Busy, busy.

Hi. We've been busy, busy, doing all sorts of stuff, mostly for my big brother Hunter who has all kinds of fun stuff going on. There's been tree decorating...



...where I was mostly a spectator, as you can see. Hunter did the heavy lifting. Then we had Hunter's school Christmas Pageant...





I slept through pretty much the whole thing despite the nearly 300 hundred people cheering, clapping, and other general crowdly noises. Mama and Dada never stopped praising Hunter for the excellent job he did. It was quite something to behold, I understand. Perhaps I'll see a little more of the show next year. We've had birthday parties at Pump It Up where I slept most of the time.



There was the Little Gym Show Day and Hunter's Birthday, oh, and Mama and Dada trying to get a picture of me smiling...




Life is good. I'm almost eight weeks old now and weighing in at 11 pounds. It's a neverending grind for Mama and Dada, but it's good to be here. Bye bye for a bit. Need some milk.

Cole

Brothers, no doubt about it.

My big brother Hunter posted some neat pictures on his blog of him when he was about my age with photos of me. I couldn't believe how much we looked alike at this age and wanted to share the pictures with those who might be reading here and missed it on his blog.

This first picture is of my brother when he was about five weeks old.


And then there's me at about three weeks old...


Hunter week one...



And me, two weeks ago...


Mama and Dada did good by us, no doubt about it.

911

So, I continue to grow and explore my world. I've met most of my close family with those I haven't met making appearances shortly for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I eat. I cry. And I sleep. My head is still quite heavy but I'm trying to take control of my melon. My hair is still dark and my eyes are still blue. I've already regained and added to my birth weight. Everything was going just perfect until Friday November 12th.

There was nothing real special about the day, but I'd been giving Dada and Mama a bit of a hard time with all me fussin'. I hadn't been sleeping well, naps, nothing, and I was wearing Dada out. After two days like this (Wednesday and Thursday) and with Friday now looking like the worst of the three, Mama and Dada decide to try some Gripe water to see if that would help settle my tummy.

In between cries, Mama administered the water, little by little, until the last little bit went in. I cried, swallowed, and immediately started choking.

Breaths came in short, really short ships of air.

My face got red. I couldn't cry, scream, nothing.

Through wide eyes, I stared up at my Dada. I could hear Mama crying in the background, pleading with Dada to do something.

Suddenly, I was facing down and getting solid smacks on the back. I took a couple quick gulps of air, but still struggled to breathe normally so Dada gave to order. Call 911.

Sirens rocked to night seconds later in our neighborhood as emergency personnel raced to our house. Dada put me on the couch, rolling me onto to my side as Mama talked with the 911 Dispatcher. After a couple more solid smacks on the back, I spit up and started to take some good breaths just as Antioch Police Officers arrived at the house.

AMR and Station 88 firefighters were right on APD's heels.

By the time the whole team was there, Dada had me breathing normally again and after a quick check by the firefighter/paramedic, we got the all clear. Dada knew one of the firefighters and he called to check on us in the morning. I was doing good.

We've made some adjustments to my feeding which seems to have helped a lot, but November 12th was one scary night. Thanks APD, AMR, and CFD for being johnny-on-the-spot when we called, and to my Dada for keeping his cool in a really not cool moment.

Anyone wants baby pics?




Well, the holidays are fast approaching and my Aunt Dani and Uncle Ben just got here for a visit, so I'll chat you up and get more pics up again soon.

Cole

More Pics of Me

Just wanted to take a moment to share some pics. These were all firsts for me. It's a whole world of new stuff, so I'm staying busy. Enjoy.





I'll keep the pics coming so keep coming back to see how I'm growing.

Cole

The Wait is Over!

For those of you eagerly anticipating my arrival and found yourselves sorely disappointed as my due date came and went without much of anything to say for itself, the time came and when I decided it was time to make an entrance, an entrance I made.

After a very uncomfortable, if not down right painful visit to my Mama's OB/GYN on Wednesday the 27th day of October, we all went home rather unsettled by the day and the turn of events since last Saturday when my arrival seemed all but a sure thing. That day ended and Thursday came with no little rays of sunshine hope, so to speak. And that day, Thursday, was coming to end with Mama and Dada sitting on the couch, Dada with his book (Brisinger) and Mama with her TV shows (Project Runway and Gilmore Girls).

