New Developments

Ethan had his tanning machine turned off today! Good news, the jaundice is going away, although they will keep checking him out throughout his stay and he may end up back under the lights. Because the lights were off, we were able to spend about an hour and a half holding him so far this afternoon.

We are currently back in Ali's room starting to pack things up. Although I have been taking bags home with me every time I go back, we still have a ton of stuff here - as we thought it would be more than a two week stay.

I have posted a new album with some more pictures.

As I am thinking about posting pictures, we will be some of the only parents posting pictures of their baby before posting pictures of the baby's nursery. Hopefully the room gets painted soon. We have no clue when the furniture is supposed to come. What great parents we are - we don't even have a place for the little guy to go!

I'm A Mom!!!

If you would have asked me a couple weeks ago what my plans were for June 30, 2008, being a mom would not have been my answer. I probably would have said something like going to work, walking home and relaxing, but if I have learned one thing over the past week it is that life is unpredictable. I think that deep down I always knew life is this way, but I don't think I realized the extent until this past week. As many of you know, I have always been a planner, but the events over the course of the past 7 days have taught me to relax a little bit more and go with the flow. Positive thinking and a good attitude will help you get through anything, along with the love and support of friends and family.

Because of all of this, I also have a new found love for my husband. I never thought I could love him more than I did before coming to the hospital and the birth of Ethan, but I do. He has been more than wonderful throughout my hospital stay and truly an amazing partner. Matt has been by my side ensuring that I am comfortable, holding my hand when I needed it most and loving me unconditionally through so many emotions and stages of pregnancy. I know that this was not easy for him, but he continued to be strong and positive. His enduring love for our son and for me makes me proud to be his wife. I love him more than he will ever know.

I have heard it many times, but it is the truth....I can't believe the amount of love you can have for your child that is just minutes old. We can't imagine our lives without Ethan and are so thankful to have him with us. He has proven to be one strong little guy and just couldn't wait to join this crazy world. I know it would have been good for Ethan to incubate for a few more weeks, but we are so happy to see him and know that he is as healthy as he can be and that he is in great hands.

Ethan had his cannula removed this morning, which is great news. (The cannula is the nose tube that helps regulate the oxygen flow.) This morning, the nurse told us that the cannula would most likely come out in the next few days, and that they would put the feeding tube through the nose. This will allow him to continue to develop his sucking skills as he won't have any tubes impeding the area. He is still definitely tanning under the lights, and will be for a few more days. The highlight of this morning is when we took him out of the incubator and he laid on my chest for about 20 minutes. It was awesome! He was so snuggly and fell right to sleep.

We will visit him throughout the afternoon before I go home this evening. It will be tough leaving tonight, but I know that he is in the best place for him at this moment.

I will write more later...

Day 2

Whenever talking to anyone, the first question they ask is, "How is everyone doing?" A fairly typical and obviously appropriate question. I of course am trying to figure out various ways to say, "I am tired, but overall, great. Oh, you want to know about Ali and Ethan - got it. Everyone is doing great. Ali is doing awesome, is up walking around, taking some ibuprofen every now and then, but that's it. Ethan is also doing great. When he came out, the doctors were astonished by how awesome he was doing for his gestation. He is still doing great. Unfortunately, I think how great he did yesterday gave at least myself some false hope, that he would be awesome and we would never see the "bad" side of NICU. But, in the last 24 hours or so, he as had an oxygen tube placed around his nose to regulate his air (not to continuously pump oxygen.) He also has a feeding tube through his mouth that goes straight to his stomach. He actually ate this morning and Ali was able to pump just enough to provide him his first meal. Late this morning, just as my mom and dad visited him for the first time along with his Grandpa Bob, they put him in the incubator with the light to take care of the jaundice. So yeah, its a little disheartening to see him hooked up to all of these machines, unable to fully eat and breathe on his own, as well as now living in a pod under a tanning machine. But, even though it sucks seeing him like that, we are okay with it. We knew it was going to happen and we will get through it."

I guess I went a little longer than I expected there, but hopefully it portrays a little bit of how I am feeling. (Besides the fact that I am tired of course.)

So, what else is happening? As I mentioned, my parents (grandma and grandpa names to be determined) came up for a few hours, as well as Ann and Bob, Kristin and Ben. My question is who gets to determine grandma and grandpa names? Please let me know. Ethan told me he is really wanting Grannie Annie.

Ali got to hold Ethan for about an hour this morning which was great for the both of them. She is going to be an incredible mom.

Now that he is in the incubator and getting his tan on, we won't be able to hold him again until he comes out, which they hope will be in about 3-5 days. The last guess, and they will tell you its a total guess because they don't want to lock in a date so you can't get your expectations up, is that he could go home in about four weeks. But, as they say, they will change their guess every day until he actually does go home. At some point, we will post all of the things Ethan must do before being released, such as the car seat test, body temperature, etc.

