Well, it seems like a lot of people. My Facebook was abuzz today with questions about where we were in the “baby extrication project.” Not much news to report was my response. But it got me thinking that we’ve received some funny advice and very sweet comments since we announced we were pregnant. I want Lil to know how much love surrounds her, so here are some of the comments:
Karen FB post on June 14: Excited that we made progress this weekend with preparations for our new arrival in November. Lisa is due Nov. 29.
30 people liked what I posted, and 46 people commented. Here are some of the highlights.
Tracey Margeson Milne (JoJo’s sister-in-law) AHHHHHH!!!!! Too excited. Hugs and Kisses to all (including belly) from NJ!
Holly Neuman Shriner (karen’s friend from KU) Love it
! Can’t wait!
Nancy Campbell Albritton (former AJC colleague) That is just fantastic news!! What a lucky baby!
Chuck Eckstein (AJC colleague) To quote those Bud Lite commercials: “Here we go.”
Jill Parker Krugel (wife of AJC colleague Phil Krugel) Woo Hoo! You and LIsa will be great parents.
Susan Wells (former AJC colleague) Whoa. This is news. Didn’t know this. That is way cool. Mazeltov!!
Sandy Armstrong-Roper (AJC colleague) “Just as a tree grows best when anchored firmly in the earth, so can a pregnant mother feel strong and capable when supported by a sisterhood of nurturing friends.” — April Lussier. Just know that both you and Lisa are surrounded and supported by so many friends of which I am so glad to be a part. Keeping you all 3 in my prayers! Big hugs
Jacki Brucker (Karen’s high school friend) Karen- that is wonderful news. Congrats to you and Lisa. I wish you all the best, early potty training, and a great relationship with your child.
Alyssa Chumnanvech Steinberger (Karen’s high school friend) What fun! Now there will be a cousin for Matt’s kids!! Congratulations… and enjoy every minute (of your last 168 days of freedom 😉
Rob Smoak (former AJC colleague) The best news I’ve heard in a long time! So happy for y’all.
Morieka Johnson (former AJC colleague) Start checking the Freecycle.org for cool baby stuff. CONGRATS!! Can’t wait to kiss the little munchkin!!!!
The Little One at 19 weeks, 6 inches, 9 ounces on July 8, 2010.
On July 8 Karen posted: Lisa and I are happy to report that everything is going well and that we are having a Thanksgiving GIRL. We saw her flip her feet over her head, stick out her tongue and wiggle all around. 30 people liked the status, 32 comments.
Fauve Yandel Holihan: YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! I was hoping y’all would have a November girl like I did almost 17 years ago! May she be as sweet and awesome as Emily is! CONGRATS, and give Lisa a BIG HUG for me!
Lauren Hertel: Woohoooooooo! I see our two little Disney princesses at the parks together in about 5 years. Or maybe they’ll elect to be Pirates instead? 😉
Jill Geisler: Congratulations, Karen and Lisa. What wonderful news!
Jill Christy Ramos: That is so very cool! I can’t wait for the two of you to bask in all the joy that a little friend brings. I’m so happy and excited for you!!!
Jenni Girtman: oh my goodness. An active GIRL – yeah yeah yeah!!!
Jacki Rudd: Wow. Can’t imagine what an experience that must have been, girls. Ha! “Flipping her feet over her head and sticking out her tongue”…Sounds like a little acrobat with a streak of mischief. Love it.
Holly Neuman Shriner: Hooray! Sounds like a wonderful experience! So happy for you both!
Greg Libke: YAY…..a girl is soooo perfect! We are so happy for you and that Abbie will have a girl cousin to play with!
Michelle Riebe Rush: Oh look out! I can tell you from experience that girls will make you spend some money!
Tim Martin: What? You are having a baby? OMG!!!!! Congrats!!!!!!
Tracey Margeson Milne: GIRLS RULE!!!! Couldn’t be happier for you guys and I can’t wait to meet her.
Meridith Ford Goldman: I am SOOOOOO happy for you both! XOXOXOOX
Sandy Armstrong-Roper: Congratulations, Karen and Lisa. I can tell you from experience, girls will push you to your limit but I wish for you the joy I have been blessed with to have my girl! Now a young woman but still my baby girl!
Matt Park: To those asking the name, clearly it will be Mattina Mattie in honor of her loving brother who was alway so sweet to Karen as a child.
Evelyn Amaya Ortega: William was born on Thanksgiving weekend (Nov. 29)! You know what this means… Park-Transiskus-Ortega family… That is wonderful news!
Lisa, Karen and Little One at a gathering on Aug. 30
Sept. 2 Karen posted: Well, we tried to get a 3D picture of the Little One yesterday, but she’s feisty and wouldn’t cooperate. The good news is that she and Lisa are doing very well. Doctor estimates the baby weighs 2.5 pounds. Only 13 more weeks till our due date!
