So 38 weeks, 8.7452 months, or 266 days - however you want to call it - you NOW DECIDE you want a change of plans?! We sure hope you understand the repercussions for last minute changes.
On L's most recent weekly check up, the doctor felt a hard lump at the top of L's baby bump - which isn't new, this is typically Russell's knee or foot poking at his human cocoon. Upon further inspection, the doctor wanted to be sure of what she was feeling and - utilizing an ultrasound - her thoughts were proved correct. It wasn't a knee or foot she was detecting, it was the top of Russell's head.
Apparently, ROKS had moved into the
Frank Breech position
(Not to be confused with former Bengals Kicker Jim Breech). Ideally, a baby is positioned so that the head is delivered first during a vaginal birth. In the breech position, a baby's rear-end or feet are located first in the uterus. For a Frank Breech baby, the buttocks are aimed at the vaginal canal with its legs sticking straight up in front of their body and the feet near their head.
Not the ideal position you want your baby to be, especially if you are 36 weeks or further along, which we are. While at my work desk, L called to give me the less than spectacular news. Now, this only means the traditional vaginal birth is not likely and a
C-section is the ideal form of delivery. This does nothing to indicate the health or status of the baby, but definitely not what we were expecting. Sounding a bit defeated on the phone, L and I would soon be meeting with the doctor to further detail the next steps.
Again, Russell is doing fine, but we truly were not looking toward a surgical procedure used to deliver a baby through incisions in the abdomen and uterus. For something to do I began reading up on breech babies and found a section titled,
How can I flip my baby if it's breech? And let me tell you, it was rich:
* One is called the
Bridge position which requires one to lie on the floor with their legs bent and your feet flat on the ground. You then raise your hips and pelvis into a bridge position. Hold this position for 10 or 15 minutes several times a day. I believe I've seen this in those
Denise Austin fat-burning workouts. You used to see these played on ESPN in the wee hours of the morning, an apparent attempt reach a wider audience. Though, I believe that audience continued to be teenage and college-aged males..
.ehem...for "
some" reason.
* Then there is the Child’s pose which has you rest in the child’s pose for 10 to 15 minutes. Apparently it can help relax your pelvic muscles and uterus. It is stated that you can also rock back and forth on your hands and knees or make circles with your pelvis to promote activity. In a sense, pretend you are an unruly child not getting what you want, so go limp and fall to the floor as if you are in full pout-till-they-cave-in mode. Though, they'd rather you not scream like a banshee as it might create additional complications (neighbors, police, misdemeanors, etc.)
* Music: Place headphones or a speaker at the bottom of your uterus to encourage your baby to turn. Instead of "go towards the light", go towards the sound of whatever crap your mother is pumping into the cavity between her bladder & rectum. Wouldn't this just want to make your child climb up into your diaphragm to get away from the obnoxious noise?
* Temperature: Try placing something cold at the top of your stomach where your baby’s head is. Then, place something warm at the bottom of your stomach. Yes, yes, yes....this has been used since colonial Massachusetts and - with any luck - will also dissolve the malignant supernatural powers related to the wiccan fetus inside.
Anyway, the C-section has been scheduled for February 8th which will be three days after L's birthday and six days before Valentine's Day. At least the boy will be doing me a favor by lumping all the special occasions within a week of each other (note to self: future Februarys will be busy).
For my knowledge, L sent me a screen shot of her online medical information regarding the scheduling of the surgery. And I don't know about you, but do they really need to call their discussion a telephone "encounter"? I feel like they discussed the coming birth of ROKS through extraterrestrial means with the expectation of it taking place somewhere near Area 51. Though the boy will likely look alien like - preferably not like the one in the movie Alien - when he is extricated.
As we try to digest Russell's sudden change of how he'd like to exit his human incubator, we are experiencing some crazy cold times. Not that this doesn't happen regularly at this time of the year in our part of the country, but a few days have been a bit more extreme then we would prefer. And it makes it that much less fun to run, but it is something that must me done
(alliteration is fun).Since the short spat of illness last week, I have increased my liquid intake to make sure hydration is at it's peak and have cut back on some mileage to a level more associated with aerobic exercise than training. Thinking I had outfoxed mother nature's arctic blast by getting outside in the full sun last week and I was greeted with a temperature of two, yes, two degrees.