The first non-Ethan post in a while is in regards to our lunch the last two days. Yesterday, Ben went out searching for food. In the elevator, he asked a Dr. where to get some sandwiches. The Dr. said he had to go to Eppy's Deli on Ontario. So Ben did and he brought us back some great bagel sandwiches. So great, that we went back today. Ben, Bob, my dad and I went there to get sandwiches, and the owner, Larry was in there. The guy is plain nuts. Next door is a Subway, and the sign on the front door of Eppy's reads something to the effect of, if you want shitty food, Subway is next door, we only have good food. I am fairly certain there is an expletive on the sign. We get in there and he asks my dad where he is from - "Indiana" says my dad. "They have any Jews there?" replies Larry the Jewish owner. He asked if we had ever been there before, to which we replied yesterday. He yells out in the middle of the very small diner where is son is one of two people making sandwiches - "Oh, so you know the service sucks, but the food is really good." In a very playful/non-demeaning way. The sandwiches are awesome, and therefore, I highly recommend Eppy's if you are ever in the Streeterville area. Oh, and if you go to that Subway, make sure you do not sit at Larry's tables on the sidewalk. I am not sure what, but I know something bad will happen.

I posted some pictures in an album of today's visit. Ethan has a bunch of wires and tubes connected, so just beware if you don't like those types of things.

Ali is out of here tomorrow, a full week stay. I will make her post something tonight or in the morning.

Godspeed -
Matt

Status

Its about 4:30pm mom is preparing herself for a bevy of friends stopping by - as she was supposed to have a shower today.

Ethan is doing well. He is in the NICU and the latest developments have him getting a breathing tube (in the nose) and a feeding tube in the mouth. We were prepared for this, so I can't say its ultra-shocking to see our son with tubes and iv's and the sort running every which way into and out of his little body. Other than the tubes, he is laying in what is essentially a heating pad/pod. This will simulate his environment from the last few months. They took a chest x-ray and noted his lungs were a bit underdeveloped, thus the oxygen in his nose. All in all, its been a pretty successful day.

I posted a photo album below and to the left where you will find the original photos as well as some of us holding Baby Ethan. Also included in the album are pictures from Ali's current room. (Very nice lake view.)

Thanks for all of the nice notes/messages/emails.

-Matt

WELCOME ETHAN JOHN HUNT!!!!

Ethan was born at 8:12am this morning June 28, 2008. He weighed in at 3 lbs, 13 oz. and is a tad under 18 inches long. We was born at 32 weeks and 5 days. Pretty dark hair and I think blue eyes - at least for now.

Even though he came out early, he came out crying which is the best sign for a premie. The doctors are astonished that he did not need any oxygen after birth. At this point he is in the NICU (neo-natal intensive care) and will stay there for a while. How long is a while? Not sure as of yet, but the first nurse taking care of him gave a wild guess of two weeks.

Here are some pictures about two minutes after birth and just before he took his first car/incubator ride.

Obviously more news to follow.

Go Time

15 minutes ago we were going back upstairs. Now, we are 4cm dialated and Baby Hunt is coming.

Hopefully you will see something here in the morning.

2.5 Hours Means Bedtime

Two and a half hours into our latest L&D excursion. Ali's contractions are about 10-12 minutes apart which is the same as Monday. Big difference is that tonight she can really feel them. A bit painful she says.

The other main difference is that since we have done this before - I am going to take a nap.

Back Where I Come From

Is a Kenny Chesney song we heard him sing six short days ago. Now, it takes on a different meaning. We are back to Labor & Delivery. Ali had some bleeding tonight around 9, called the nurse in and she put Ali on the monitors. About 40 minutes later they loaded her on the gurney for the trip downstairs. So now we sit in L&D room 896, only six doors away from where we were on Monday.

She is having contractions, but not at a steady rate. A quick check of, well, down there, noted that there wasn't any obvious dilation. That is a good thing. So, now we wait again to see if Baby Hunt wants to come out tonight.

Let's just hope it decides to stay in - preferably before, oh, lets say 2am.

Hopefully no one is reading this and you are all enjoying a nice Friday evening wherever you may be - but if you happen to stumble across, I will keep you updated.

-Matt

Just Sitting Here

My mom, my grandma, and Matt left about an hour ago and I have been trying to nap since, but no such luck so I thought a blog post was in order. We honestly don't have anything new to report, which like always, is a good thing. I spoke with the Dr. this morning and although my exact date of being induced has not been decided yet, it will most likely happen anytime after July 8th. My OB/GYN will be out of town for a week starting next Wednesday so we are hoping Baby Hunt can hold off until she gets back as I would love to have her deliver the Baby.

Speaking of Dr.'s, I have to give a quick shout out to Dr. Roth as she has been more than amazing. I have received a visit from her everyday, which has been nothing but reassuring and supportive. Based on her advice, I have started keeping a journal about my experience while on bed rest. I think Baby Hunt will enjoy reading about his or her journey into this world someday. The staff at Prentice has been incredible too. Matt gives me a hard time about chatting with the nurses when they come to take my vitals, but I am having fun getting to know all of them. Why not, right? They come and visit me several times a day and see me in a state that most people don't. Regardless, each and everyone has been extremely kind and compassionate. It is so nice to know that we are in great hands.

