Running Forward:

Molly

Molly arrived about 3:30 this morning. She was 20 inches long and weighed 7 lbs. 5 oz. — not bad for being three weeks early. Both mom and baby are doing well.

23 comments November 29th, 2006

Contractions Are Like Running a Marathon Everyday

Marathon Girl, my wonderful wife who has done such physically punishing things such as running a marathon on a broken leg, is beat. Friday night we went in to the hospital again thinking our little girl was on her way. Contractions were intense and 2-3 minutes apart. We were sent home three hours later and told that she wasn’t in active labor. The contractions finally stopped around midnight but resumed on Saturday afternoon for five hours, resumed for several more hours this afternoon then stopped around bedtime. The on and off again contractions are draining her both emotionally and physically. The only time I’ve seen Marathon Girl this beat is after running a marathon. We need this baby to come soon.

We have a doctor’s appointment Monday afternoon. Hopefully we’ll have some more good news (like an induction date) or maybe these contractions will finally into active labor. I hope to have good news soon.

4 comments November 26th, 2006

Happy Thanksgiving

If anyone knows any labor-inducing Thanksgiving foods, Marathon Girl wants the recipe. Nothing would make her happier than having the baby this weekend. Yes, the baby would be three weeks early but right now she doesn’t care. Since it’s hard to sleep or do just about anything else, Marathon Girl is ready to be done.

Providing that Marathon Girl doesn’t go into labor our plans tomorrow include playing in the annual neighborhood Turkey Bowl tomorrow morning (I’ll be doing that, not MG) then we’re off to spend the holiday with loved ones.

Hope you all have a happy and safe Thanksgiving!

2 comments November 22nd, 2006

News Photos Can Be Cool

This is one of the best news photographs I’ve seen in years. I hope the guy who took it wins an award.

 

South Korean farmers hold torchlights as they try to enter government building during an anti-FTA and anti-government protest Wednesday near Seoul.

1 comment November 22nd, 2006

Baby Update

Contractions have started back up but their not regular or very strong. Baby is still head down but her body has moved up in the uterus. When we asked the doctor this afternoon when he thought the baby would come, he just shrugged his shoulders.

Maybe we’ll be going to my parent’s home for Thanksgiving after all this year.

Add comment November 21st, 2006

The End of the Line for Michael Richards

Apparently Michael Richards doesn’t just play a loser on TV. He’s a loser in real life as well.

Friday night appearance by Richards at the Los Angeles Laugh Factory got ugly fast when Richards responded to hecklers by screaming at the audience, shouting a racial slur repeatedly and clearly referencing lynching. The audience reacted angrily, and Richards walked off stage…. 

I thought his career had already bottomed out. I was wrong.

2 comments November 20th, 2006

Enduring to the End

Marathon Girl’s contractions seem to have stopped – ironically at the same time that the doctor would have let her deliver the baby had the contractions continued. As of now we have no idea when the bundle of joy will arrive. Tomorrow. Thanksgiving Day. Two weeks from now. Who knows! The good news is that when the baby decides to arrive, she’s been in the oven long enough that she should come out healthy and well.

***

I’ve spent the weekend making edits on the last few chapters of my book. (I can’t wait until it’s published!) I love reading those chapters because it reminds me how fortunate I am to have Marathon Girl as my wife. There were so many things that could have derailed our relationship if we had let them. Yet despite the hardships we endured there was a determination from both of us to make our relationship successful. After one particularly difficult incident I held Marathon Girl in my arms and asked her if she wanted to continue being with me. I told there would probably be more trying days in our future. Marathon Girl looked up at me and said that she was wanted things to work out between us and wasn’t willing to give up just because we had a difficult day and some rather unique issues to deal with. It was that moment that I realized we were the only ones that could determine if things were going to work out between us. It didn’t matter the issues either of us brought to the relationship, so long as we were willing to work together on them.

Thanks to that attitude, we have a wonderful marriage. Different problems have come up over the four years we’ve been together but we’ve worked through each one successfully because we want to be together and want our marriage to endure. The difficulties we’ve encountered have made our union stronger and brought us closer together as a couple.

So, thank you, Marathon Girl, for letting me know you weren’t about to give up when we hit a speed bump all those years ago. I owe all my happiness to your patience and love. I can’t imagine my life without you.

2 comments November 18th, 2006

No Baby…Yet

Good news. The contractions have been slowed down and Marathon Girl is back at home – albeit on strict bed rest. Had a visit with the doctor this morning and he said as long as the baby can wait until after Sunday, it should be okay to deliver her early if the contractions start up again. A lady from church is helping out Marathon Girl today and my mom will be in town for a few days tomorrow.

The boys are happy to be back at home with Mom and Dad. They love their grandparents but miss being with us. Last night they didn’t want to stop hugging Marathon Girl and playing with Dad.

Hopefully the contractions will stop or the baby will come soon.  Marathon Girl’s going stir crazy being in bed all the time. Here’s hoping things go well the next few days.