Matt Dempsey (former AJC colleague) said: It will seem like an eternity but she’ll be here before you know it. I swear babies warp time.
Sept. 5 Karen posted: The third trimester starts today. We think the baby is throwing a party for herself.
Lauren Hertel (Audrey’s mom): You’re gonna LOVE having her here… it’s SO much better than I could have imagined!!!!!!!
Sheri Blount: She probably is! And, by the way, they continue to do that for themselves for a LONG time!
On Sept. 14 Karen posted: Lisa says the baby has hiccups. Maybe if Lisa scares herself they’ll go away. Funny part is that they happen at the same time every day.
Jill Parker Krugel: Kyle and Riley had the hiccups on the inside too. It is a funny feeling!
Emily Park Libke: Abbie did the same thing, it use to wake me up at night.
Lauren Hertel: And they’ll continue after she’s born! Audrey’s bouts are around the same time of day and of the same duration as when she was in utero… strange!
Lisa at 33 weeks on Oct. 10, 2010
On Oct. 10 Karen posted a photo of Lisa at 33 weeks. 20 people liked it and we received 20 comments, including:
Nancy Campbell Albritton: Just beautiful!
Morieka Johnson: Looking good, Mama!
Diana Place Clark Holbrook: Yeah! I was hoping to see a picture! She looks great!
Sandy Armstrong-Roper: Lisa looks wonderful. I am so excited for you both!!!
Ann Deacon Noell (former AJC-er): Beautiful! Very happy for you both! Thanks for sharing…
Rob Smoak: Awe, the best photo on the internet right now. I’m so happy for y’all!!!
Cynthia Roseberry: Great photo. That is the face of happiness.
Phil Krugel: Fantastic!!!! Jill and I are so thrilled for you!
Sara Alderfer Wood: AWWWW!!!!!! Hello baby! Lisa looks great! Love to all three of you.
Jennifer Ryan: She looks gorgeous!
Jenni Girtman: Finally a photo!! Yeah. You are glowing Lisa — just perfectly glowing! Thank you for sharing.
Harold Lee Weaver: Whoa! Cool!
Charles William Jones Jr. So INCREDIBLE!!! I love it!!!
Kimmie Cooper Morgan: I’m soooooo excited to see a photo… take more take more!!! Lisa’s gorgeous pregnant!
On Nov. 1 (28 days before due date) Karen posted: Braxton Hicks have started. I actually felt one as LIsa was having it. Pretty neat. 13 people liked the post, and 9 people commented, including…
Vanetra Maybin (friend): Wow! Won’t be long!
Kimmie Cooper Mogan (AJC colleague): Few more days and she’ll be considered FULL TERM…she could come at anytime now…YIPPY!!! Can’t wait to meet her!
Elizabeth Landt (former AJC colleague): Both my kids were a week late – so you never know. They enter the world when they are ready – not when we are. But either way it is so awesome when they do.
On Nov. 6 Karen posted: Wish I had an engineering degree so putting together some of this baby gear wouldn’t be so hard. The extra money wouldn’t be so bad either.
Lauren Hertel: Hahaha. You think putting the baby gear together is hard? Wait until you have to figure out how to use a bulb aspirator! Sometimes the simple things are the hardest. 😉
Amber Eberly (wife of fellow AJC-er Tim Eberly and Marin’s mom): Lord, I almost had a nervous breakdown trying to put together Marin’s stroller. 🙂
Diana Place Clark Holbrook (Ohio friends via JoJo): Have you figured out the car seat yet? The worst!
Kit Tarvin-Peek (Piper’s mom): Oh… The fun of parenthood.
Myria Tarvin-Peek (Piper’s mom): Let me at that baby with a bulb aspirator. My favorite!
Heather Vogell (fellow AJC-er): You are smart to do it now – trust me, if you wait until you are sleep deprived, too, those diagrams will really stop making sense!
David Milne (JoJo’s brother): hahahaha…..sooo been there!!
Matt Park: Babies come out smart enough to do it themselves nowadays. Just leave it and let lil bit after it!
Elizabeth Lee Greene (former AJC-er): Buy good, used baby equipment at nice consignment sales. Takes care of the putting together and negates the need for an engineering degree and the accompanying salary boost.
Julie Jacobson (friend from KU): Oh boy. Christmases are going to be fun if you buy toys that need assembly.
Nov. 20 Karen posted: Already trying reverse psychology with the little one. Car was packed for the hospital but I’m unpacking so I can take recyclables to the dump. Now maybe she’ll come. 🙂
Chuck O’Briant (former AJC-er): Holly and I predict an appearance this weekend.
Lynn Orr (former AJC-er): My money’s on Sunday.