Just for something fun....a couple things I am enjoying today....
The Hunt's bought me some adorable p.j.'s t wear in the hospital and I am wearing them today. It is so nice to be free from the hospital gown and feel somewhat cute, if that is even possible. Thank you Hunt's!
I had to order a new pair of "stockings" today because mine were just getting rank. Well it has taken a while to get them, which I am loving because my legs are free from tights!!!
Whoa, have my priorities and pleasures changed or what since I was admitted to the hospital? I think normally I would say I am enjoying the great weather or a nice walk home from work. Ahhh, what a couple days can do.

Ok, back to trying to nap!! Or even read a little bit!! HUGS!!!

Just Saying Hi

I fully intended to do a blog post as soon as I woke up this morning, but it has been a constant hustle and bustle in my room since about 8 a.m. Love it! Honestly, there is not much to report and I am extremely happy to say that. The baby and I were just hooked up to the monitor for over an hour and he or she is doing great. His or her heart rate was a little higher than normal (base line in the 130's instead of 120's), but it is nothing to worry about. He or she just may have been a little more active during this monitoring than others. It could also have something to do with the fact that I was extremely warm during the hour I was on the monitor.

Ok, so I started writing this post around 10 a.m. this morning and am just now getting back onto the blog. I have had several visitors today, which I am extremely grateful for. It made my afternoon go by extremely fast and it was so good to see everyone that stopped by today. Thank you for all the gifts, lunch, and just the chance to catch up. I have to make mention of the cutest IU hand knitted sweater we received today from the Livermore's. Baby Hunt is going to be ready to tailgate next fall and cheer on the Hoosiers. Thank you so much for the darling gift.

I also had a great visit with Lindsay Smith today. Just a quick background on how we know Lindsay.....Lindsay and I know each other from Crystal Lake, but she is also friends with Jaime and Mike so I get to see her from time to time at showers, etc. Well, Lindsay and Pat just had twin girls 5 weeks ago and have spent a lot of time here at Prentice as Addison and Abigail were born at 33 weeks and 2 days. It was so reassuring to see Lindsay and hear all about their experience and their day to day routine with 2 daughters in NICU. She answered a ton of questions that I had and made me feel 100% better about the experience we are going through. Her visit really meant alot and I am looking forward to another one.....I also got to meet Addison, who is absolutely adorable and look forward to meeting Abigail sometime in the next couple of days. She is still in NICU and Lindsay promised me a visit, which I am so excited about. Both girls are doing great and I truly appreciate the surprise visit, all the advice, and just hearing about all they went through.

There are two questions that I often get asked when people call or visit so I thought I would just write about them. The first, and not necessarily in this order, is "how is the food?" Actually, it is pretty good. Now, not every meal I have eaten has been hospital food, but those that I have had are more than decent. Breakfast is breakfast, not much to report, especially when I am eating oatmeal or cereal. I have ordered lunch one day....turkey sandwich and a bowl of vegetable soup, which was so good. One night I had chicken and cheese quesadillas with guac and they were delicious. All in all, the food is not bad and I think I could eat it everyday actually. They have a ton on the menu so it would be easy to eat a variety throughout my stay here. I only have 2 complaints...one, it takes an hour to arrive and two, they give you your totally calorie intake with each meal. It is really unbelievable how many calories you can eat and not realize it. I would rather not know!

The second question, on a more serious note, is "why will the doctors induce me after 34 weeks and not let me go into labor naturally, even past 34 weeks?" At 34 weeks the risk of infection outweighs the risks associated with premature babies. Hence, the baby will develop better outside the womb than inside. Also, a baby at 34 weeks is mostly likely as developed as a full term baby, with the exception of the ability to suck, swallow, and breathe all at the same time. With that said, there is a pretty good chance that the baby will spend time in the NICU until he or she can feed on its own.

Since it has taken me all day to write this post, I am going to sign off now. I will try and be better tomorrow about getting a post out there in the morning. Again, thank you to everyone for their constant support and love. My room is getting brighter by the minute with all the flowers I have received, which makes it feel less like a hospital and more like "home." Love to everyone!

Hello from the Corner Office

Hola from the corner office. What does that even mean???? Well, we moved rooms tonight. Since I am pretty much the best patient in the hospital, and all of the nurses love me (actually they all just think Matt is hot,) they asked me if I wanted the corner room, just down the hall from where I was. Matt and my dad took a look, and told me to say yes. So, I did. And we moved.

I am now in room 986 for anyone that wants to know.

The corner room is much larger, has windows on two walls, a lake view, a view down Fairbanks looking at the Sheraton, and, well, thats it. Only problem is that the tv is smaller and hung on the wall very high. Now I have even more room for visitors.

