the new addition to the family. We're all so happy.
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Today is our last day pre-baby
May 26, 2003 by Adam in Family
Today is our last day pre-baby. Jamie's mom is coming down this afternoon and I'm hoping to see the new Matrix movie with my dad. Poor Sam has a pretty bad cold and eye infection, so he was up quite a bit last night. Jamie was too, though in part because of Emma getting painfully active until early in the morning. I'm hoping we don't all end up with colds right as the baby is born, but we'll take it as it comes.
We tried hard to not be too exciting yesterday since Sam was feeling lousy. Jamie went to Victoria's birthday party while Sam and I went to the park. I think it was good to get out of the house, as Sam seemed much energized after climbing around on the "Cheese" structure for awhile. Jamie too had a good time talking to other adults, though admittedly they mostly wanted to talk about babies.
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It's been a pretty quiet Saturday, with no ba...
May 24, 2003 by Adam in Family
 It's been a pretty quiet Saturday, with no baby in sight. I woke up early as usual, puttered around in the basement, and waited for Jamie and Sam to wake up. After a hearty breakfast, I mowed the lawns, did some weeding, and played with Sam all morning.
Around lunch we headed off to Turtles, a local restaraunt, to visit with Brant and Wendy. I hadn't seen her since Christmas, so it was nice to visit again. It's cool to see her finally reach her dream of becoming a vet.
We're mostly just waiting for time to pass until that baby arrives. Sam's mom is coming down Monday afternoon, so Sam care is covered when Jamie is induced on Tuesday. All is good.
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Work is winding down, which has been reasonab...
May 22, 2003 by Adam in Family
 Work is winding down, which has been reasonably quiet. Jamie stole me away while Sam was at school, taking me to the library to sip coffee and speak like normal adults. Sam's been a bit blabbery lately, going on about all sorts of things. Evidently he had an elaborate dream last night that involved creatures, big castles, his friend Vanessa, and Dick. I'm not even going to attempt to analyze the whole thing as I heard it in bits and pieces over the day (some when he called this morning and some from Jamie).
The weekend is right around the corner and the plan is to play it again by ear. No signs that labor is imminent, so we'll just continue on until Tuesday morning. If Monday rolls around, we'll start seriously planning for Tuesday, but it's always hard to tell how it goes. Going in at 6:30 AM on Tuesday sounds like good timing sleep-wise. Plus I think everyone will be in town, finished with boat races, and ready to have a baby.
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Still no baby yet
May 21, 2003 by Adam in Family
Still no baby yet. We had a moment of excitement yesterday when Jamie announced that she was having somewhat painful contractions. I quickly leaped into "freakout husband mode", asking all sorts of questions and checking the Internet for frequencies and what it all means. By dinner time, however, things had quieted down. So, we're all in a holding pattern again.
Our lives have been kept deliberately low-key lately. Very little of excitement has been happening these last few days. I'll keep everyone posted, I'm sure.
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It's Tuesday already, a very special day mark...
May 20, 2003 by Adam in Family
 It's Tuesday already, a very special day marking the series finale of Buffy tonight. I hope Jamie can hold out until at least 9 pm.
In all seriousness, nothing is imminent. We had our OB visit today and things are moving along nicely but it's really up to Emma at this point. We'll establish early if she's a stubborn little girl. Worse case scenario, we have an induction appointment for early Tuesday.
It feels good to have family back in town again. I'm sure you all had a wonderful time dilly-dallying out on the East coast, but now we've got a baby to birth so no more messing around. (BTW - happy graduation Sadie!)
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Sunday afternoon has rolled around and still ...
May 18, 2003 by Adam in Family
 Sunday afternoon has rolled around and still no baby on the horizon. Doing the math, it looks like we have eight days left at the most. We're just all getting anxious for things to start moving along.
Saturday was pretty quiet. Josh came over and the three of us played, watched a long movie, and generally hung out through the rainstorms.
This morning, we piled in a car with Angie to go to Mt. Pisgah. There was a wildflower sale that the womenfolk went to, while Sam and I ran down the path by the river and watched the nutria play in the pond.
Once we got home, Sam and Jamie washed the car, while I mowed the lawn. We'll probably start up a movie soon. Unless that baby decides to arrive, it looks like another uneventful day.
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It's mocha Friday and still no baby yet
May 16, 2003 by Adam in Family
It's mocha Friday and still no baby yet. I think that most of my family has left town for Sadie's graduation. If Jamie goes into labor, it'll make life a little interesting. I suppose we can always give Sam a few Legos to play with and stick him in the corner.
It's strangely quiet here at work. People are trying to make last minute changes to things and I'm warning them that I could disppear at any minute. Always fun.
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It's been a quiet week so far
May 14, 2003 by Adam in Family
It's been a quiet week so far. Jim and Judy have been down off and on, playing with Sam and watching Josh while Dave's away on a trip. Other than that, there hasn't been much excitement. Sam had a good time at the coast and returned quite bouncy.
Still no baby yet. Jamie's looking cute in her maternity clothes and her belly sticking way out.
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Dick's service yesterday was very nice as the...
May 11, 2003 by Adam in Family
 Dick's service yesterday was very nice as these sort of things go. I liked the small table with items from Dick's life: his glasses and belt, a beat up set of camping cooking pots, and of course his Leatherman. I was amazed at the turnout, saying hello to people I haven't talk to in years. Seraph and I both read small pieces, including one I had said at my grandmother's service nearly a decade ago.
The rest of the evening was wonderfully quiet, just Jamie and I reconnecting before the long baby days ahead. We watched a baudy French farce, ate pizza, and later watched the sun set swinging on the patio. It was a great moment.
