cb.blog

Category: Personal

Per·son·al: of, pertaining to, or coming as from a particular person; individual; private; Concerning a particular person and his or her private business, interests, or activities; intimate. Posts in this category pertain to things happening in my personal life.

  • Catching Up: Lillian’s Birth and First Days

    UPDATE: To see the complete photo sets: Lillian’s Birth, Lillian – Newborn. Also, all of Lily’s pictures are in the Lillian Collection.

    So far, things are going well. Lily has just been fed, and Stephanie is taking a nap, so I will try to take this opportunity to catch everyone up on things so far.

    Stephanie started showing signs of imminent labor Wednesday, so I decided to go ahead and start my vacation Thursday. That afternoon at her OB appointment, her doctor told her that she was already 3 cm dilated. We scheduled an induction for Monday, but her doctor said that he was 80% sure that she would go into labor on her own before then.

    Friday morning, I woke up early (about 5:15 am). After breakfast and coffee, I made a quick trip to the store for some last-minute necessities, and another quick stop at the grocery store to have some food available for Steph’s sister Angie, who was on her way for a surprise, early visit.

    As I was finishing the the dishes in the kitchen before making lunch around 1:00 in the afternoon, Stephanie came out of the bedroom and said, “Are you ready to have this baby?” She then told me that her water had broken! We called her doctor, who told us to go ahead on in to the hospital. We made our last-minute preparations (toiletries, pillow, etc. – most of everything we needed was already packed in the car), made the requisite phone calls to family, and headed – finally! – the the hospital.

    Stephanie was checked in and situated in her LDR a little before 3:00 pm. When the nurse checked her, she was 3-4 cm dilated. She progressed through labor throughout the afternoon and evening as various family members arrived at the hospital, until she reached 8 cm and 100% effaced at around 9:00 pm.

    Unfortunately, her dilation stopped progressing at this point, and Stephanie began developing a low-grade fever. At 6 cm of dilation, the nurse had told us that the baby was already showing signs of developing a cone head – a sign that she might have problems getting through the birth canal. After a couple hours at 8 cm, the nurse told us that her cervix was beginning to swell – a further sign of potential difficultly with labor. After five hours of no further dilation from 8 cm, and a fever that continued to creep up, at 2:00 am we made the decision to deliver via c-section.

    Surgery prep went by quickly, and I almost forgot to grab my camera and baby book(s) from the LDR. After gowning up and waiting for the surgery team to get prepared, I was invited into the OR for the procedure. Before it even seemed to have begun, I heard our doctor announce, “here she comes!” and I looked over the sheet just in time to see our beautiful baby girl out of the womb for the first time!

    Her nurses quickly began cleaning her up, and determined her 1- and 5-minute APGAR scores (8 and 9).

    Lillian_birth 010

    Lillian_birth 013

    Lily’s first cleanup and APGAR
    Photo © Chip Bennett, all rights reserved.

    The doctor began cleaning/stitching up Stephanie’s incision, and commented on how fit she looked internally, and how good her tissue was – hopefully a sign that her incision will heal well. In the meantime, the nurse and I took Lily over to the scale for her official first weigh-in. Our little girl tipped the scales at a healthy 8 lbs, 6 oz:

    Lillian_birth 021

    Lillian’s official first weigh-in
    Photo © Chip Bennett, all rights reserved.

    Once the doctor was finished taking care of Stephanie, we were moved to the OB recovery room at 3:00 am for two hours of recovery. Since Steph was still recovering, I got to spend a lot of quality time holding our little blessing. Even only hours old, Lily was quite active and attentive. Even though her little eyes couldn’t yet focus, it was amazing to see her recognize and respond to the sound of my voice:

    Lillian_birth 025

    Lillian swaddled, spending quality time with daddy
    Photo © Chip Bennett, all rights reserved.

    Nana Bennett, Gee-Gee, and Aunt Angie got to come see Steph and Lily in the OB recovery room:

    Lillian_birth 035

    Lillian_birth 038

    Lillian with Nana Bennett and Aunt Angie
    Photo © Chip Bennett, all rights reserved.