Thanks to everyone that has stopped by so far - especially Matt's mom and dad and sister who drove up from Lafayette, sat in traffic and really could only spend about an hour here. I am so so disappointed that they wouldn't let Adalyn up - but that's the rule. Matt says she looks very different than 1.5 weeks ago when we saw her last. I can't wait to see her in a couple of weeks when hopefully, she will get to meet her cousin.

Note - to all future visitors - DO NOT BRING CANDY!!! (We have had lots of offers of people bringing us things, and we appreciate all of them, but with the amount of candy already in the room, Matt will gain at least 15 pounds in the next two weeks. We will instead take you up on your offers after we get out of here and we can celebrate with you and Baby Hunt back at home.)

Not much for a health update except that everyone says that we are doing great. The 48 hour uneasy period is now behind us and as long as I keep resting, everything should go well. My doctor told me I need to be a human incubator for the next two weeks. Through the various monitorings, the baby's heart rate seems to be doing great and he/she is responsive to the standard stimuli it receives from my body. During my thirty minutes on the heart rate/contraction monitor this morning, I only had one contraction - which I never felt. The nurses were very happy with that.

Sorry for the lack of posts today, as Matt said, my internet was down most of the day. Hopefully we won't get back to the amount of posts we had on Monday, but I will try to put a few out here per day.

Thanks to everyone for all of the loving comments, it means a ton to Matt and I. Give me a call, email or stop by, I am just sitting around for the next two weeks.

Take care, Love, Alison

PS - Matt actually typed this post for me, and that comment about the nurses thinking he is hot is true. Well, not really, its just an ego boost.

So Much For That Awesome Technology

Ali's internet hookup has been down all day and therefore, no blog posts. The hospital apologizes to all of you.

I just got to work after spending a couple of hours at the hospital this morning. Kristin stayed with Ali last night which allowed me to catch up on some much needed sleep - and boy did I take advantage - at least 9.5 hours worth which is more than I have gotten in a long time.

There is really no update as to Ali and the baby - everything is the same, and that is the way we like it. She was hooked up to the monitors for a half hour while I was there and she had one contraction in that time, one that Ali didn't know she had. The nurse said that was great. Baby's heart rate averaged around 128 while I was watching.

We finished our preliminary list of names this morning as well. Larry Bob and Bob Larry are officially out. Eleanor is on the list - that's really the craziest addition. I think I had a Great Aunt Nell that I met a while back - Hunt's you can chime in on that one in the comments - or I will ask my parents this afternoon.

Just so everyone knows, visiting hours are posted for different times in the couple of things we have seen. Truth is, I don't think they really care as long as you aren't having a party. No kids under 12 allowed is another rule. I will most likely play lobby babysitter for Addy when she comes up this afternoon.

I need to get some work done. I will post something before I head over to qualm any crazy thoughts anyone might be having due to lack of posting.

Emotions, Ultrasounds, and Massages

Hello to everyone from my hospital room at Prentice. I thought I would provide everyone with an update since 1) I have nothing else to do and 2) a few new things have happened today.


First and foremost, Matt and I can't thank each and every one of you enough for all the phone calls, e-mails, and well wishes. Hearing from friends and family has really made this experience a whole lot easier. We are so thankful that each and every one of you are in our lives and we can't tell you how much we appreciate all the love and support you all have given us in the past 2 days. We have some of the greatest family and friends and feel truly blessed to be going through this experience, knowing we are surrounded by so much love.


Yesterday was an extremely hard day for me. I shed more tears yesterday then I have in a really long time. I think both mental and physically exhaustion, along with uncertainty, being scared, and the unexpectedness of the entire situation attributed to those tears. There is no way we could have planned for this and if you know me, you know that I am not good with things happening unplanned. Although I know I am in some of the best hands in the world, it is still hard to hear that Baby Hunt might not be able to go home with us after he or she is born. I am also not really dealing well with this bed rest thing, but am keeping positive because I know this is the best thing for Baby Hunt. It is really hard for me as well to be dependant on people to help me with pretty much everything I do. I am on full bed rest, which means I can only get up to use the bathroom, shower, and stretch my legs. Again, I was definitely not planning on being confined to a bed at this stage in my pregnancy, but whatever I can do to keep Baby Hunt growing inside of me for two more weeks, I will do.

On a more upbeat note, I had an ultrasound this morning and things are looking really really good. With a 15% plus or minus in either direction, Baby Hunt is weighing in at 3.5 pounds and his or her measurements are all normal, which means he or she is growing and doing really well. The tech gave me 3 pretty good pictures of the baby so we will try and get those on here somehow. My fluid levels are practically what they should be if I did not have the rupture, which was another piece of good news. The leaking and small contractions have pretty much subsided, which makes everyone hopeful that I will be able to make it to 34 weeks.


