Savannah Lee Arrives!!

Date: Saturday, November 18, 2006
Time: 06:18 AM CST
Place: University of Texas Medical Branch
Delivered By: Certified Midwife
Weight: 7 lbs. 6 oz.
Length: 19.76 inches
Pictures: http://www.growingfamily.com
Password: *Savannah's last name*

(I have more pictures, and will upload them soon)

Shower Food & Gifts!

Good Bye Jack Palance

Oscar-Winning Actor Jack Palance Dies
Nov 10, 5:14 PM EST

The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES -- Jack Palance, the craggy-faced menace in "Shane," "Sudden Fear" and other films who turned to comedy at 70 with his Oscar-winning self-parody in "City Slickers," died Friday.

Palance died of natural causes at his home in Montecito, Calif., surrounded by family, said spokesman Dick Guttman. Palance was 85 according to Associated Press records, but his family gave his age as 87.

When Palance accepted his Oscar for best supporting actor he delighted viewers of the 1992 Academy Awards by dropping to the stage and performing one-armed push-ups to demonstrate his physical prowess.

"That's nothing, really," he said slyly. "As far as two-handed push-ups, you can do that all night, and it doesn't make a difference whether she's there or not."

That year's Oscar host, Billy Crystal, turned the moment into a running joke, making increasingly outlandish remarks about Palance's accomplishments throughout the night's awards presentations.

It was a magic moment that epitomized the actor's 40 years in films. Always the iconoclast, Palance had scorned most of his movie roles.

"Most of the stuff I do is garbage," he once told a reporter, adding that most of the directors he worked with were incompetent, too.

"Most of them shouldn't even be directing traffic," he said.

Movie audiences, though, were electrified by the actor's chiseled face, hulking presence and the calm, low voice that made his screen presence all the more intimidating.

His film debut came in 1950, playing a murderer named Blackie in "Panic in the Streets."
After a war picture, "Halls of Montezuma," he portrayed the ardent lover who stalks the terrified Joan Crawford in 1952's "Sudden Fear." The role earned him his first Academy Award nomination for supporting actor.

The following year brought his second nomination when he portrayed Jack Wilson, the swaggering gunslinger who bullies peace-loving Alan Ladd into a barroom duel in the Western classic "Shane."

That role cemented Palance's reputation as Hollywood's favorite menace, and he went on to appear in such films as "Arrowhead" (as a renegade Apache), "Man in the Attic" (as Jack the Ripper), "Sign of the Pagan" (as Attila the Hun) and "The Silver Chalice" (as a fictional challenger to Jesus).

Other prominent films included "Kiss of Fire," "The Big Knife," "I Died a Thousand Deaths," "Attack!" "The Lonely Man" and "House of Numbers."

Baby Shower-Luncheon

Well, I made out like a bandit today. (I'll be updating the list on the other post shortly).

I got a diaper genie, a diaper bag (eddie bauer, no less!), clothes (all infant size), blankets, wipes, diapers, powders/lotions/soaps, bottles, bottle sanitizer, bottle cleaning brush, car seat toys, and several other things. And my bosses gave me a nice little donation. (Every penny helps, especially with the due date bumped up to just a week away, instead of a month away!!)

I have pictures (3 meg worth...and that's the resized ones). I'll email to whoever wants them.

They also made LOTS of food - and a really cool punch (my husband's suggestion). Raspberry sherbert with 7-Up poured over it. Yummy! It was a big hit.

There were Columbian Empanadas (meat-filled fried....um... things. Mystery meat - but Very Yum), Macaroni Salad, Veggies & Dip, a bread bowl with Dill Dip, Pinwheels (some sort of rolled up lunch meat, cheese, and a breadlike substance sliced thin), 7-layer dip, Fruit Jello Salad, meats and cheeses, various chips and sodas, and I brought in some home-made marshmallow fudge.

It was a lot of fun, and so very much more than I expected! I'm glad they had it here at work, so everyone could be involved. If it had been on a weekend, as originally planned, I feel most (if not all) would have bailed.

Due Date - Fast Forward

Good bye December! Hello November!

Not just November...but November 19th is the latest official date by my doctor. That's right. Next Sunday. Taking donations now for the hospital bill that we were budgeting to pay in Dec. *cheeky grin*

Seriously though.... ahh. down baby! gooood baby. Sorry, she was poking me in the hip bone. Not the most pleasant sensation - but I suppose it's better than the ribs that everyone else gets a foot into.

For those that may be curious about what I have or what I need, here's the highlights.

