A Crazy Week

Baby Asher is now one week old. We have been working on putting photos on zenfolio, but we've been a little busy, so it's not done yet.
Asher is doing well. We are a bit sleep deprived and occasionally overwhelmed, but we are surviving. Everybody here is taking really good care of us, they are bringing us food and coming over to check on us everyday, sometimes several times each day.
Mimi (Courtney's mom) will be here in the morning and we are looking forward to getting a little rest while she is here.
On Friday Asher went to the doctor for the first time. He got a shot, but only cried for a minute and then went right back to sleep. His weight is now 3.6 kilos (his birth weight was 3.4 kilos). I'm not sure it should really have been that high, but they weighed him with his diaper and sleeper on. Either way, he is still close to his birth weight and will go back in two weeks for another weight check.

He's here!!!

Asher is here!!!

He was born on September 20, 2008 at 5:18 pm (local time), 6:18 am (East Coast USA).

He is 7lbs. 8oz., 21 inches long...blonde hair and blue eyes! It's too early to tell who he looks like.

We'll update with pictures and details when we get home from the hospital.

Game Plan

Well, I think today might finally be the day. At 8:00 am (Friday night US time) we will go to the hospital and hopefully check in. I have been having contractions for the past few hours, so I am hopeful that I have made some progress and Dr. Pujo will be able to get Asher here sometime today.
Depending on the internet access at the hospital Roger (or somebody else) may be updating the blog, so check back to see what's going on.

Still Not Here

We went to see Dr. Pujo tonight and were expecting to be admitted to the hospital. We had all of our bags packed and were ready to go. Unfortunately, Dr. Pujo feels like Asher is still not ready to go. So, we are back to waiting.

He did an exam and said I was 1 cm and it would be best to wait until Saturday to induce. I told him we wanted to stay and he said we could if we wanted to, but Roger in all of his infinite wisdom asked Dr. Pujo what would be best for me and for Asher. Dr. Pujo said to just give it another day.
We are so disappointed, but hopeful that labor will start tonight or tomorrow and we will be able to avoid being induced. I am having some contractions now, so pray that they continue and get stronger so we can repack the car and head back to the hospital before Saturday.

We were able to pick up a few last minute things today. We got a nice mosquito net to go over Asher's bed and some window shades for the car. Normally we don't use mosquito nets, but if Asher is anything like his mom he will be the target of every mosquito in Southeast Asia. During this time of year it's impossible to keep all of the mosquitos out of our bedroom. The window shades are pretty self-explanatory...it's about 100 degrees everyday and the sun is bright and strong, we've got to protect our baby boy from that. As an added bonus I think it will also help keep people from staring inside our car at stoplights.

Asher Watch - Day 8

Dear Asher,
Consider this your eviction notice. I've enjoyed having you grow in my belly for the past 9 months (maybe a little longer...), but your time is up. Tomorrow is the day, either come out or Dr. Pujo is coming in to get you. Your father and I are tired of waiting on you.
Sincerely,
Your Mother

So, here's the plan.
Tomorrow night (Thursday morning in the USA) we will go see Dr. Pujo. We think he will admit me to the hospital and induce. I'm not really sure if he will induce Thursday night or Friday morning, he was sort of vague on the details and really I didn't think to ask.
This is the final Asher Watch, but we do plan on updating the blog from the hospital. We hear there is wi-fi at the hospital, but we will wait and see if it works.
So, be sure to check this website or your inbox for any news. Or maybe check facebook.

For the final Asher Watch quote:
"My brother were forced to borned."
Roger was discussing the possibility of inducing labor with one of our friends. He shared with us that his mother was also induced when his brother was born.

Asher Watch - Day 7

Still no baby boy, but Roger and I are enjoying laying around tonight feeling Asher squirm and kick inside my belly. We're trying to talk to him and tell him to come on out.
I guess the end really is near, if nothing happens tomorrow then Thursday night we will go back to Dr. Pujo and then finally Asher will be born!
We are so excited! Every night we go to sleep thinking that just maybe tomorrow is the day.

And finally, the pregnancy quote of the day...
My friend Indah always sends me text messages that say, "Gaimana kandungannya?"
The first time she asked me this I grabbed my dictionary because I had no idea what she was asking.
The translation: "How's the uterus?"
I guess that's one way to see how I'm doing...

Asher Watch - Day 6

Today is Asher's original due date, but I guess he is late for that one as well.
I walked another 2 miles today plus we went to the mall and to Carrefour, I hope all of this walking is helping.
There's also a full moon tonight, I'm still holding out hope that it will somehow help labor to start.
While at Carrefour we came across our quote of the day, although it has nothing to do with when I will born Roger's baby.
It was written on a t-shirt: "Little Miss Old Digger"

Asher Watch - Day 5

Today we continued our wait and did some cooking and took another trip to Starbucks. We keep taking the one last trip to Starbucks before the baby is born, but unfortunately the baby has yet to be born and we keep going back to Starbucks. Maybe today really was the last time...

I've gotten increasingly grumpy when people (a.k.a. our national friends) ask where Asher is. They evidently don't use due dates here so I guess it's my fault for telling them that Asher would be born on 9 September. Therefore on 9 September they all started freaking out because there was no Asher. They all think my doctor must not know what he is doing and that something is going terribly wrong. In fact they make sure and text message either me or Roger several times a day to let us know that something has gone wrong and that we should go to the doctor immediately. One of our friends even told us that his uncle would "born my baby" if my doctor was "wrong again this week."