I continue to be monitored and the baby's heartbeat is checked every 4 hours. I have 2 more rounds of antibiotics which I will finish with around midnight tonight. I am thrilled about this because it meas that my IV can be removed and I can have some freedom. Don't get me wrong, I love taking my boyfriend with me everywhere I go, but it limits the amount of privacy I have. I was also told today that I have to wear stockings to help prevent blood clots, along with these leg massage.boots While I don't have to wear the massagers at all times, it is like having a permanent masseuse on hand at all times. Not bad! Although, as me how I am feeling about them next week.


I think that is all for now. I have tons of e-mails and voicemails to return so please be patient. I am not ignoring anyone, just trying to get settled in my new home away from home. Again, we welcome visitors so please stop by anytime!!


Hugs and kisses to everyone! We love you all!


P.S. For those of you wondering, a name list has been started. Nothing narrowed down as of yet, but we will keep everyone posted!

One Day Down

I have a stiff neck. Seriously, it hurts. Ali has a sore leg from steroid shots (numero dos just came ten minutes ago.) But, all in all, we are more than happy to be where we are. One day is down, 13 more to go - we hope. Ali's Ob/GYN stopped by last night to reiterate that the first 48 hours are the most critical - so we are through the first 30. She said to expect to feel contractions off and on through the two weeks and that Ali has to tell the nurses/docs so they can hook her back up to the monitors if needed. The doc said to expect to go back and forth between Anti-partum and Labor & Delivery a couple of times - its normal. Ali will most likely have an ultrasound today to get a better picture of the size of the baby as well as measure fluid levels to compare to yesterday.

Sorry for not posting before bed last night, but the blog site wasn't agreeing with the uber-technology they have in the room.

It's not going to be the most fun two weeks for Ali, but she is in the best place possible right now and we will get through it. Plus she can play Space Invaders all day.

I am about to head home for a bit. I will hit work to think about other things (like drywall which can't really get more exciting) for a couple of hours. Hopefully Ali falls back asleep (she is reading this as I type - so just do it) until the 10am checkup. Give her a call this afternoon - if she doesn't answer, she will add you to the list of people she needs to call back.

Thanks again to all of you for the thoughts and prayers.

Pizza and A Clarification

Currently finishing some Gino's BBQ Chicken pizza - Ali is having Veggie. Good stuff - sharing with Ann, Bob, Kristi, Ben, Steve and Carolyn. Good times.

Want to make a point of clarification in a previous post. "Her developmental problem chart" refers to the Neo-Natal Dr's chart - not the supposed girl we are having. At least four people think we know we are having a girl because of this statement.

WE DO NOT KNOW THE SEX OF THE BABY!!!!!

Movin On Up...For Real This Time

Good news - probably the best we can get at this point - they moved Ali upstairs into Anti-Partum. This is the place that Ali sits and waits for baby Hunt to arrive. The contractions have ceased/become way less frequent so they decided that she can be taken off of all the monitors. She is still with IV/antibiotic, but on the overall, things are better. Now, we just wait.

Ali is checking her gmail if you want to send her emails. Not really sure what the plan is for tonight, but her mom and dad, Kristi and Ben are here. Visiting hours are done at 8, so we have three hours.

We are in room 983 if you want to call the hospital, and we are both answering our cells off and on. (Sorry if we don't call you back right away.) Visiting hours are 11-8 each day and Ali says that people are more than welcome as it will only make the day go quicker.

No News Is Good News...I Think

Nothing to update - yet I still type. Haven't seen a Dr in a few hours which while a little frustrating is probably good news since they aren't worrying about us.

The Neo-natal Dr did stop by about an hour ago and gave us the general introduction of what to expect when the little one actually shows up. Kind of a shock to our systems hearing about all of the tubes and artificial sun they will hook up. But, in the end we took away from the Dr that since we are at 32 weeks tomorrow, we are better off than what it could be. Her developmental problem chart stops at 30 weeks, so being at least two weeks after that, we felt a little better.

I am probably going head home soon for a quick shower and a stocking run. Decks of cards, books, toiletries, etc. We sure didn't figure on bringing that stuff at 12:50 this morning.

FYI - If Ali does stay here for the next two weeks, she will be your go to source for all things Days of Our Lives. John Black is seriously three years older than he was in 1994.

Not Much News

Dr still wants to stay down here as we are still having some contractions. Other than that - the only news is that I just housed some Panera. So good after being here for 11 hours.

Thanks to everyone for all of the well wishes. We wlil keep you informed via the blog for as long as we can.

Movin Back Down...

Our stay upstairs lasted all of zero minutes. After some conferral, we are staying in Labor & Delivery. The contractions are coming at a steady rate every three minutes, so they want to keep us here a while longer. They are being lax on the restrictions, so its not the worst news, but not as good as it was a half hour ago. We are still hoping to move upstairs later today, but for now, we are staying put.

Movin On Up...

Just got the best news we can at this point - that they are going to move Ali upstairs to the post-partum rooms. What that means is that the docs think she is stable enough to keep the kid inside a while longer. That is a good thing - to help the baby develop a little more. Ali will stay in the hospital until the contractions come on stronger and the baby comes, or for two weeks when they will induce her and get the baby out. Because the amniotic sac is open, infection is the biggest risk and they will keep pumping Ali with antibiotics during the time in the hospital. They will take her off of the monitors and IV when we move upstairs, which is nice.