2 comments November 15th, 2006

Hospitals Are Boring

There’s only so much you can do to entertain yourself in a hospital. After 24 hours, it becomes rather boring.

So why are we here? Marathon Girl went into early labor Wednesday night – six weeks before her scheduled due date. She’s far enough along that the doctors don’t want her to come yet (they’d rather keep the baby inside for two more weeks) but they won’t giver her any medication to stop the contractions. Basically Marathon Girl’s been put on bed rest in hopes that is slows labor (so far so good). There are a few other complications that I’m not going to detail now but it means baby could come any time – in an hour, tomorrow, or the day after. For the baby’s health the longer she waits to come the odds go down that she won’t need any intensive care.

Since hospitals aren’t known as being entertainment capitols of the world, we’ve had to find our own ways to pass the time. So during the last few days we’ve caught up on some movies (the surprisingly violent X-Men 3, and the surprisingly enjoyable Mission Impossible 3) we’ve been wanting to see for awhile, catching up on the two Michael Connelly novels we haven’t read (Void Moon, and Chasing the Dime), and just sitting and talking about things. The later has been rather fun. I don’t think Marathon Girl and I had this much time alone together since Aidan was born. (I’ve also made some fabulous progress on the edits to my book while Marathon Girl sleeps. If this drags out a few more days, I’ll be done with them two weeks ahead of schedule.)

And speaking of kids, we both really miss our boys. Marathon Girl’s mom is watching them and has brought them by almost every day since we’ve been here. But it’s not the same when I can’t wrestle, chase, or read books with them. If Marathon Girl’s contractions remain infrequent this morning then I’ll be heading home for a several hours today to play with them and chase them around their room so they don’t feel too abandoned.

So that’s the latest. Keep Marathon Girl and the baby in your prayers. Hopefully I’ll have more good news next time I update.

7 comments November 12th, 2006

While I Have a Quick Moment….

There’s wireless Internet access in the hospital. Cool!

Quick thoughts on the fall finale of LOST:

*** Spoiler Warning ***

• Unlike some, I found the final episode to be rather suspenseful. The suspense wasn’t meant to be from whether Ben dies or not (no one cares about him – yet) but how much The Others value his life. Remember that Juliet told him in that video taped message that some people were ready for a change. Jack assumes that The Others still want Ben as their leader. We really don’t know if they do. They may call Jack bluff and let Ben die. Then Jack’s no better off than he was before.
• Really enjoyed Kate’s flashback. Ties up that one loose end from the first season where Kate and Sawyer (I think it was him – maybe it was Jack) were having a drinking contest in the jungle and she mentioned that she had been married but that “it didn’t last long.”
• Don’t be surprised if Sawyer is shot (but not necessarily killed). If that guard wants to avenge his wife’s death, I wouldn’t put it past him. Like I pointed out last week, the cast is deep enough and there’s enough going on that one character doesn’t carry the show. I wouldn’t surprise me if Sawyer is killed.
• Another illustration great interrogation technique: Jack wasn’t let out of his cell on accident. Ben wanted Jack to see Sawyer and Kate together. (Ben got what he wanted from it, didn’t he?)
• My prediction on what will happen when the series resumes in February: Ben and Sawyer will both survive but while Ben recovers from surgery there will be a little coup as to who becomes the leader of The Others. I see some of The Others wanting out of whatever group they’re part of and helping Jack, Kate, and Sawyer escape. We’ll get an answer to that big black monster thing via Locke and Desmond and more of an idea of who The Others really are and what they’re really doing on the island.

And for those who complain about having to wait until February to see a new episode and can’t find anything better to do with their time on Wednesday nights, watch some past episodes from season two and pay special attention to the conversations with Ben while was a prisoner. There are some subtle clues that give some insight into what is really going now that were a third of the way through season three.

4 comments November 9th, 2006

We Vote, not Boat, in November

Aidan was more than a little disappointed yesterday when Marathon Girl and I took him voting. For some reason he thought I said “boating.” When we arrived at our poll location, he seemed a little perplexed that there wasn’t any water or boats in sight.

“No water,” Aidan said.

I didn’t understand why he was talking about water.

“Are you thirsty?” I asked

“No boats,” Aidan said.

Everything clicked.

“Were not going boating. We’re vvvvvvvoting,” I said stressing the “v”

“Vvvvvvoting,” Aidan repeated.

Fortunately the poll workers gave him several I Voted stickers which seemed to more than make up for any disappointment he was experiencing. Being able to help Dad cast a couple of votes helped too.

Add comment November 8th, 2006

Thanks Uncle Orrin

Uncle Orrin just left a voice message on my cell phone reminding me to vote tomorrow. Thanks, Orrin. I had no idea my phone number was important enough to be found in your rolodex.

1 comment November 6th, 2006

Baby Girls

Our baby girl is due six weeks from tomorrow.

As I write this, Marathon Girl is sitting in a rocking chair on the other side of the room, putting the finishing touches on a blanket for Steven’s bed. Her hands move in a regular up and down motion as the needle dips through the layers of fabric. Her left arm is resting on her pregnant belly.