Sam returns today, which is for the best, as we miss him terribly. I think we can only handle a certain amount of time in a peaceful household. Too much and we might go mad.
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It was a strangely quiet morning, with Sam aw...
May 10, 2003 by Adam in Family
 It was a strangely quiet morning, with Sam away and only Jamie and I in the house. We had a wonderful evening last night, going out to dinner for Greek food and conversation. I snuck in a bath and some reading, as well as visiting with Jamie for a long while. This is probably our last weekend together before the baby, so we're trying to make the most of it.
This morning we had a burst of energy (mine was coffee induced, Jamie's was due to her "nesting urge"). Jamie power washed the patio while I weeded in the front yard. It's been many months since we did serious gardening, and I had a great time (though I'm now exhausted).
We're also getting ready for Dick's service at 3 pm today. This is Jamie's first funeral service, so I'm not sure she knows what to expect. I assured her that it would be a Miller family affair, so there'd be much chaos, conversation, and food, as seems typical of our gatherings.
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Mocha Friday for me today, trying to wrap up ...
May 09, 2003 by Adam in Family
Mocha Friday for me today, trying to wrap up things at work before the baby comes. It could be this weekend, it could be in a couple weeks. If Emma follows the same two-week-early pattern as Sam, it should be this Sunday.
Jamie's mom is wisking away Sam and Josh to the coast for a few days, leaving Jamie and I alone in the house for the first time in ages. We'll either have a baby, or have a last quiet time together, not sure which. I'd like to rent a few movies and hang out at home, as Jamie's not particularly mobile these days.
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I just found out that Dear Raed is up and pub...
May 08, 2003 by Adam in Family
I just found out that Dear Raed is up and publishing again. He's the guy from Bagdad that went off the air once the invasion started up in full force. It turns out he wrote things down over the last couple months and managed to get it all published in one big block. Very interesting perspective.
Sam and I saw X2 over the weekend. He was so good, having to wait 40 minutes as the first show was sold out. He thought it was pretty cool. Last night during dinner, he decided to put on an "X-Men" play. I got to be Wolverine with forks for claws. Sam was Cyclops, wearing his sunglasses to prevent his laser-eyes from frying our house.
He'd keep peeking out from behind them and I'd pretend that my hair was set on fire. Sam would then get upset at me, but keep doing it anyway. Anything to get his dad to run around the house yelling must be fun.
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The week goes on
May 06, 2003 by Adam in Family
The week goes on. Seraph is organizing things at an amazing rate, getting such details such as the printed program taken care of. I've been quite proud of all of my siblings.
Jamie had an OB visit today. Evidently all the things that are supposed to progress are progressing nicely. I'm leaning towards somewhere between a week and two weeks at this point, though no bets will be accepted.
One of the warning signs is that Jamie was doing the "nesting" thing last night, quizzing me on the placement and use of items in the baby room. I swear that woman wants me to be able to field strip the baby blindfolded in 30 seconds or less. Still, it was embarrassing when Sam could answer more questions right than me.
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I just got back from my mom's house
May 05, 2003 by Adam in Family
I just got back from my mom's house. The sun is setting and the walk back over the hill smelled of fresh rain and cherry blossoms. I was the first to get there in the morning and the last to leave this night. I felt like a marine.
The day was filled with food and endless people. My mom was surprised by the calls and visits not just from their friends, but from the friends of my sisters and I. All the kids she fed and housed over the years came by to pay their respects.
 It looks like next weekend will be the memorial service, Saturday I think. Seraph and my mom are going over to the funeral home tomorrow to arrange things. Anita and John are coming Tuesday and staying for a week or so. In a couple weeks, people are heading out for Sadie's graduation. Later she and Anna are driving back to my mom's house. Somewhere in there Emma will be born as well.
It's been a rollercoaster day for me. Many ups and downs. Sam wanted to play a bunch with me, as he usually does on the weekend. Jamie, though tired, put in lots of time watching him. She was very good about giving me time to spend with my mom, or just sit quietly for a time.
I can't stop thinking about how the world keeps moving forward. In a handful of days, I'll be holding my daughter. Life seems to be an endless string of hellos and goodbyes.
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Dick passed away early Sunday morning
May 04, 2003 by Adam in Family
Dick passed away early Sunday morning. My mom called and I headed over the hill to sit by her side. It is a strange thing, knowing that something would happen and then finally being there as it comes to pass. Mostly we sat on the couch drinking coffee, answering phone calls and quietly talking.
I left late morning, after Seraph, Isabell, and Yayoe had arrived. After watching Sam and giving Jamie a break, I'll probably head over again this afternoon. I don't think there's anything more my mom needs or wants. Having family around seems the most reassuring thing at the moment.
Anita and John are arriving in a day or two and staying until Sadie's graduation. Details such as the memorial service and such have yet to be sorted out.
I'll try to write more later. Sam's getting increasingly insistent that I play with him.
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Ah, sweet weekend
May 03, 2003 by Adam in Family
Ah, sweet weekend. I'm groovin' to Nikka Costa in the remaining minutes before Sam arrives after waking up. It looks to be a drizzly day, but perhaps Sam and I shall check out the opening of X2.
Poor Sam fell out of bed last night. I must be mentally preparing for the baby, as I lept out of bed with my heart pumping. It took me forever to get back to sleep.
Jamie picked up some flowers and vegitable plants at Johnson Brother's yesterday with Sam. I had a good time digging up dirt, pulling weeds, and doing some little gardening projects. Great fun.
It's slowly dawning on me that we're going to have a baby pretty darn' soon. It's like those forest fire warnings. The arrow is slowly moving towards the red "Extreme Baby Warning" zone.
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