Westmoreland Asays

Monday, April 6 10:55 p.m .: Ian's here. 8 lb. 9 oz., 20". He and Meg are fine and on speaking terms after this terrible labor. 10:00 p.m .: Meg is now 7 or 8 cm dilated. Contractions are right on top of each other. And she's screaming out in pain during every one. 8:45 p.m .: Meg is now 5 or 6 cm dilated. All is still going well. 6:45 p.m .: The doctor broke her water; everything looked good, so we hope this will speed up the contractions. 6:30 p.m .: Meg has her epidural in. She is in labor but still 4 cm dilated. This will probably take all night and possibly into the early morning. 2:30 p.m .: The doctor declared Meg to be 4 cm dilated and in labor, so we've now checked into a labor/delivery room with a nice view of Mill Creek and the Capitol. You wouldn't believe the relief on Meg's face when she received this good news. 11:45 a.m .: We're at the hospital again, hoping and praying with fervor that the third time is the charm. 7:00 a.m .: We enjoyed ...

Apparently vanpoolers are a highly-sought after demographic. I've been vanpooling for nearly three years now, and I've won oodles of prizes for filling out surveys and other related activities for organizations that promote alternative transportation methods. Free gas, gift cards to Burgerville and McMennamins, and just this week a $50 giftcard to Powell's. Usually they just mail me my prize, but this time the awarding party wanted to present it to me in person at my office. So I scheduled to meet the fellow at noon. It turns out that he wanted to visit in-person so he could take a picture for his blog entry --best picture ever.

Aaron's ability to read has increased exponentially this school year, and he doesn't mind sharing this talent with Edward. The boys are still feeling the effects of DST, so they weren't ready for bed at the usual time. Initially, Aaron asked if he could read silently in bed; but I guess it progressed to reading several books with Eddie on his makeshift "picnic bed." Ed hasn't slept much in his own bed lately; he often sneaks in with Aaron on the lower bunk, often sleeping in the most unusual positions (like at the foot of the bed, with his feet hanging over the edge, nearly touching the floor--this kid can sleep in almost any circumstance when he's tired). He's also been falling asleep in the car during the middle of the day when Meg or I take him with us to run an errand--maybe he's entering a growth spurt, or perhaps he is wise beyond his years and knows that the household's sleep patterns might change with the new addition in April, so he...