By the way, this is Ali's first IV - congrats Ali!

By The Way...

HAPPY 27TH BIRTHDAY TO MY SISTER!!!

Nothing really to update, we are waiting on the doctors to figure out the contractions and if they want to move Ali to a room upstairs (for a longer stay) or keep her here in Labor & Delivery (sooner delivery.)

As I guess I haven't explained it yet, she is having contractions, but they are very very mild and Ali can't even feel most of them - therefore the doctors are just watching for now to see where it goes from here.

Just a Bit Early

It's currently 7am in Chicago and Ali and I have been at the hospital for the last 6 hours. Baby Hunt is coming sooner rather than later. I will spare you the details, but Ali will be in the hospital until the baby comes. We and the doctors are hoping that Ali will be here for two weeks - which will allow the baby to develop just a little more before coming to meet everyone.

I guess my theory about waiting until July to discuss names isn't going to work.

FYI - the new hospital has 42 inch plasmas in each room, fully integrated with the internet - thus this posting is coming directly from labor and delivery room #890. Pretty cool.

When we find out more, I will update the blog.

-Matt

Sitting and Waiting

Currently sitting in the Portland airport, waiting for our plane. Supposed to take off at 17:02, then it went as high as 19:02, currently back to 18:16. Scheduled to arrive a few minutes before midnight. Will I arrive in time for Kenny Chesney tomorrow? (By the way, airports with free Wi-Fi rock out with their jetbridge out.)

Cravings

There are two standard questions people ask me when they see that I am pregnant. The first is always "Do you know what you are having?" Just the clarify, the answer is still "NO!" even though I know that some of you think we secretly know. Anyway, back to the topic at hand...the second question is "Do you have any cravings?" I would like the answer to this question to be "NO!", but I would be lying.

I will honestly say I have not had one specific craving throughout my entire pregnancy. My tastes for certain things seem to change every 2 to 4 weeks. Really, it all started right around Easter time when my mom put Whoppers in our Easter baskets (yes, I am 30 years old and still receive an Easter basket, don't be jealous). I have never been a huge Whoppers eater, but that all changed this year. For about the week or 2 following Easter, I couldn't get enough. I would stop at Walgreen's almost everyday and pick up a small pack of Whoppers to eat at my desk after lunch. While this "craving" only lasted about 2 weeks, it all went down hill from there. After that, I couldn't get enough Baked Cheetos. I justified my enormous intake of them by telling myself they were the baked version. Yeah, that still does not make them good for you! They would still be part of my daily intake, but I stopped buying them all together because my consumption was getting out of hand! The same goes for ice cream, except that lasted more than a couple of weeks. I ate an ice cream cone every single night for probably a month and a half, but then decided to quit cold turkey and stop buying it. The sad thing is, I think about Edy's Slow Churned Mint Chocolate Chip just about everyday. Do I continue to resist the urge and not buy it? We will see what happens when I go to the grocery store tonight! That could end my 2 week "no ice cream" streak. So, that brings us to present day cravings. I have been loving fruit these past couple of weeks, specifically watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries and grapes. I really could eat fruit for all my meals and be completely satisfied. Oh, you would have to throw some M & M's in there as well. I am not picky, plain or peanut will do.

Ahh, I love pregnancy! When in your life can you eat an ice cream cone everyday and not feel terrible about it? I am pretty sure this is the only time! It is for the baby after all!

Cute Favor Idea

Every once in a while, I will hop on Martha Stewart's website to see what great idea or new recipe she has come up with. Today, I just happened to be browsing the wedding portion of her site and found these adorable favors. Not only do they look really cute, they seem very easy to make. Perfect for a do-it-yourself bride.

Making a Run for the Border

I dialed up T-Bell today for lunch. Just sounded good. It's now two hours later, the aftertaste is still around - after two mints - more pungent than eating spoiled sardines - and my workspace smells like a chili-cheese and bean burrito combo. I will now go hide the trash in a co-workers trashcan.

-Matt

Some Things

We welcome the Brown's to the Blogosphere. Check out their new blog in our list of links.

Congrats to Bill Doyle on his 2nd (I think) hole-in-one. Hit it on the 11th at Birmingham Country Club yesterday while playing with all three of his kids. He said that part was cool, but buying drinks for a packed course on Father's Day might be a little rough.

For Mother's Day, we bought my mom a webcam so that she can see her grandkids a little more often. As soon as we buy a new laptop (within the next month,) we will also be online, videoconference style. We will be using Skype, so if any of you are video-enabled, let us know your id and we will hook up.

We had a great time in Lafayette/Zionsville this weekend celebrating my cousin's high school graduation. She is headed to Dayton in the fall. I am still unsure of what a Flyer is. Ali will most likely post about the weekend a little later. She took tons of pictures of our new niece Adalyn.