    Finally, at 5:00 am, Stephanie was taken up to her postpartum room. Lillian went to the nursery for additional check-ups, and Steph and I were able to get about an hour of sleep. At 6:00 am, Lillian was brought in for her first attempt at feeding. To our great pleasure, she latched on at her first try, and has been nursing like a champ ever since!

    After nursing, mommy, daddy, and baby all slept for a couple of hours. Lily had another feeding around 9:00, while I went down to the cafeteria to have breakfast with Lily’s Nana, Papaw, and Gee-Gee. Afterward, Lily got to spend a few minutes with everyone before they headed back to Indianapolis.

    Lillian_birth 041

    Lillian_birth 044

    Lillian_birth 048

    Lillian_birth 052

    Lillian with Gee-Gee, Nana Bennett, Papaw Bennett, and one of our first family photos
    Photo © Chip Bennett, all rights reserved.

    The rest of Saturday was spent sleeping and feeding. I had my first of what are sure to be many milestones: I changed my first diaper ever, and I was peed on while changing a diaper for the first time ever. My swaddling skills improved with each diaper change and breast-feeding. Lily seemed to be getting plenty of colostrum, as she continued to nurse well, and kept leaving her daddy plenty of presents in the form of dirty and wet diapers!

    After being up for more than 24 hours straight the day before, and not getting much sleep while trying to help Steph as much as possible during the day Saturday, I finally crashed Saturday evening. I slept a couple hours between the 7:00 pm and 10:00 pm feedings, but by 11:00 pm I was out for good, and didn’t wake up until 7:00 am Sunday.

    After breakfast, Steph finally got the chance to sleep uninterrupted for 2-3 hours, most of which time I spent with Lily sleeping on my chest while I watched tv or just sat enjoying having our little angel sleeping so contentedly against me.

    Sunday was Mother’s Day, and an obviously special one for us! Stephanie got a little gift from the hospital, and although I was unable to get her the flowers that I wanted to before she went into labor, I was able to find a nice bouquet in the hospital gift shop:

    Mother's Day

    Stephanie’s Mother’s Day bouquet
    Photo © Chip Bennett, all rights reserved.

    Most of Sunday was spent continuing to develop our routine with Lily: changing diapers, nursing, burping, sleeping, etc. Stephanie also progressed from an ice-only diet first to clear liquids, and then finally to solid foods. She continued her physical recovery, and was able to stand up to use the restroom and was even able to take a shower in the evening.

    Sunday evening saw the three of us sharing some quiet time together. After nursing, Lily finally got the chance to snuggle with mommy, since Steph had recovered well enough to hold Lily a bit on her chest. Baby and mommy got to spend some much-needed quality time together:

    Lillian Newborn 016

    Lillian Newborn 017

    Lily and mommy having some quality time together
    Photo © Chip Bennett, all rights reserved.

    Today finds us with more of the same: Lily had an early-morning feeding, and Steph and I had breakfast while Lily had another check-up in the nursery. After another feeding, Steph is getting some more very-much needed sleep. Later today Steph is going to try out the breast pump (she thinks her milk may be coming in), and if she is feeling up to it, we are going to go down to the courtyard early this evening to spend some time outside.

    The normal hospital stay for a c-section recovery is four bed-nights, which means that we can be here until Wednesday morning; however, if all continues to go as well as it has been, we are planning to head home tomorrow morning. We are looking forward to getting settled in at home!

    I will do my best to keep everyone updated!

  • Happy Mother’s Day!

    And here’s why it is especially happy for us today:

    Lillian_birth 053

    One of our first family photos! (Lillian’s birth photo set)
    Photo © Chip Bennett, all rights reserved.

    Lillian_birth 052

    One of our first family photos! (Lillian’s birth photo set)
    Photo © Chip Bennett, all rights reserved.

  • Lillian is Born!

    I will write up a more complete description once I’ve had some sleep, but just to give you the overview: Lillian Nicole Bennett was born at 2:27 AM on May 12, 2007, via c-section. She weighed in at 8 lbs 6 oz, and her APGAR scores were 8 and 9. Baby and mom are doing well, if exhausted.

    Lillian_birth 025

    Lillian’s Birth Photo Set
    Photo © Chip Bennett, all rights reserved.