Now that is definitely cold, and it has been much colder in the past around here & elsewhere. Though it was just annoying that despite hand warmers in my gloves and dressed to where I could be mistaken for a Muppet, my sun glasses nearly completely fogged over, which then also froze. Meaning I was only lucky to have been running in an area familiar to me so as to avoid being pummeled by oncoming traffic or clotheslined by a tree branch. And my hands were cold, just not frozen. #HShive #mettlemonday
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| A little Lebowski is apparently on the way! |
A super fun stat from this day, our unborn son's age was still a larger number than the windchill temp of -5. It is winter and it gets cold, sometimes REALLY cold, but the extended polar vortex is a bit much. The football gods did help offset the cold by giving my Cincinnati Bengals the wherewithal to avoid any major mistakes - or blunders -and turn the tables on the Chiefs to garner their third Super Bowl berth ever! I'm still in shock and haven't washed my Joe Burrow jersey since the season started. It is so cool that R.O.K.S' first football watching experience will be a Bengals/Rams Super Bowl in two weeks!
According to our birth app, Russell is the size of a bowling pin. Since we completed the baby room this past weekend, we at least know he will tie the room together. We are also told our baby's internal systems are good to go and, fun fact, his brain and lungs are the only major organs that continue to develop into childhood and beyond. Oh, and his vocal cords have fully developed so he can be ready to communicate with once born.
Finally, we are made aware that babies are known for their adorably huge heads, which are a result of all the brain power baby develops in utero. At this point your baby’s head has about the same circumference as their abdomen - hopefully Russ will grow out of this and not resemble a cartoon character throughout adulthood.
Assuming the procedure goes well & Russell doesn't change his mind - again - one week from today we will be the parents of an actual human, not just a pair cats who believe they are also human. It is exciting as well as daunting, but one can't try to pile years & years of what's to come into day one. Like a race, take it one mile at a time, focus on the task at hand and breathe.....
Find yourself a girl and settle down
Live a simple life in a quiet town
Steady as she goes (steady as she goes)
Steady as she goes (steady as she goes)
So steady as she goes
Your friends have a shown a kink in the single life
You've had too much to think, now you need a wife
Steady as she goes (steady as she goes)
So steady as she goes (steady as she goes)
Well, here we go again
You've found yourself a friend that knows you well
But no matter what you do
You'll always feel as though you tripped and fell
So steady as she goes
When you have completed what you thought you had to do
And your blood's depleted to the point of stable glue
Then you'll get along
And then you'll get along
Steady as she goes (steady as she goes)
So steady as she goes (steady as she goes)
Well, here we go again
You've found yourself a friend that knows you well
But no matter what you do
You'll always feel as though you tripped and fell
So steady as she goes
Steady as she goes
Settle for a world, neither up or down
Sell it to the crowd that is gathered 'round
Settle for a girl, neither up or down
Sell it to the crowd that is gathered 'round
So steady as she goes (steady as she goes)
Steady as she goes (steady as she goes)
Steady as she goes (steady as she goes)
So steady as she goes (steady as she goes)
Steady as she goes, are you steady now?
Steady as she goes, are you steady now?
Steady as she goes, are you steady now?
Steady as she goes, are you steady now?
Steady as she goes
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Russell, coming soon
in Technicolor! |
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L, about to burst. Deflation
scheduled for next week. |
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The first beer label I made for
our wedding in 2019, L's head
on an animated body |
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The second beer label for
our wedding, a work photo of
me goofing off and a creepy
one of me outside of my then-apartment |
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Russell's beer labeled, bottled and ready for his
arrival. To be cracked up on February 8th! |
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The label made for Russell's arrival. The
background is a photo I took from the
South Haven, Michigan pier on Jan. 30 of 2020. |
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| My mom, sister, brother-in-law, nieces &
nephew paid us a visit following my
nephew's basketball game. |
|
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My Bengals, led by a fellow Southeast Ohio
native, are off to another Super Bowl! |
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