I shot an 85 on Saturday morning at Battleground with my dad and Jim. This was an awesome score for three reasons. One, I beat both of them, again. Two, I was attempting to change my swing based on my lesson two weeks ago. I think I finally figured it out on #17 - better late than never I guess. And three, my putting was on fire. This is big because my putting has sucked {insert your own expletive} for the past two to three years. I think its all in the follow-thru.

I am headed to Portland on Wednesday for a couple of days. I have never been there and am pretty excited to check it out.

Kenny Chesney this weekend at Soldier Field.

Thanks to all of your donations thus far for my upcoming golf marathon. Everyone thinks I am crazy to play 100 in one day, but, I will get it done. I am nearing the $2000 mark with over a month left to collect. Thanks again for all of the generosity.

31 Weeks...Almost

It is hard to believe that Matt and I have just about 9 weeks left before we meet our new baby. While there are not enough words to describe how excited we are to meet the newest addition to our family, I will admit, the nerves are starting to kick in. Thoughts, questions, and concerns are constantly running through my mind: Are we ready for this? Can we actually care for a child? What will life be like? While I am not sure you are ever fully prepared for the birth of a child and while we know that this will change our lives drastically, there is nothing that we want more right now than to bring another life into this world. I am nervous about the unknown, but that is what makes it exciting and so much fun. We have great family and friends that we know we can rely on for late night questions, a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on, and constant support. To us, that is a huge relief!

So, just a little update...I had a doctor's appointment yesterday and things are progressing nicely. The belly is growing and Baby Hunt is proving to be quite an acrobat throughout the day. I am still feeling pretty good, but definitely starting to slow down. I have noticed within the past 2 weeks that I tire more easily and my back is hurting more than normal. Oh yeah, and have I mentioned the swollen feet, hands, and face? I got a taste of what 90 degree weather, 90% humidity, and a 15 minute walk to the El can do to a pregnant lady last week. Not fun and very hot, but tolerable and definitely worth it. Plus, these are all relatively common symptoms in your last trimester.

Before I left yesterday morning, I did a few self portraits so click here to see some more from my little photo shoot.

Issues R' Us

While we were at dinner in Lake Geneva over the weekend my sister, and I were talking about the blog and some improvements/changes that could possibly be made. I did not inherit the creative writing gene that my sister did and she is a great writer herself; so I really do appreciate any suggestions she might have. I will admit that I am not a very good writer and very long winded (hence the length of this post) so, I can’t promise huge improvements in that category, but I can change the content of the posts. One thing she suggested is that I should offer more opinions on various topics or how I am feeling about certain areas of my life. Well, I don’t know if this conversation jinxed the experience Matt and I had at Babies R Us on Sunday or what, but Kristi, this post is for you!

Just to get my feelings out in the open right off the bat, I am completely annoyed and frustrated with Babies R Us.

On Sunday, Matt and I headed to Babies R Us to exchange and return some items that we received for Baby Hunt; the main item being the Bumbleride Indie Stroller my mom’s Bunko group so graciously gave us. Why, you might ask, are we returning the stroller? There were two reasons why, really. The first reason was to support Grow, a local children’s shop in our neighborhood. They have been extremely friendly and helpful every time we have been in there to look at the Bumbleride. It would be nice to know that if we ever had any problems with the stroller, we could walk down the block and know a friendly caring face would be willing to help us out. The second reason we had talked about exchanging the Bumbleride was to possibly purchase the Bugaboo Frog. While I have had my eye on the Bumbleride for some time now, the Bugaboo is quite an amazing stroller; made well, stylish, easy to push, etc. The only problem is the hefty price tag, which is why we ultimately ended up registering for the Bumbleride.

Anyway, after schlepping the 25 pound box to Babies R Us and waiting in line for 25 minutes, we get up to the cashier only to find out that we can’t exchange the stroller because we don’t have a packing slip or “proof” the stroller was purchased from Babies R Us. I use the term proof as loosely as possible because one, it clearly states on the box that the stroller was shipped from Toys R Us and two, because it is on our registry. I should clarify that you can return items to the store, without a receipt, that were purchased online only if the store carries the item. You will get the lowest prices, but you can still return it….more on that one later. This particular item is not carried in the store, only online, which created all of this havoc. So, what am I annoyed about?

