Failed Induction

View from our room at OHSU - (there are rooms with spectacular views, but we did not get one of those).

As many of you know, the doctor was concerned about my moderately high blood pressure and significant water-weight gain in the past couple weeks. He strongly advised an induction for wednesday night at midnight.

Sami and I were reluctant to force things, especially since the due date was only the 18th, but we went in anyway. After 12 hours of being hooked up to pitocin and and monitoring equipment, getting higher and higher doses of medication... nothing much was happening. I was frustrated and fed up with being virtually tied to the bed, especially when I had been promised I would be able to get up and walk around the hospital, sit in the rocking chair, etc.

Sami and I decided it just wasn't time and that the "medical risks" weren't actually that serious. The doctors and nurses were basing their calls on statistics and on my due date (which might actually be calculated wrong - according to the first ultrasound the due date is between Dec 25th and Jan 1st). We are hoping he comes on his own sometime in the next 4 days or so. I have another doctor's appointment on Tuesday to check up on the baby and my blood pressure, etc. We will decide then if we should try another induction or wait some more.

The Snow Sticks Around

The weather stayed cold and the snow stayed, so I put the chains on the car this morning just in case (OHSU hospital is on a big hill). I'll be driving up there for a doctor's appointment tomorrow anyway.

Maple Leaf in the Snow

The weather today was beautiful. Sunny and not too windy. I intended to go for a longer walk and take more pictures, but I only got around the block before I had to come home and pee... by the time I got inside and took my shoes and coat off, I was tired and didn't go back out. Sad, I know.

Camellia blooming in the snow.

More camellias

Calendula in the snow.

Snow!

The forecasters had been promising snow and it actually happened!

I tried to get Sami to stand closer to the camera but he refused because he couldn't smile in the wind. He only likes snow if it's not windy.

We walked over to my friend Liesl's house (about a mile away) where we hung out drinking tea and eating cookies. Her due date is tomorrow, so we are both just waiting.

I probably would have taken more snow pictures, but I felt bad making Sami stand around and wait while I tried to get a a good shot.

Me and my GIANT belly.

Many Mushrooms at Tualatin Hills Nature Park

Still bored with our neighborhood streets, I decided to go walk the trails at Tualatin Hills Nature Park.

They have 5 miles of mostly flat trails and a very nice restroom in the visitor's center. I ended up walking 3.75 miles in the north and southeast sections of the park.

Owl Hunting in Hart Woods

I'd gotten a bit bored with the neighborhood streets, so I decided to explore Hart Woods and Brookhaven park again. In the past Sami and I had seen an owl in Hart Woods and I was hoping to see one again. The path through the park is not correct at all, I just threw some lines in the area to get an idea of mileage.

Top of a hollow tree

I heard a couple owls in the area, but never did see them.