Naquadah Tipped Warheads & Banana Smoothies ~ Over 16s ~ 10 of 11
Details, disclaimers and Part One here
Part Two here
Part Three here
Part Four here
Part Five here
Part Six here
Part Seven here
Part Eight here
Part Nine here
Dowload the mp3 podcast for this chapter by clicking (right click to save) here
September 28th 2007 - CMC
I gave this a break for a while, mainly because there wasn’t much I wanted to say and I *needed* a break.
I love being back at the SGC and the transition between Groom Lake R&D and operations is going smoothly - I’m just hoping I can make this succeed on a part-time basis when I return from maternity leave. It’s not just the work; much of it has to do with our friends here and the unwavering support that I have been afforded, I can get quite emotional about it, actually.
The baby is still growing! I’m pretty big now, I’m kinda scared as to how much more I will expand as I feel so heavy and off-balance as it is. I’ve gone up two dress sizes and I’m out of breath just walking to the mess. My back hurts, my breasts hurt, my knees hurt and it’s hard to sleep with something akin to a bag of wet sand on your stomach, I assure you. The baby still moves, but it’s a slower, deeper movement than the early days, and if I get kicked, it can hurt! I’m thinking this baby is a future soccer star! My tests are all still fine, so I’m grateful for that. I’ve taken advantage of regular working hours and started swimming twice a week. I even joined an ‘aqua natal’ class. There’s me and some other fellow whales splashing about in the pool for an hour, then we towel off and go for root beer and Oreos to compare stretch marks and bitch about the thin young things that frequent the poolside. Ha. Wait ‘till they get knocked up - pregnant revenge can be so sweet.
On Thursday, Daniel and I are visiting the special needs school in Denver again. We have a check for them (proceeds of the CMC runway walk, don’t worry, I just cheered from the sidelines) and Daniel wants to catch up with Dan (it’s his birthday on Saturday). I also get the impression that Dan is not the only one that Daniel has been emailing and that Sylvie is more than just Dan’s mom to our gentle Doctor of Archeology.
I’m getting nervous about the delivery. I’ve read every horror story about childbirth there is and wished I hadn’t. I won’t enlighten you on my chances of winding up dead or paralyzed, but let’s just say that I’ve revised my will. Daniel asked to act as the child’s guardian (you would have guessed that, right?) in the event of my death, so he gets a third in trust, Cassie gets a third and junior gets the last third. George Hammond has agreed to act as executor, although I thought he was gonna blub on me when I was discussing ‘in the event of my death’. After Daniel nagged me senseless about claiming some of your assets for said offspring, I did investigate. We’re not married, obviously, but paternity is going to be easy to prove with the amount of blood screening we’ve both endured over the years. I hope you’re okay with that.
I called Dave Pryce. Well, he said to if I needed a first-class attorney, right? He was as good as his word. His specialty is corporate law but he’s commissioned another partner in his practice to act on my behalf once the baby is here and bloods can tested. They’re fairly confident that they can claim but you would have to be declared dead first. And I’m really, really not up to dealing with that right now. Pryce understood, was polite, respectful and backed off.
Tomorrow, I’m hosting a BBQ. Daniel, Cameron *and* Teal’c are coming over to paint the nursery; it’s totally about damn time. When I got back from Kansas, I went baby-shopping online and now all the furniture is stored in my garage next to the Indian and your truck - there’s no room for my Volvo!
C
September 29th 2007 - CMC
Well, after not updating for three weeks, you get two in 24 hours.
The nursery is finished!
I decided on a chequerboard of pastels for the walls, pine furniture and 40 shades of Irish green soft furnishings. O’Neill and all that.
I think it looks perfect - I wish you were here to see it.
The BBQ went well. I grilled stuff and fixed fajitas and it was pretty much DIY. No sweat.
Daniel brought his camcorder and filmed without me realizing. He showed me the footage later and I can’t believe how much I’ve changed. Obviously, I’m 40 pounds heavier but that’s not what I mean. My hair is so long now, I braid it mostly for work but it doesn’t look like me when I wear it down. I’m still not sure that I’ll keep it - long hair seems a bit impractical with a baby in tow. I also look... softer. My edges seem blurred; I guess my muscle tone is shot to hell.