There are a couple of things, really:

• First and foremost, the stroller was on our registry. Shouldn’t you be able to return any item with or without a receipt if it was on your registry? I sure think so and I am pretty sure that is what the registry “expert” told us when began the registry process.
  We received the stroller as a gift off our registry. Why would we have the packing slip? It would be extremely tacky to include the packing slip with a gift as it clearly states the price paid for the item.
• Don’t tell me that I should try to return the stroller to Toys R Us because that is where it was shipped from. Huh? I thought you didn’t know where it was shipped from, thus requiring proof of purchase.
• If I would have known that you can’t return online items to the store without a receipt, I would never have added items online. What is the point of offering that service if the company does not make it easy to return. I pity anyone who did their registry completely online. Better hope they receive packing slips or gift receipts for all their items.
• The lowest price theory…..I will give Babies R Us the benefit of the doubt on this one because I do agree that if you don’t have a receipt for the item you should only get back what the current price is, even if it is one sale. With this said, I don’t believe you should screw people. Example: we were returning a pack of onesies that really I just wanted to exchange for a different size. I didn’t have a receipt for them so they gave me the current price, which was a sale price. Fine, totally understandable. When we went to purchase the same onesies, in a different size, they charged us $1.50 more. What? It is not that I care about the $1.50, but I do care about them making money off of me in a way that is completely unfair.

Needless to say, I will be happy after Baby Hunt arrives and things are settled with items we receive at showers. I do not plan on shopping at Babies R Us once all my gift cards are spent, unless I absolutely have to. I think their customer service is terrible and their registry policy is even worse. The bad thing for them, if we had decided to exchange the Bumbleride for the Bugaboo that day, they would have made a lot of money since the Bugaboo is almost double the Bumbleride. Hmmmmm, if only they would have known they were going to make some more money from us. Too bad, so sad!

Girls Just Want To Have Fun

This past Saturday and Sunday, my sister and my mom treated me to a surprise "Girls Weekend." It was just a chance for the 3 of us to get away before the baby is born and to spend some quality time together.

My sister picked me up on Saturday morning and we headed to Lake Geneva, with a quick stop in CL to pick up my mom. We started with spa treatments at The Well Spa at the Grand Geneva Resort. My sister and I both had massages (Pre-Natal for me and Swedish for her), while my mom had a facial. It was the perfect way to kick off a great weekend because the 3 of us were so relaxed by the end of our appointments; I think we could have sat in the spa all day. We then headed into town for a quick bite to eat at Popeye's, some ice cream and a little bit of shopping. Since the weather seemed to be holding up, we decided to head back to the hotel for a little R & R by the pool. By the time we got back to the hotel and changed, the dark sky and huge clouds did not look promising for pool time. Instead we headed to the hotel bar for a few drinks. After some drinks and lots of chatting, we headed back to the room to get ready for dinner. Our dinner reservations were at Ristorante Brissago at Grand Geneva, which was so nice because we didn't have to leave. We had a fabulous dinner; every one's food was delicious and the view was gorgeous. After a quick stop in the lobby for some good people watching, we decided to turn in for the night. Sunday, we woke up at our leisure and headed out for a walk. The walk was cut short because of the ever darkening sky, but we were able to enjoy a very nice breakfast buffet at the resort. After an unhurried breakfast, it was time to shower and head back to reality.

I can't thank my mom and my sister enough for planning such an incredible weekend. While we all missed the boys, it was so relaxing and more special than they will ever know. It was so good to spend some quality time with 2 remarkable women, who are so close to my heart. Honestly, it was probably one of the best weekends I have ever had. Love you both so much and thank you again for everything you have done!

100 Holes of Golf

Many of you received an email from me this morning soliciting donations for a golf charity event I am taking part in on July 28. If you did not receive the email and you want to read about what's going on, please check out the website I set up. GOLF CHARITY

Short story is that I am playing 100 holes of golf in one day to help raise money for the Alpine Children's Charity. All money raised goes directly to four children's charities.




Email me or post a comment if you would like more information.

Shower, Green Lake, Life

Just an update on some happenings in the Hunt household that we have yet to post about.....

A couple of weekends ago, two of my mom's dear friends hosted our first baby shower. The shower was beautiful and I had so much fun catching up with some old friends, family, and all the "Bunko" ladies. Everyone was extremely generous and spoiled Baby Hunt. It was a great way to spend Sunday afternoon and a huge thank you to Becky and Sharon for hosting such a perfect event.

Last weekend we made our first "summer" trip up to Green Lake. I think it was the first weekend that actually felt like summer and we were able to spend a lot of time outside. After a fairly easy trip up there, we met my mom and dad at the Friday night hang out, Walker's, for fish fry, lots of drinks, and the usual good time. It was great to see all the "locals" back in action at their favorite hang out. Saturday, my dad and Matt headed over to get the boat in hopes of the shore station being in when they got back so the boat could go in the water next to our new pier! Long story short, the shore station finally went in, about 5 days late and extremely crooked, requiring someone else to come over this week and correct it. Nevertheless, we went out on the boat for a couple hours and enjoyed the sunshine. We spent a couple hours soaking up the sun on Sunday before heading back to the city. Our weekends there are always way too short, but we do love to head up there and "get away from it all." We are looking forward to a nice extended trip up there over the 4th of July.

The summer seems to be upon us, finally, which means lots of busy weekends and only 11 weeks until Baby Hunt's arrival. I know time will fly as we have something to do every weekend between now and the 12th of July. It is going to be a fun month and a half, filled with concerts, trips, and showers. We will be sure to keep you posted!