So, in honor or my cultural frustrations the quote of the day comes from Roger's cell phone, "Were there any sign yet?"

Asher Watch - Day 4

We're still watching and waiting.
Only 5 more days for Asher to come on his own.
I walked another 2 miles tonight and got stared at by all the neighbors...again.

Quote of the day comes from the world famous (or at least Surabaya famous) Dr. Pujo:
"If no baby by next Thursday I think better to terminate the pregnancy."
I promise, we really are in good hands over here.

Asher Watch - Day 3

Nothing to report today except that nothing has happened. I don't even have a funny quote. By this time next week Asher should definitely be here, so I suppose the countdown can begin again.

Asher Watch - Day 2

We went to see Dr. Pujo tonight and he once again told us that Asher is healthy and that I am healthy. So healthy in fact, that there is no reason to do anything besides wait another week. He did a non-stress test and we got to spend an hour listening to Asher's heartbeat. It was good and strong, just like it's supposed to be and we got to check out the labor and delivery room.
The good news: if Asher is not here by next Thursday Dr. Pujo will induce me. We are happy to know that the end is finally in sight. I can handle another week knowing this.
We are still praying that Asher will decide to come before next Thursday, we really want to avoid being induced.

Finally, for the bad English/having a baby overseas quote of the day...
"I wish your baby have a Indonesian style on his attitudes, as like as Obama."

Asher Watch - Day 1

Well, there's not really too much to watch or report. Still no Asher. Roger says tomorrow is the day, I'm not that optimistic. We do go back and see Dr. Pujo tomorrow night (Thursday morning in the USA) and hopefully we will have some word from him about what happens next.

I have been walking every day in hopes of helping Asher get here sooner, but so far no luck. I am really sore and he has dropped down even more, so maybe the walks are helping some. I have also read that eating spicy food can sometimes bring on labor. I have been eating super spicy food for about a year and a half now...and we're still waiting.

So, for the funny part of waiting for a baby to be born in another country...
Roger gets about a thousand text messages a day and they almost all say this:
When Courtney will born your baby?

40 Weeks

Today is the day that Asher should be born. Evidently somebody forgot to tell him that because instead of pictures of a sweet baby boy, I only have a picture of me with an even bigger belly (by the way, there will be no more belly pictures, me and my tank top have reached the end).
Actually, we have read that only 5% of babies are born on their actual due date. So, I guess we shouldn't be too surprised that he's not here yet.

I think we have everything ready. I have most of my hospital bag packed (at least the important stuff like a new book, The Office Season 4 and snacks for Roger), the camera is charged and the
"Welcome Home Asher" sign is complete*.
Asher's bag has been packed for a while (umm, maybe since July...) and this week Roger put the car seat into the car. This is Asher's coming home outfit courtesy of Mimi, check out the cool monogram.
We are trying to be patient, but we can't wait to meet our baby boy. Hopefully soon we will be blogging about contractions and going to the hospital, but until then we will just be waiting.

*Bonus points for anyone who knows what television sitcom inspired this sign.

No News Yet

I just got back from my appointment with Dr. Pujo. Asher and I are both perfectly healthy and he told me to come back next week, which will be 2 days after my due date. He said if Asher is not here by next Thursday he will do a non-stress test to make sure everything is still okay.
For now we are continuing to wait. I will try to update the blog when something starts to happen and since there is wi-fi at the hospital we should be able to post some pictures soon after he is born.

For now, here are some pictures of stuff Asher has gotten in the mail recently.
All the orange is from the Record family and these are Asher's first pair of shoes.
These pajamas and this bib are from Aunt Jessica. She should be here to welcome Asher into the world, but unfortunately because of her Thymus gland she is already back in America.

Thank you all so much! I love getting mail, especially when it's for Asher.

39 Weeks at the Buffet

There's not too much to update this week. Still no Asher and I haven't been to the doctor again. I do go back to Dr. Pujo on Thursday night, hopefully he will tell us something really exciting like, "It's time for Asher to be born!" So, check back on Thursday and see what we find out.

While we have been sitting around sweating and waiting for Asher we have had some fun. Yesterday we went to the Shangri-La Hotel for a little breakfast buffet action. It was heavenly and we managed to eat enough that we were not hungry again until dinner time.

This is what gluttony looks like. They told us the buffet was closing so we all went back and loaded up our plates with one last round of bacon, pancakes and other goodies. For some reason I also ended up with several pieces of cheese. I guess that's just what happens when you take a very pregnant woman to a buffet.

After we rolled out of the restaurant we went outside to take a few pictures.

Roger and I wanted to compare our bellies. Since I've been pregnant Roger has lost 20 pounds and I have gained 20 pounds.



I made Roger pose for a few pictures with me. Who knows, these may be the last pictures we have together before becoming a family of 3!

And of course, Roger couldn't be serious for all of the pictures. I think in this picture he is giving Asher a little pep talk...
"Get out here boy! I'm tired of waiting around to meet you!"

By the way...check out that countdown on the right side of the screen. We are in the single digits now!