  • Labor Has Started!

    Yesterday afternoon Stephanie had her final OB appointment, at which time we found out that she was dilated to 3 cm. We scheduled an induction for Monday, but the OB gave her an 80% chance of going into labor before then.

    Stephanie woke up around 1:00 this afternoon to discover that her water had broken. We called the doctor, and he sent us straight to the hospital. She was dilated 3-4 cm at the time of admission, and just had her epidural.

    I don’t plan to “live blog” the labor and delivery, but for those of you with my IM contacts, check my away messages for updates.

    I’ll be back later, with pictures of our newborn Lily!

  • Brother-In-Law Highlighted as Military Hero

    Michael Shropshire

    Congratulations to my brother-in-law, Michael Shropshire, for being highlighted as one of the Department of Defense’s Heroes in the War on Terror!

    Michael was awarded the Silver Star for his efforts in the battle for the Euphrates River bridge at Najaf with the famed 7th Cavalry (3rd Division, 7th Cavalry – of General Custer fame), the “tip of the sword” for much of the military advance from Kuwait to Baghdad in Operation Iraqi Freedom. This 36-hour battle (press coverage here, here, here, here, here, here) was among the most fierce the military faced. (See pages 17-19 of this PDF for a detailed description of the Najaf operation.)

    The silver star is the third-highest military honor:

    The Silver Star is awarded to a person who, while serving in any capacity with the U.S. Army, is cited for gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force, or while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party. The required gallantry, while of a lesser degree than that required for the Distinguished Service Cross, must nevertheless have been performed with marked distinction.

    Michael’s gallantry is described in this Fort Drum coverage of the Silver Star award ceremony:

    Shropshire was honored for his contribution to Operation Iraqi Freedom at Abu Sukhayr, Iraq, in March 2003 when the Army unit he was attached to was attacked and surrounded by enemy forces. Surrounded, cut off, under a hail of enemy gunfire and in the largest sandstorm in four decades, Shropshire coordinated close air support while constantly switching from the radio handset to his rifle.

    The sandstorm cut the controller visibility dramatically, and it was compounded by rain. “It was basically raining mud,” he said. Because of this fact, he heavily relied on outside technology like the Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System, which helped him to “see” through the muck.

    The sergeant then left the security of his armored vehicle to confirm enemy armor locations. Low on ammunition, in a blinding sandstorm and under intense enemy fire, the sergeant directed the munitions that destroyed 10 T-72 tanks. This act dismounted enemy forces about to overrun the unit’s position. He then quickly repaired his bullet-ridden satellite antenna and coordinated other air strikes.

    “I couldn’t have done this by myself,” he said. “There were a lot of people on the outside working their pieces to help me accomplish my mission. The joint team worked out really well.”

    Tactical air controllers are Air Force specialists who are assigned to Army combat maneuver units around the world. They are typically a two-airmen team that works in an Army ground unit to direct close air support toward enemy targets on the ground. Airmen of the 18th ASOG operate and are deployed from 18 different locations across the United States.

    (See also here and here.)

    Michael’s job entails quite a bit of advanced technology. See the description of the battle from this piece on network centricity, which explains that Michael was credited with the destruction of over 60 tanks and armored vehicles and hundreds of trucks:

    Recent combat experience provides a host of real-world examples of the power of network-enabled operations. The example I like best is that of U.S.A.F. Staff Sergeant Michael Shropshire, an Air Force Enlisted Terminal Attack Controller who in 2003 fought his way through northern Iraq with the troops of the 7th Cavalry during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The 7th Cavalry was the unit that got massacred at Little Big Horn under General George Custer over a century ago.

    Outside Najaf, Shropshire’s unit became engulfed in a ferocious sandstorm. Tasked with securing a strategic bridge, the unit was isolated and surrounded on all sides by heavy Iraqi forces. Shropshire’s satellite radio became the primary form of communication for the endangered troops since the ground-force FM radios suffered from limited range.