In my inbox is an email from a good, longtime friend. She’s asking how Marathon Girl is doing and what my boys are up to. And she asks how I’m handling this pregnancy with a girl on the way. She’s not the first to ask this question. Once we announced a girl was on the way, people seem to think that having a girl on the way would be difficult for me.

For the most part this pregnancy has been a lot easier than the first two. I better understand the ups and downs Marathon Girl goes through. I’m better at helping her with the things she needs during this time. And Marathon Girl will attest, I’m nowhere near as anxious and uninvolved as I was when she was pregnant with Aidan.

In some ways it’s been a challenge. I’ve thought back to Hope more during the last few months than I have the last two or three years. Thinking that I’ll have a little girl to hold and cherish again puts a lump in my throat.

But the challenges are nothing I can’t deal with. In an hour we’ll go to bed and I’ll put my arm around Marathon Girl and felt the baby kick and move. Marathon Girl will tell me that this little girl the most active of all our children and I keep my hand on her belly until I fall asleep.

I’m just happy to have a little girl that will join our family. A little girl that will join her mom and dad and two older brothers. Our little girl to raise and to teach and to love.

Life is good.

We are blessed.

4 comments November 5th, 2006

The Power of LOST

Thoughts on last night’s episode of LOST. (Stop reading if you don’t want to know what happened.)

I don’t mind when they kill off characters on LOST. They writers have shown they can introduce other characters that can add depth and intrigue to the story. But I was a little saddened when Mr. Eko was killed by the mysterious black cloud. (I’m glad they brought the cloud back, BTW. I was starting to think the writer’s had forgotten about it.)

Mr. Eko was one of the two most fascinating characters on the island. (Locke is the other.) I loved his inner struggle between good and evil and coming to terms with whether or not he could be forgiven or redeemed for his past deeds. As evil as he may have been at times in his past life, we saw that at times he had a heart of gold and was willing to stand up and protect the innocent. He was also the driving force that united the passengers of the tail section with the passengers on the other side of the island.

Fortunately, it appears that Mr. Eko found some peace with the life he had lived. His last words to Yemi (or whatever it is) were: “I ask no forgiveness, Father, for I have not sinned. I have only done what I needed to survive.” I hope Mr. Eko found peace. His character will be greatly missed. And let’s hope the writer’s of LOST can bring up another character that’s just as captivating.

***

After last nights episode it seems like there are many who are complaining about the number of characters being killed off on LOST. Yes, LOST is a real bloodbath at time but I think it adds a realistic dimension to the show and shows how the writers are willing to break some television taboos.

First, keep in mind the plane crash survivors are on some strange island with little life-saving technology and no law and order. When someone gets hurt, there’s no hospital to rush them too. The only doctor on the island has limited resources and is often unable to saves lives simply because he doesn’t have access to the life saving technology. One hundred years ago the life expectancy was about 25 – 30 years less than it was today. Why? People got hurt or sick and died because there were little others could do for them. Same is true on this mysterious island.

Even though there’s a general sense of community among the plane crash’s survivors, it really is every man (or woman) for themselves. I’m surprised more fights haven’t broken out over resources and other things. With no real law and order on the islands, the survivors are relying on each others’ sense of being nice to each other. It wouldn’t take much for someone to put a little band of people together and try to take control of resources and other things necessary for their survival. (I’m thinking along the lines of Lord of the Flies here.) All things considered, I’m surprised the death toll on the island hasn’t been higher.

Second, LOST has shown that it’s willing to be a ground breaking show in lots of ways. (See yesterday’s post for a link to an article that details that.) There seems to have been a general rule in television that you can’t kill off main characters. Go back to, say, The X-Files. Moulder and Scully found themselves in some harrowing experiences but did we ever really think that one of them was going to die? Of course not! We knew that somehow they would be saved or rescued at the last moment. On LOST we don’t know which character might be next. It makes the island and what the characters are experiencing more real and frightening and shows that the strength of LOST isn’t one or two people, but the story itself. LOST isn’t about Jack, Sawyer, Kate, Mr. Eko Desmond, or anyone else. It’s story about a group of people – a community – who are trying to survive.

I’m sure there are some characters that will stay on the Island from beginning to end, but LOST shows that it’s not one or two characters that are carrying the show. Rather it’s the powerful story that is keeping people interested. As much I didn’t want to see Mr. Eko go last night, the show will go on without him. There’s plenty of questions that need to be solved and an island to escape and LOST doesn’t depend on just one or two characters to move the story to it’s eventual conclusion.

2 comments November 2nd, 2006

All Is ‘Lost’

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram has an interesting article on the influence LOST has had on other television shows. You can read it here. 

It also speculates why the is down slightly this year. Like I’ve been saying since the beginning of the season, the writers need to resolve some of the mysteries before the audience becomes frustrated. Just because you answer some questions doesn’t mean it won’t open other ones.
 

1 comment November 1st, 2006