The house was quiet. Hunter slept quietly in his bed. It was nigh on ten o'clock pacific standard time when I felt Mama's uterus wake with a jolt of energy that squeezed the fluid right out of my lungs. I'd flipped over and jammed my head down into Mama's hips a couple weeks back and boy was I hating that decision now. Seriously, when that uterus started trying to push everything out, I just about lost it. I mean, I've been residing in this little heavenly space for the last nine months, totally comfortable, and now the landlord comes along and without so much as a three day notice, starts evicting me right out onto the street! The nerve. I fought back until I heard my Mama stirring and start talking to my Dada. I sorta vaguely remember this being the chain of events leading to my birth...

INT: FAMILY ROOM - 10:00 PM

Mama and Dada sit quietly on the couch. Mama's pregnant belly is huge. She must be about ready to pop. Dada sleeps, head lolled to the side with a book laying flat against his not so flat belly as well.

MAMA: James, now don't get excited, but I think I might be having contractions.

Dada stirs from his couch slumber, moving the fallen novel from his belly to the arm of the sofa. He attempts to sit up, then just turns his head to look at his wife.

She's holding her belly, a look of excitement mixed with apprehension on her face. This is different he thinks. Not like last Saturday night.

MAMA: I don't know how far apart they are, but they hurt and I've had a couple.

Dada can tell instantly, this is not the same as last Saturday, then Mama has a contraction. He watches her, studies her face, they way she holds herself, then thinks, "This is crazy. She was just in the kitchen doing dishes an hour ago, although, she did spend on hour on the treadmill earlier..."

DADA: Well, we should probably try and time them. Let-

But that's all he gets out before Mama's in the clutches of another contraction. "That wasn't a very long delay," thinks Dada as he reaches for his cell phone and the stop watch feature.

INT: MASTER BATH - 10:30 PM

Mama's got a white-knuckle grip on the bathroom counter and Dada's on the phone with Grandma, telling her it's time for her to be here to watch Hunter (my Big Brother) so he can take Mama to the hospital.

Mama's not talking much, focused on breathing, trying to stay in control. I can hear her repeating, "Okay, another one", and Dada responding, "There two minutes apart now."

Dada's moves quickly through the house, gathering essentials.

Mama makes her way downstairs, stopping twice for contractions before she gets to the front door.

MAMA: I'm going out to the van.

DADA: You're Mom's not answering. She's got her cell phone off, again.

MAMA: She's on her way, calling her now would just worry her.

EXT: THE ROBERTS' DRIVEWAY - NIGHT (ABOUT 11:40 PM)

The cool night air brushes up against Mama's belly. It feels good. Mama grabs the passenger seat with both hands as a contraction bends her over in the open doorway of the van.

MAMA: James, go ask Steve and Kathy to watch Hunter. We need to go now.

It's quiet.

Quiet except for Mama's fighting breaths. The contractions are coming hard and fast, not leaving much time to recoup in between.

MAMA: James! We need to go now!

A car pulls up and parks right then and Grandma hurries out, hands full of bags. She's almost as frantic as everyone else as she realizes things are much further along than she thought.

Mama gets into the van and Dada is right behind her. He barely has time to get the car into drive before Mama is yelling, "Go, James! Go!"

INT: THE FAMILY VAN - 11:45 PM

MAMA: Okay, at the red light, I want you to clear the intersection and go. Clear it and go.

All kinds of alarms were going off with my heightened awareness. Mama was clearly asking, or telling Dada to do something he otherwise wouldn't but Dada didn't seem to hesitate. The van slowed, then accelerated through a turn and then straight ahead.

At the next red light the same request is made by Mama and Dada the appropriate action, again with no hesitation. It doesn't take long to get to the hospital where Dada drives right up to the front door and parks, hanging the Stork Parking Permit from the rear view mirror.

INT: KAISER ANTIOCH - SAND CREEK MEDICAL CENTER - 11:55 PM

The contractions are at most a minute apart, painful and stop Mama in her tracks. The elevator can't move fast enough. There's no conversation between Mama and Dada now. Labor and Delivery, on the third floor and at the far east of the building, is not getting closer fast enough.