    Using the space-based link to the network, Shropshire was alerted by an Air Force JSTARS surveillance aircraft—one of just a handful of assets in the world that can peer through sandstorm conditions—that 10 T-72 tanks were about to overrun his unit. After receiving this information, Sergeant Shropshire left his armored personnel carrier and coolly directed a B-1 bomber to drop 12 GPS-guided JDAMs directly on the enemy tanks. He also quickly coordinated with inbound fighters to destroy an armored formation attacking from the other direction. Altogether, Sergeant Shropshire orchestrated the destruction of over 60 tanks and armored vehicles and hundreds of trucks.

    Because of network-centric capabilities, this two-legged knowledge-enabled war fighter was able to gather a worldwide network of sensors, shooters, and space systems in support of a single, isolated cavalry troop—through sand and rain and directly on target. A lot of troopers in the 7th Cavalry owe their lives to Sergeant Shropshire, who helped to prevent another Little Big Horn for the fabled regiment and came home with a Silver Star.

    Shropshire was a network-enabled fighter. But just a decade ago his position would have been much different. How would he have received information? How current would that information have been? How would the data have come to him? The pace of change has accelerated rapidly in recent years. For example, my company currently had a Global Hawk unmanned intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft flying in theater equipped with the Advanced Information Architecture—the low cost of electronic storage allowed us to put a computer on the aircraft that stores huge quantities of information. With this aircraft in the region, the individual soldier can use his Personal Digital Assistant to pull down up-to-date information on his location and the surrounding area within a few minutes.

    Congratulations, Michael!

  • Lily’s Nursery

    For those of you who are unable to come visit us, I thought I would give a pictorial tour of Lily’s Nursery.

    Nursery 002

    As we enter the nursery from the hallway between the two rooms, we see first the changing table, with the crib in the background.
    Photo © Chip Bennett, all rights reserved.

    Nursery 004

    This is the changing table, which is, like almost all of the nursery furniture, painted white. The changing pad sports a mint-colored cover.
    Photo © Chip Bennett, all rights reserved.

    Changing Table: White Sleigh Style Changing Table – Badger Basket Company

     

    Nursery 005

    As we move further into the nursery, we see the corner with the changing table on one side, and the crib on the other.
    Photo © Chip Bennett, all rights reserved.

    Nursery 006

    Here is the crib, with blanket made by Aunt Pattie and painting of little girl on the wall above.
    Photo © Chip Bennett, all rights reserved.

    Nursery 007

    Close-up of the crib, which is decorated in the nursery’s colors of lavender and mint.
    Photo © Chip Bennett, all rights reserved.

    Crib: 5-in-1 Crib, Jasmine – Delta
    Bedding: Seed Sprout Gingham Crib Bedding, 3-Piece Set, in Lavender

     

    Nursery 019

    Here we see the crib, next to the combo unit with hutch.
    Photo © Chip Bennett, all rights reserved.

    Nursery 009

    This is the combo unit with hutch, with a floral arrangement made by NaNa Elizabeth, a handmade vase from Oaxaca, Mexico, and a pink throw knitted by Aunt Pattie.
    Photo © Chip Bennett, all rights reserved.

    Combo Unit: Storkcraft Beatrice Combo Tower Chest
    Hutch: Storkcraft Beatrice Combo Hutch

     

    Nursery 012

    Moving further around to the corner on the right side of the combo with hutch, is the guest bed, with Hargrove “Dear Old School Days” painting on the wall above.
    Photo © Chip Bennett, all rights reserved.

    Nursery 014

    Moving past the guest bed, we come to the corner with the bedroom’s window, decorated with lavender curtains. In this corner, at the end of the bed, is the glider rocker with ottoman, and a blanket made by Aunt Helen Ann.
    Photo © Chip Bennett, all rights reserved.

    Glider Rocker: Classic Glider Rocker and Ottoman Honey Finish, Beige
    Curtains: Seed Sprout Basics Tab Top 63″ Curtains (2 Panels), Lavender Gingham

     

    Nursery 017

    Moving around the corner from the glider rocker is the desk, flanked by two bookcases. Next to the glider is the baby glider.
    Photo © Chip Bennett, all rights reserved.

    Nursery 020

    Finally we come back around to the door, as seen from beside the changing table, with a view into the master bedroom.
    Photo © Chip Bennett, all rights reserved.

