February 29

Happy Leap Year!

4:35am CST: Jennie flipped on the light in a crazed flurry -- I woke up in a hazy, dreamlike state. Trying to figure out where I was, I heard Jennie proclaim, "I think my water broke!" I thought to myself, "hmmm... we never packed that expletive deleted suitcase, did we?" hehehe

I scurried to the shower (more so to wake up than to wash), quickly swallowed a small yogurt in 3 or 4 bites, and grabbed everything off of our packing list. Jennie and I both shook our heads as I mentioned, "oh wow, she might be a Leap Year kid".

6:05am CST: Off to the hospital, we are going to see if Jennie's water broke for sure.... She has lost her cervical "mucus plug". And, she is dripping amniotic fluid. She now appreciates and empathizes elderly incontinence. Hey, I knew we should have bought stock in Depends Undergarments.

9:15am CST: We were admitted to the hospital at 6:30am, thoroughly poked and prodded in triage for a few hours, and now we are in the Labor & Delivery room. Potocin has been started...



9:55am CST: Jennie's pain has greatly intensified. Her contractions are becoming very strong. Ouch! She is really gripping my fingers tightly. Epidural, anyone?

10:30am CST: Jennie's epidural is being placed now. She is over 2cm dilated.

10:45am CST: Epidural has now been placed. To keep me from fainting, I am blogging now. I sneak a peek every few minutes, but it does make me woozy.

The nurse said it may take 30 minutes for her epidural to take effect. Here comes another contraction...

11:51am CST: Original epidural was removed and new one was placed. Her right side was getting nice and numb, but her left side was barely affected. Since her contraction pain is mostly occurring on the left, they decided to replace the catheter. She is feeling NO PAIN now. Jennie's parents are on their way to the hospital now. They are bringing "Hungry Davey" a nice sub sandwich from Subway.

12:59pm CST: Jennie's second epidural is still not working on her left upper leg and left lower back area. The nice lady from anesthesiology is going to try to place it once more.

Penicillin in Jennie's IV fluids is making her nauseous.

Jennie is currently 4cm dilated.

1:30pm CST: The doctor came in and examined Jennie a little while ago. Happy with the progression, she said she would be very surprised if Daphne was not born before midnight.

I honestly have no idea how much longer the labor will last, but I think labor is supposed to progress quicker beyond 4cm?

2:07pm CST: A senior anesthetist has almost finished with the placement of epidural number three. Poor Jennie, the first two epidurals did not properly numb her left side, so hopefully the third time is the charm! They decided to move up an inch or so on her back. Surprisingly, I am not feeling faint while watching the blood run down her back as the catheter is inserted. If this epidural does not totally numb her up, she will experience some natural childbirth pain.

Other than a stuffy nose and lots of contraction pain, Jennie appears to be in good spirits. She has only flipped me off with one bird today. She should be fine.

3:04pm CST: Jennie's third epidural did the trick! She cannot feel either leg now. Yay! We should find out her dilation level in a bit (when her doctor returns).

3:24pm CST: Jennie is peacefully cat-napping.

4:22pm CST: Doctor just left. Jennie's dilation level is 5+ cm. An internal fetal monitor is now in place.

5:32pm CST: Jennie is still trying to rest. Her contractions are coming every 2 to 3 minutes and lasting for 30 seconds.

8:53pm CST: Daphne Rose Tilson was born into the world via Cesarean Section. She weighed 7 lbs, 1 1/2 ounces and measured 19 1/2 inches long. Jennie and I are exhausted. I will post more pictures later...

Mommy's first look at her little princess


I look just like my DADDY!


Keeping you posted,
Dave T.

February 28

Yahoo! Jennie is officially dilated. The doctor told her that her "cervix is getting nice and soft" and the cervical dilatation is fingertip. I know, I know. Reaching 10 cm is still a jagged cliff to climb, but our journey is nearly complete.

Jennie also saw her primary care physician today in regards to her recent ear infection (due to sinusitis, I believe). She was given a prescription for some antibiotics and ear drops to use for 10 days. Other than "on-again, off-again" laryngitis and a wonky ear infection, she seems healthy. I, on the other hand, am unable to sleep due to my persistent cough and sore throat. Yay, great.

Daphne is still kicking up a storm each night between 8 and 9:30pm.

We STILL have not packed our hospital suitcase. I really hope I can convince Jennie to help me pack it this weekend. Otherwise, I predict a stressful day where we make that final trek to the hospital.

Talk about great timing, my car's "Check Engine" light came on earlier this week. During lunch, I slid over to the local Auto Zone to have them do a free reading on my car's computer (they retrieve the offensive engine code with that little handheld thingy). Guess what? My O2 sensor has gone bad yet again. This is the fourth time in less than 2 years. Maybe the Subaru Legacy does not like the air quality here in Nashville? Or maybe the mechanics around here are applying a band-aid patch to a bigger problem with my car? Poor old Jennie offered to take my car to the shop tomorrow early (she will sit in the lobby bored to tears until her mother can pick her up a few hours later).

My car is acting up again...


Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

February 27 ( 38 weeks pregnant )

Jennie's doctor visit is tomorrow morning. A final, routine ultrasound will be performed next week during her week 39 visit (assuming Daphne has not yet been born).

Today the Smile Mommy Cloth Diaper Service visited our house for an initial consultation. While "out and about" in public, we still plan on using disposable diapers sparingly (we did receive some disposable Newborn and Size 1's at our Baby Showers).

The diaper service will provide, pick up, and launder 80 cloth diapers per week for us. Yay! We will help do our part to keep extra Pampers and Huggies out of the landfill. And, better yet, the service will come to our house weekly to empty out that stinky, air tight diaper pail. So, we will get the benefits of cloth diapers without having to constantly run the washing machine.

