The first couple are of Bastet trying to figure out how to get to the hanging tulips.

Anyone want to lay odds on Bastet vs. tulips?

She was just very stubborn.

Why am I not surprised?

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She was just very stubborn.

Well, good thing that's changed.

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apt looks great vw. and toto looks very happy on his throne.

I just watched 3 episodes of Wonderfalls - I have had the dvd's for awhile and finally picked up.

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How are you feeling, Beth?

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Hee! Someday it will be called determination, and be a positive trait. Just not by me.

I haven't seen all of wonderfalls yet. Someday, I suppose.

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That said, I am looking forward to going into labor on my own this time as I think it will feel shorter and less tiring if I get to spend part of it at home.

This is how it was for me. With Ben, I was at the hospital all night. With Chris, I stayed home until about 3 hours before he was born, and was much less worn out. Of course Chris was born in the early evening as opposed to Ben's first thing in the morning birth. I wouldn't have had much rest if I stayed home for a long time with Ben, either. Julia's delivery was nearly as fast (hospital-time-wise) as Chris's, and she was induced, although all they had to do to induce her was break my water.

I had episiotomies with all three. The one I had with Julia, I wouldn't have known I had, had I not been awake for it. That's the only one of my deliveries my own OB (from a larger practice) was able to attend. He was a master. I never felt it. I never felt it healing, either. Ben? It felt like I was cut from the nape of my neck, down around and up to my collar bone, and I think I could still point to the right spot. With Chris, it wasn't bad, but it wasn't as good as the one with Julia.

My best friend tore very, very badly to the front on her third baby, and is practically an episiotomy evangelist. My own OB wasn't big on episiotomies, and said we'd avoid one if we could. I don't know the philosophy of the other two who attended Ben and Chris's deliveries. I trusted their judgment, as they had a better eye view of the situation than I did.

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Someone remind me I should wait until I'm a popular author with some money and space to burn before I start collecting things like this: [link]

or these: [link]

Because I want them! And that advancing sergeant would look so perfect on my desk! Spike and Boromir need a new friend!

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I had an episiotomy. My OB says that they tend to do them if they are worried that the tear will be bad or will go off in a funny direction. Anyway, I couldn't really feel it except for when she was sewing it up (because by then the epi was dialed down so low). In my thinking, I imagine the difference between a tear and an epi is not nearly so great as the difference between either of them and the woman who skates by with neither.

But let's be honest (whitefonted for the sake of those who are going through this soon and don't have memory to remind them), no matter what, you take a real beating down there. It's not pretty.

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My OB says that they tend to do them if they are worried that the tear will be bad or will go off in a funny direction.

I tore really badly with Ben, my second, and I just remember being bored out of my mind while the OB was sewing it up, because it seemed to take so long. Healing was kind of a non-issue, because I didn't have anything to compare it to -- Jake had been a C-section.

With Sara, the OB (whitefonted for possible TMI) kept rubbing what was essentially KY jelly, I guess, all over the area, and I didn't tear at all, which seemed weird because she was a pound bigger than Ben. It seemed so smart, and made me wonder why my other OB hadn't thought of the whole lube issue. .

And you're absolutely right, Burrell. That's why ice packs are your very best friend.

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Deena, if you're around can you hop on AIM for a minute.

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