Abby McCormick: I’m gonna bet Thanksgiving…
Amber Eberly: Maybe I was right with 11/25 all along!
Jennifer Hall Woolen (Lisa’s friend from Spartanburg): she’ll come after the ninth full moon! Tell Lisa I am thinking of you guys and are soo excited for both of you!
Lisa eating eggplant parmesan at Scalini's. Scalini's says if you eat their eggplant parm and have your baby within 48 hours you'll get a $25 gift certificate. Didn't work for us unfortunately.
Nov. 21 Karen posted Bring on the baby! Lisa’s eating eggplant parm at Scalini’s.
Myria Tarvin-Peek: Worked for me…was in labor 4 hour after. O course, I was 4 days overdue.
Lynn Orr: Tonight it’s even a blue moon (for real, according to the definition)!
Chuck Eckstein: What a neat pic.
Fauve Yandel Hollihan (former AJC-er): re-pack that car, Karen! meanwhile, WHY COULDN’T I HAVE LOOKED THAT GREAT WHEN I WAS NINE MONTHS PREGNANT?! DAAAANG!
Amber Eberly: The eggplant parm didn’t work for me – Marin wasn’t born until a week later!
Greg Libke (Emily’s husband): Tons of walking for emily! 2am walks, trips to IKEA, and so on….hang in there she will be here before you know it.
Matt Dempsey: Didn’t work for us. Here’s hoping!
Jennifer Kistler (friend, see separate blog post): Still can’t believe you were there…and we missed you. Absolutely crazy!!!
Montse Knowlton (former AJC-er): Scallini’s and a full moon… a no fail combination.
ADVICE ON HOW TO GET THE BABY TO COME OUT:
Nov. 22 Sara Alderfer Wood (friends from church): If you are still looking for something to help things along. Take Lisa to get a pedicure. Worked like a charm with Reilly. (I told her Lisa didn’t like pedicures, but would it work if I got one. Sara responded: Get some peppermint oil and rub her feet. The peppermint can be a labor inducer and there are labor pressure points on the feet. Yea! So excited for you both. Saying special prayers and eagerly anticipating the joyful news and pictures!!!
On Nov. 22 Karen posted: This is like filling a 10-gallon barrel with a dripping faucet.
Tad Kilgore (AJC-er): Bust the head of the faucet off. Just expect a mess…
Michelle Schell (sister-in-law): Tell her to run the vacuum cleaner, worked for me!
Abby McCormick: Hang in there!
Jackie Brucker: Not that I have ever had a kid or anything, but I heard having a little fun helps…. (wink wink). Just throwing it out there 🙂
Abby McCormick: JACKIE!!!!!!
Laura Davis (Atlanta friend): I agree with Michelle, but don’t forget that when informing a 9 month pregnant lady that it’s her turn to do the vacuuming, it’s always smart to wear a helmet and bulletproof vest. Safety first. 😉
Myria Tarvin-Peek: Warm bath
Jennifer Hall Woolen: Full moon! Drink some castor oil????
Joanne Milne Sosangelis: a little water torture won’t hurt you … but it certainly can make you insane! Wait.
Evelyn Amaya Ortega (former AJC-er): you can’t rush a good thing… I was so done with pregnancy last year with William. I was wishing he would come BEFORE thanksgiving so I could eat (really, eat!). But he had to take his sweet time for a few days longer. If she’s not ready, you can’t make her get out. Patience… will be good practice for later when she’s 1 (or 3, or 5) and having a tantrum at Target the week of Thanksgiving, but I digress 😉
Lela Randall Scarborough (former AJC-er): Lisa is not ready until her head starts to spin around like Linda Blair and she is screaming “GET IT OUT!” Oh, wait, that was me….tick tick tick, soon enough and you will never sleep again. So exciting!
Yvette Yoon (Karen high school friend): hang in there! enjoy the calm before the storm! 🙂
Rebecca S. Yu (Karen high school friend): I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this but, I was up on a ladder trying to change a light fixture outside the garage. When I was still unsuccessful after an hour, I gave up and went out for margaritas. My water broke that night. Congrats, Karen!
Corey Keller (Karen high school friend): Cleaning the garage did it for me. Must be something about home maintenance….or maybe it’s just that pretty much anything (including 36 hours of labor) is better than cleaning the house!
Nov. 23 Karen posted OK, because I’ve had some requests, there is nothing new to report from the baby extrication project. OB appointment tomorrow, unless…
David Lee: I like your characterization of the project. Coming from negative zero experience I’d suggest patience, but you know…
Fauve Yandel Holihan grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Paige Oliver Taylor (former AJC-er): You are SUCH a deadline girl. Babies have none of that.
Rudy Isaza (fellow AJC-er): Get your rest, Karen. You’re going to wish you had …
2girlsababyandabird 
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