Birthing Class, Pizza, And A Hospital Visit

Having gotten up early the day before and out of the apartment all day, Sunday was not a fun experience getting out of bed. But we had good reason for an early rise as we were off to class yesterday! We had signed up for the birthing class about a month ago and opted for the one day variety instead of the multi-week long process that just doesn’t agree with either of our schedules at this point.

A little sluggish and having been held up by anything and everything along the way, we were the last ones to arrive but thankfully the class had only started a couple minutes prior to our arrival. Obviously, we jumped right in as soon as we were able to take our coats off and take a seat. Another new experience during this new adventure.

The class went well offering up a lot of information and answering numerous questions that everyone had. It was led by one of the nurses from Bryn Mawr Hospital whom you could tell was well verse in fielding all of the different questions that new parents have. While the class was interesting it was a little repetitive and the warm room did not mix well with the lack of sleep from the prior week. I did stay awake and pay attention but there were a few touch and go moments here and there.

Halfway through we all left to get some lunch with a time set to resume the educational portion of the day. I didn’t have to say much knowing that my wife would probably like to go to Peace of Pizza. Not surprisingly, we found the majority of the class at the counter ordering their meals when we walked in the door.

There were also a number of families there for lunch with gaggles of young kids circling them like hyper sharks. We didn’t think anything of it and smiled at the situation before taking another few bites. However, my wife and I were amused when we saw the looks of terror on the faces of our classmates. I guess they weren’t quite ready for the dose of reality.

We returned to the class and finished up the sitting portion of the day with a few games that brought a little perspective to the situation. After these we completed we got back in the car and we all met at the hospital for a tour of labor and delivery. While those terrified looks seemed to creep back onto many of their faces I could feel the two of us getting more and more excited (and more nervous). Time is going so fast and it won’t be very long before we return expecting to leave as a family of three.  

Great Way To End The Work Day

Here is our son beating up mommy!

Yesterday was a busy day at the office with various events and new projects that we have to prepare for. It is a long and sometimes stressful experience but also something that we can be proud of once everything comes to pass. As the long day wound down I slowly packed my bags, closed my computer, headed out the door, and off to my next appointment. These days, these appointment, are ones that I continue looking forward to as the weeks slowly drift by. It is time to check in on the baby.

My wife and I both arrived at the doctor’s office early and after catching up a bit on everything that is going on and discussing the questions that we wanted to ask the doctor we made our way through the doors, checked in, and sat in the waiting room. Every visit there seems to be a certain amount of excitement coupled with a slight hint of nervousness. It is safe to say that the worrying starts before the baby arrives.

It wasn’t long before we were escorted back into an examining room (amid glares from all the pregnant women who were sitting there when we first walked in). After a quick weight and blood pressure check it was time to hear one of the most calming, if not the most calming, sound that we have in our lives at this moment… our son’s heartbeat. It is a sound that fills the room (especially now that it is so much easier to find) and one that makes me look forward to the day when I will finally be able to hold him.

The tranquil moment passed as the nurse headed out the door and we waited for the doctor to appear. Again, a perfect time to make sure we had all our questions ready. The doctor came in, took some measurements, and let us know that our baby boy was perfectly healthy… all tests have come back negative, heart rate is normal, and the measurements are right where they need to be. Essentially, our kid is probably never going to be this ‘normal’ again.

Once we silently reveled in the god news of a quick moment, we began posing all of the questions that we have been reviewing for days. All of the ‘let’s just double check with the doctor’ type of questions. The doctor took her time, answered all of the questions that we had, and let us know about what we should expect during the next appointment in 4 weeks. I’m sure we will have more questions for the doctor upon our return but, for now, everything is progressing as it should and we are looking forward to meeting our happy and healthy (and VERY active) little boy.

Return To The Night Life

Not those brothers!

Yesterday, with a long weekend ahead of me, I changed into my tux and got out the door as soon as possible. As you have read, I had been rushing for the past few days/weeks to prepare for this lodge meeting and even up until the time I got in the car, I was still a little nervous. Did I get everything done? Am I missing anything? Do I remember all the details of what I need to do during the meeting? All of those questions persisted throughout the 45 minute drive to Ardmore.

Thankfully, I arrived at the lodge a little earlier than expected and I was able to slowly walk across the street and get the mail before turning around and walking up to the lodge. Before I could to the front steps I was already in the middle of conversations with a prospective candidate as well as a few of the brothers who also wanted to get a jump on the meeting. That conversation is what brought me back my focus as well as relaxed me. Something so simple and I was ready to go.

It was at this point when I was able to pinpoint the few things that I needed to get done before the meeting began and soon I found myself down in the office taking care of those things. Of course, as is commonplace before meetings, there were several brothers who had a variety of requests and questions. I did my best to take care of a number of those things on the spot and some of the other items I wrote down on my note pad to knock out following our time in the hot box.

The meeting itself was a welcomed return to normalcy for me. The job seems to have already become second nature to me as I am able to both anticipate and present the information I need to relay to the brethren without a second thought. While I was, without question, a bit rusty the meeting went smoothly and we were able to make it bring the evening to a close much sooner than I had anticipated. Of course, the shorter meeting was balanced out by the other tasks that had to be taken care of afterward.

So we are back in the swing of things. We have come back to the lodge and reconnected with many brothers whom we had not seen in a couple of months. Now the work will pick up and the meetings will get a little bigger during the next couple of month. While it will occupy much of my time but it is well worth the effort once you see everything come together. After all, we are here for one another and for the community and playing even a small role in that dynamic is really something special and something which to be tremendously proud.