Half way down the hallway, as the third contractions comes to an end with Mama and Dada in the slow-dance position in the middle of the hallway, two maintenance workers stop to help.

MAINTENANCE WORKER #1: Can I get you a wheelchair?

MAMA AND DADA: YES. Thank you.

DADA: Is the entrance much further?

MAINTENANCE WORKER #2: We'll take you in this way.

After rolling through a couple of double, fire-rated doors, Mama and Dada are met by The Midwife.

MIDWIFE: Hi. How are you two...

MAMA tenses with yet another contraction.

DADA: Her contractions started around 10 o'clock. They're about a minute apart, lasting about a minute and a half, and her water is still intact.

Now, mind you, I'm listening to all of this, can hear it quite nicely actually, amplified through the fluid in the sack around me when the uterus is trying to squeeze me through the tiny area of light just below my head.

And then we're rolling again.

INT: LABOR AND DELIVERY - ROOM #4 - 12:01 AM OCTOBER 29TH, 2010

Mama's in the bed, dressed down and they've just gotten the IV in when...

MAMA: I need to push!

NURSE: Don't push. You're ok, just don't push.

Shuffling, running, lots of beeping and noise. I can feel Mama tossing in the bed. She groans, deep and loud with the next contraction and then lets it out...

MAMA: I need to push NOW!

MIDWIFE: Ok, let's push.

All I can hear is Mama scream. It's unreal, unlike anything I've heard in nine months. I later find out that her screaming caused the other women in Labor and Delivery to immediately request epidurals. Mama didn't, though. I'm so proud.

Two more pushes punctuated by blood chilling screams and...


Hi, I'm Cole. It's nice to meet you. I was born at 12:33 AM on Friday October 29, 2010. I came out 8 pounds 3 ounces and 21 inches long. Mama says I look like my Dada.

Mama's Last Day at Work

Created a bit of a stir last night for everyone on Mama's last day of work. Sometime right around six, I buckled in for an eight hour ride of contractions that got as close together as two minutes at one point before vanishing into the night.

Mama was well taken care of on her special assignment while pregnant and it looks as though they've gotten me off to a good start as well. Have a look at the booty Mama brought home:


Just wanted to say a quick thanks to all who looked after my Mama during this time and let you know things are continuing to progress toward my arrival, right on schedule. Be seeing you all very soon.

A New Day is About to Dawn.

All the time, eagerness, weariness, pain, tears (both of joy and of disappointment), doctor's appointments (all over the Bay Area), and everything else is about to pay off in a dramatic way, for the day fast approaches when Cole William Roberts will enter the world. I thought, as his father, I'd take this opportunity to introduce you to the little miracle only days before he will introduce himself.

Cole was conceived on 02-06-2010 by means of IVF. Getting Cole was something of trial for his Mom and Dad, but we endured the countless number of doctor's visits, endless requests for more money, and (at the time, it seemed like) setback after setback, not to mention needles, drugs, drugs, and more needles. But on March 4th, 2010, everything we'd gone through to make Cole a reality, paid off when we found out Tamra was pregnant, finally.


He doesn't look like much here, but let me tell you, this little mass of tissue and possibilities has not let his mother have a day of rest since this fateful day. Shortly, he will emerge from his protective cocoon and come face to face with his family...





Then, in April, we got a little better look at how Cole was growing, and everything looked good. April was a milestone in the pregnancy, especially considering how you came about. We didn't take any chances with you and your Mama was super vigilant about everything. You're lucky to have a Mama like her. So, in April, this is what we got to have a look at:


So, the journey has begun and will only get more exciting with each passing moment. We are all looking forward to adding your unique personality to the wonderful mix that we call home. You are Cole William Roberts. You are the son of James and Tamra Roberts, you have three brothers, Hunter, Ethan, and Caleb, not to mention loads of cousins, aunts, uncles, and fabulous grandparents. You come into the world at an exciting time and I'm sure you will set fire to the souls of all those you meet, just like your brothers before you.



See you soon, Cole. Your Dad.