Jennie is still coughing up a lung each night, but her ear pain, pink eye, and other nagging cold symptoms have subsided.



LINK OF THE DAY: Symptom Checker... what's wrong with your body?

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

February 25

Any day now. The 38th week is flying right by us...

Well, Jennie seems to be getting over her cold as each day passes. Unfortunately, I have now acquired her sniffles, runny nose, and sore throat. Yep, her cooties found me and sliced through my immune system like a warm knife on Grandma's butter dish.

The good news is that I should be fully over this cold by the time Daphne arrives. Jennie's lightening has still not occurred. No Braxton-Hicks contractions yet. No false labor pains. Hmm, maybe Daphne is taking after Daddy Davey? Back in November of 1972, I refused to come out of my mom's womb on time -- in fact, she went 41 1/2 weeks with me. Ouch!

Let me know if you want to be added to the email distribution list for photos of Daphne. 47 folks have already responded!

Tomorrow is one of my favorite days of the year. For diehard hockey fans, the NHL trade deadline day is more exciting than Christmas morning! Whether your team is a buyer or a seller, the day can absolutely break your heart or fill your chalice with Stanley Cup dreams. I do not expect the Predators to make a big splash.

Hooray! Hooray! Tomorrow is NHL trade deadline day!


Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

February 23

We have had a fairly productive weekend already and it's not even 4pm on Saturday.

Took trash to dump: done.
Baby car seat installed: done.
Hospital bag packed: not entirely, but we have made a thorough packing list.

Jennie's nesting syndrome has been back for a couple of days now. Like a little Energizer bunny, she is constantly laundering onesies, ironing, folding clothes, stripping and re-making the crib with fresh sheets, and reorganizing the baby room closet. Hopefully, Daphne will pop out soon, so Jennie can relax!

Tonight is our final hockey game before Daphne's arrival. I still have no idea how we are going to handle the final few games and the playoffs.

Oh well, I need to go make her put up her feet and rest a bit.



Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

February 22

Tonight Jennie and I watched the movie "Mr. Brooks" on DVD. Wow! Have you seen this movie? That last scene makes you think twice about kissing your kids goodnight. hehehe Daphne will still get sugar from me (just hide the scissors!).

Jennie's cold, pink eye, ear-cloggage, nagging cough, laryngitis, and overall discomfort continues. I hope she gets well soon! Poor little Daphne's chamber of sleep and solitude might not be very restful these days.

Our goal for this weekend: pack our hospital bag and learn how to use the car seat!

Week 38 is nearly upon us...

Popular game for attending a polka


LINK OF THE DAY: Gapminder World

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

February 20 ( 37 weeks pregnant )

Full term! In my best Homestar Runner voice, "Wow, can you believe it?"

Daphne will be born any day now and should be fully developed at this time (basically, she's just adding weight or baby fat). At my work, we have a pool going for her birthdate. No money involved, just bragging rights. I personally think she will make her introduction on or around March 5 (39 weeks). A lady I work with *swears* that the full moon will be a big factor, but that would be today! Maybe the new moon on March 3 will cause Jennie's cervix to efface? oh well, Jennie has not had lightening yet (that's where the baby drops) and she is not dilated at all, so she still has some time left.

Jennie received an eye drop prescription for her "pink eye" today. Hopefully, her left eye will heal soon! Meanwhile, yellow goo continues to accumulate along the edges of her eye.

Jennie has been applying heat to her right ear this evening. It is clogged and aching with a shrill hum.

Amazingly enough (knock on wood), I am still healthy.



LINK OF THE DAY: Landscapes 2.0

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

February 19

Jennie and I just got home from an exciting, yet nailbiting hockey game! The Predators (32-23-7) defeated the Edmonton Oilers (27-29-5) by a score of 5 to 4.



Conjunctivitis (or "pink eye") is still giving Jennie fits after several days. Her poor left eye is red, watery, and itchy. She woke up with a common cold on Saturday and (knock on wood) I have somehow managed to avoid getting ill. I am trying to avoid her *cooties* to the best of my ability, but it's tough. Jennie's routine doctor visit is tomorrow, so maybe her eye will be treated with an ointment or drops?




Daphne will be considered a "full term" baby tomorrow (37 weeks). My cell phone will be staying close to my side now that I'm officially waiting for the "oh crap, I'm in labor" phone call from Jennie. We still need to pack a suitcase with some essentials for the hospital and place it in Jennie's trunk.

LINK OF THE DAY: Do you have bad taste in music?

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

February 17

Many thanks to Kim and Marnie for throwing such a beautiful baby shower today! We could not have asked for better weather -- warm and sunny, 65 degrees in February???

The husbands drank beer and played with my Nintendo Wii. The wives chatted and shared war stories while sipping Sangria. Illness and other obligations accounted for several absences, but there was enough food to feed twenty people.

Jennie has her next doctor appointment this Wednesday.

Have a great week!

Fiesta themed baby shower


Jennie is ready to POP!


Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

February 16

Whew! The house is finally clean. You never realize how dirty your house has become until the day before guests arrive. Luckily, we are finished.

Jennie is taking a quick nap before we go watch some hockey downtown. Hopefully, the Predators will beat the Blues tonight in a blowout. While St.Louis fans can be cocky and disruptive, they are not nearly as bad as Detroit and San Jose folks who frequent the Sommet Center.

I cannot believe we are about to begin week 37! Jennie has one day of work left next week and then the nesting begins. Keeping my cell phone at full charge, I will be "on call" for her water breaking...

Anyone for some air hockey?


LINK OF THE DAY: Totally absurd inventions...

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.