(All listed items are on registries)
Make of this list what you will. Do with it as you wish. But here is what I have and don't have.
The pricier items I'm still lacking:

• changing table
• crib set (sheets, etc.... I have one on each registry. I have no preference to which. The one I get, I'll remove the other from the list.)
• crib mattress
• breast pump (I know... such classy and elegant items)

Smaller - less pricey items I'm lacking:

• diaper bag
• diaper pail
• sterilizer
• hamper (I see someone bought it off the registry! *many thanks!*

Otherwise, anything on either of the registries. Or even a general conglomerate - diapers, bottles, nursing pads, etc. I'm really quite easy-going.

www.babiesrus.com (My first/last name - Katy, TX)

www.onestepahead.com (same)

I already have: (and may not be on the registries)

• a car seat
• crib (no mattress or sheets yet)
• stroller
• baby monitors
• bouncer
• glider/ottoman
• a couple baby clothes sets (though I'm expecting a layette from the center I visit - which I already know will have a few sets of clothes and blankets and various knick-knacks all put in a wash tub)
• a couple bottles
• a couple quilts
• a porta-crib from my ma-in-law.
• a co-sleeper
• an infant support for car seat

So I have most of the bigger necessity items.

Shower Date Change

Due to circumstances, the new date for my party will be Nov. 10th, 2006 here at work, from about 11-1pm. (Or so I'm told.) lol. They won't let me do anything to help! heh.

Friend's Hatching

So last night, after my trip to the hospital for my ultrasound, my husband and I hooked up with my preggo friend and her best friend/birthing coach. We hit the mall and drooled and gaggled and debated over baby items and colors.

The whole time though, my friend wasn't doing so well. She was acting very out of character. She's a tiny frame (only about 95 lbs. pre-pregnancy, 5'5", and only put on only 15 lbs. for the pregnancy, while her boy is weighing in at 6 lbs. and change). She's never really done the waddling scene. Sure a couple times, but not seriously. In fact, to look at her from any angle, you would never know she was almost 9 mo. pregnant. From the back she didn't look pregnant at all!

But last night, she was walking with her legs spread apart and barely bending at the knee. She complained much about her lower back hurting (which rarely ever gave her issues due to her size), and had mentioned she had lost her mucous plug earlier that day (that's sort of the early timer alert that there's much more to come and fairly soon!), and she complained that she felt like she had to go to the girl's room constantly.

The three of us knew - or at least suspected - but, she was stubborn, and said he was just stretching inside and she was tired and just needed some sleep. So, we went to TGI Fridays for some drinks and snacks (at 10pm). Just sitting there, you could tell she was not faring well. Laughing was starting to become a traumatic event for her. We were all concerned, because we knew she was stubborn, but continued to let her have her way.

So we left Friday's and headed out to the car. It was most telling when my husband had to let her lean on him from the table to the car. She couldn't walk well on her own without help. That's when the 3 of us ganged up on her and told her to go to the hospital. At least to be looked at.

She defiantly and stubbornly said she just needed sleep. Finally, my husband talked her into at least calling the hospital, if not visiting. She agreed to that.

She called us later that night to say she didn't call the hospital, she just went - and they were prepping a room for her. We didn't hear anything after that.

This morning, she called us. She was in labor! They sent her home to go through some of the early labor in more comfort, but this morning, she was back in, and now she's going through the rough part - and so far - all natural. (As opposed to the inducing they were going to do this Wednesday!) She should have her boy delivered by noon today.

So, since I have this whole weekend off (for a change)... I'll be helping her out as much as I can this weekend.

[Update]
I called her house at about 4pm. (man, my timing is eerie). Her water had broken 5 min. prior. It's actually a good thing I called!! They hadn't packed her car seat, and the rest of the family was heading down there. I had caught them just as they were heading out the door. Trick is, hospital won't let her leave without a car seat! The family didn't realize that. They thought she could just carry her baby home. Unfortunately - it's the law. So I'm happy I could be of some help, even being a half hour away!

Speedy Backwards Devilery?

Well... So much for science! Even the best ultrasounds in the world can't predict lil Savannah.

As of date:
She weighs 7 lbs. 6 oz.
She is currently in the breach position.
She is measuring 3 weeks earlier than her written est. due date.
She may be too big to turn at this point.
She will put on an estimated 1/2 pound per week at this stage.
According to the Ultrasound... she's due about November 22, 2006. (quite a ways from the Dec. 7-17 range I've been getting before)

So... unless she flips her big head down - it'll probably mean I'll be gut open like a fish (as my loving hubby so eloquently put it today). heh.

Happy Thanksgiving Birthday anyone?

By the way, I've registered not only at OneStepAhead.com, and also registered at BabiesRUs.com - for those that are die-hards for only the big name stores. Just use my first and last name to look me up! (and Texas, if needed).

By the way - I was up at 3am and didn't get to bed til midnight! eek