    I hope you have enjoyed this tour through Lily’s nursery. We’ve really enjoyed setting everything up and getting the nursery ready for our little Lillian!

  • I’m a Blogiversary Prize Winner!

    Jimmy Moore over at the Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb blog threw a big second-blogiversary prize contest, and what do you know, but I was one of the winners!

    I won a case of Olivado Omega Plus Oil, part of Prize Bundle #3.

    I just happened to stumble upon his web site shortly after he announced the contest, and on a whim decided to enter, just for fun. Looking at the prizes, there are actually few I would rather have than the one that I won. I’m actually looking forward to experimenting with some recipes with the oil.

    Thanks, Jimmy!

  • My First Hate Mail!

    This evening my humble blog reached an important milestone: a received my very first hate mail.

    Using the pseudonym “Elroy Spankster”, someone undoubtedly from the Party of Tolerance sent the following [expletives edited]:

    For the love of God give it a rest. If he/she wanted you two to be married it would have already happened. Claire McCaskill rocks and your hero Georgy W. sucks Hillary [male reproductive appendage]. …now [perform fellatio on] that you disgraceful republican [male homosexual].

    (I guess I struck a nerve of some sort with ol’ Elroy…)

    Apparently, “Elroy Spankster” wanted this missive to remain anonymous, as the email address given was an obvious fake; however, a simple google search reveals his true email address to be [email protected] (and, for the curious, he is a technician from St. Louis, and his Yahoo ID is spankinelroy).

    I particularly like the “girls rule, boys drool” argumentation method in the Claire McCaskill/George W. Bush reference. And while I’m sure that, to those of his liberal persuasion, “republican” and “disgraceful” are redundant, Elroy should know that using a slang term for a homosexual male in a disparaging manner (in this case, associated with either “disgraceful” or “republican” – my apologies, Log Cabin Republicans) is considered “intolerant”, and unacceptable.

    Overall, as far as hate mail goes, this one is not a particularly good example. It is neither intelligent nor creative, although it does include the obligatory ad hominem and hypocrisy. Maybe it’s the best “Elroy” has to offer, but I consider it a sub-par performance. Better luck next time!

  • Wedding: False Alarm

    Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control, the wedding plans will once again have to be changed. We’re not in Las Vegas getting ready to get married tomorrow. It looks like we will have to wait until June or July, and it will likely take place here in St. Louis.

    Thanks to everyone who has offered well wishes. We greatly appreciate them, and look forward to the eventual day when we will finally get to celebrate our marriage.

  • The Wedding is Planned!

    Finally! I can’t tell you how excited and relieved I am to announce that we have the details planned for our wedding!

    The Short Version:

    We will be married Tuesday, March 27, at 3:00 PM (PST) in Las Vegas.

    The Long Version:

    We will be going to Indianapolis the weekend of March 24 for my cousin’s wedding. The following afternoon we will fly to Las Vegas. We will be blessed to have my parents accompany us. We will be staying at The Sahara on The Strip. Monday, we will all take a tour of Lake Mead and Hoover Dam. Then Tuesday afternoon will be the moment we have anticipated for what seems like an eternity! We will be picked up in a limousine and taken to the chapel where the wedding will be held. I will get to see my beautiful bride walk down the aisle, accompanied by my father, who will also be standing with me as my best man. Afterward, we will be taken back to the hotel in the limousine, with DVD/VHS videos of the ceremony, CD of wedding pictures, and two prints in hand. Then Wednesday morning, we will all fly back to Indianapolis, and Stephanie and I will drive home to St. Louis to begin our life as a married couple.

    Stephanie is concerned that I am not getting the wedding I’ve “always hoped for”, but I keep telling her that what makes a wedding the one I’ve always hoped for is the person walking down the aisle – and I could not have dreamed or imagined anyone more perfect for me. And our wedding might be “unconventional”, but it will be ours, and that is what is important to me. Also, it means so much to me to be able to have my parents share in the experience with us.

    We apologize that not everyone who might want to share in our wedding will be able to do so. We would love to have all of you there with us, but we know that’s not feasible. However, the chapel where we will be married provides a live web-cam feed of the ceremony, in case anyone would like to watch. Please let us know if you will be joining us virtually!