Honey, why is DYFS at our front door?

It's so exciting typing the Daily every day now because I never know if it will be the last one (under the Deuce Daily title, anyway). Deb is home resting now and waiting for something to happen. The doctor said all is well. We heard Deuce again and the heartbeat was strong and healthy! They won't do an internal exam on Deb until AFTER her due date. Next Thursday is her next appointment and it is also her due date so maybe if we last that long they will take a look inside. Elijah is all better too and back in school today. At 2pm all the mothers are going to school so the kids can host the Mother's Day Tea. Elijah is very excited.

Gotta share this funny story with you. Wednesday morning the cleaning crew came to the house at 8am and I was home with Elijah that day (he was sick). They cleaned the upstairs first and when they were done in my bedroom I told them I was going in to take a shower so they didn't try to come back in. No problem. Elijah and I jumped in the shower. When the shower was done, I opened the door and Elijah stepped out onto the shower mat. It was cold. I wrapped his Buzz Lightyear towel around him but he was cranky, being sick and all, and was half crying, half whining....you know that sound. Anyway, the cleaning people were outside my bedroom cleaning in the hallway and Elijah is crying loudly. I was trying to comfort him and warm him up when he looked at my naked body and proclaimed, "Daddy, your penis is too big!" Oh no. I quickly covered his crying mouth with my hand. That's just what I need. The cleaning people calling 911 - a man is locked in a bathroom with his 3 year old son, who is crying and screaming that his dad's penis is too big. My wife gives birth to Deuce and I am in county lockup without bail complaining that Bubba's penis is too big and Elijah is in foster care. We got dressed quickly and went downstairs smiling. It wasn't until a few hours later that I thought, "Hey - that's pretty cool, somebody actually said I had a big penis."

Deuce's skull is not yet fully solid. It is made up of five large bony plates that are still separated and can be pushed together, which they will be during birth.

During these last few weeks in the womb, Deuce continues to receive one of the most important ingredients for survival from your blood, from the placenta, and also from the amniotic fluid (which is swallowed periodically): disease-combating antibodies that will provide an immunity to a wide range of diseases.

Don't push yourself right now...Just rest, eat well, and nurture yourself as Deuce's due date approaches.

Over the next three days, the last of the vernix will begin to disappear. The sutures or spaces between the bony plates of Deuce's skull are also called fontanels, which means "little fountains" because the pulse of Deuce's bloodstream can be easily felt by touching them. The best known of the fontanels is the "soft spot" on the top of Deuce's head. Don't worry if Deuce's head becomes molded or elongated during the birth process. It will return to its normal, rounded shape a few days after childbirth. The molding is a safety precaution - the bones of the skull carefully slide over one another to reduce the skull's diameter, so the pressure of birth doesn't damage Deuce's brain.

Most babies drop into a head first, face down position in their mother's pelvis. In some cases, the baby is in a head first, face up position, so the back of its head presses against the mother's tailbone or spine. This produces the phenomenon called "back labor." The pain of back labor is especially intense and doesn't seem to let up, even between contractions. Consult with your doctor about techniques to relieve the pain.

From now until Deuce is born, continue walking for exercise and practice your breathing and relaxation exercises. If your back is particularly sore, you might try to relieve some of the pain by gently stretching those muscles. When you begin having contractions, walking and controlled breathing will both help you through them.

"Happy is he that is happy with his children."

ANNOUNCEMENT: Being that this MAY be the last official Deuce Daily, I am rolling out the official website address for future writings. Direct your browser to www.671967.blogspot.com and bookmark the site. The site will be enriched and expanded over time to include pictures and a message board. I will continue to write at least a few times a week after Deuce is born and welcome your comments through the website!

Everyone have a good weekend and a GREAT MOTHER'S DAY!! Stay tuned!!!! :-)

dad