The Undecided Philosopher on the Road – Baby Watch 2006…

Entry #1:

This blog entry comes to you live (well, typed live, posted once I can find some Internet access to borrow) from the Birthing Center at the Bristol Regional Medical Center. I am here monitoring and awaiting the arrival of my first nephew, Austin Blake. My sister, Sarah, has been here at the hospital since 8:00 pm last night, going through the motions for an attempted inducement of labor. If all else fails, she will be receiving a C-section some time later this afternoon.

The time is 9:50 am on Monday, August 28, 2006. Sarah received her epidural at approximately 8:00 am, at which point the doctors informed her that labor may not occur until the early to mid-afternoon hours. All seems well to this point, with a steady stream of family and friends coming by to visit and keep my sister properly distracted and in good spirits. Though appropriately nervous and anxious, Mom appears to be holding up well. She is a little sleep deprived and somewhat on edge, but she is handling everything to this point with an eloquence and grace that only my mother can pull off.

Other than a passing interest in the new gadgetry associated with the birthing process (my sister is surrounded by more monitors, CPU’s, printers, and appliances than I could ever imagine in my lab at the office), I have nothing more specific to report. Basically, we are playing a waiting game, praying and joking and chatting to keep our minds active and our spirits high until the moment of truth arrives. I will return to type more as events unfold. Until then…

Entry #2:

Well, we have reached 2:30 pm, the bewitching hour when the doctor predicted everything would be in full swing and my first nephew would be mere minutes away. Alas, Sarah is still as completely pregnant as when the day started with no obvious end in sight. According to the doctors, she is quickly reaching the limitations of the medicine used to induce the pregnancy, leaving few options aside from a C-Section later in the day. Sarah is sleeping for the moment, so hopefully she will be completely rested and ready for what the early evening may bring.

On a complete aside, I must admit after a small breakfast and a hearty lunch, I can fully endorse the cafeteria food here at the Bristol Regional Medical Center. The food is, in most cases, tasty and cost effective, with an excellent array of options, from salad and sandwiches to hot entrees and desserts. Now, I realize that the state of food affairs in the hospital is not terribly relevant to the present situation, but I have to have something to write about to quash my present anxious mood.

Back on the pregnancy front, I hope to have an update for everyone reading within the next few hours.