Daniel says it’s contentment, but that seems dumb.
I regarded the woman in the playback and wondered if you would recognize her, I’ve changed so much physically and mentally from the dork who challenged you to an arm-wrestling contest nine years ago.
I just never expected to enter into a relationship with you, let alone end up pregnant with your baby.
I wonder if you suspected?
I don’t deserve you.
Carter
October 5th 2007 - My house
Finally in October! The baby is due on the 27th and I have to admit, I’ve had enough. The morning haul up the turnpike is getting to me, compounded by the fact that I’ve started to feel nauseous again. Carolyn says that’s normal; my body is preparing itself for childbirth, evinced by the daily Braxton Hicks contractions.
Oh yay. I can hardly wait.
My blood pressure is up. I’m booked in for twice weekly checkups until Birth-day. Marvelous.
I’m beginning to wonder if I’ll ever see my ankle bones again, in fact I’m beginning to wonder if I’ll ever see my *legs* again.
My breasts are now an entirely separate entity to me. They point where they please (frequently in different directions) and have started to leak milk at the most inconvenient times. General Vidrine was polite enough not to mention the staining on my shirt during a briefing yesterday... with six other officers. Carolyn was so pleased (?!) She drew out (you don’t want to know how, trust me) some of the thin, whitish fluid (she called it colostrum?) and had it tested for Naquadah. There isn’t any, apparently, at least at the moment.
So if I want to nurse, I can.
I’m not sure about that yet. From what I saw of breast milk, I would be ordering a steak with fries on the side if I were Baby. I just can’t see that nursing is a very Carter thing to do and certainly not compatible with returning to work. Having said that, I looked into formula and bottles and sterilizing and I’m beginning to think that the two PhDs and the Geiger prize for Physics2 aren’t enough. Also, I’m sick of wearing undergarments that are fashioned in the style of the San Francisco Bay Bridge... even if they are comfortable.
Oh! I’ve been snagging photos of you from friends because I am now compiling ~ don’t you dare laugh ~ a scrapbook. Your Soldier Sam is turning into a paper crafter. Oy! I said no laughing!! The scrapbook is for… you, I guess. Or maybe Baby can have it when they’re older. ‘This is Dad in East Germany, this is Dad in Iraq, this is Mom and Dad on a sneaky weekend to Vegas’, etc. I hope that you don’t mind, but I borrowed those photos of Charlie that you had stuck inside your locker. You know that the master-at-arms has to break into the lockers after a week of MIA to ensure nothing perishable has been left in there and she’s had your belongings in the safe ever since. She did ask if I would like the rest of the things, but I said no. Not yet. I didn’t enjoy the look of sympathy, but what would I do if I were in her shoes and she in mine? I just wanted photos of baby’s big brother; I thought that would be right. I hope I am.
I wish I had more photos of you as a boy. I stuck my neck out and called Sara on the off-chance she might have some. She’s going to have a look, but she knows that you threw loads of memorabilia out when your mom passed away. We had a chat, a nice chat, actually. She’s been appointed deputy principal at Cedar Heights High! Some good news for a change.
Wow. I’ve just had a really strong contraction! I’m waiting for another, but nothing yet. I hope I don’t go into labor tonight - Cassie is throwing me a baby shower tomorrow!
Carter - Sam - whatever
October 7th 2007 - My house
Well, no baby, but a mountain of gifts.
Jack, we have some amazing friends. Sure, it was a girly baby shower, but the guys came as well - you know which ones. However, they tended to hang around outside on the patio even if it is getting colder - I think that may have had something to do with the games we played. “Hold the kewpie doll & cell phone and do the laundry at the same time” on a *stopwatch*.
Relax, I only dropped the kid twice. Apparently they bounce!
We also had drinks (sadly no Guinness cocktails) with ice cubes containing plastic babies. When the ice melted we had to yell out MY WATERS HAVE BROKEN! Haha!
Cassie was there, she took a sneaky weekend off UCLA. Thankfully, she is well into her second year (and enjoying it) and I have persuaded her that neither you nor I would be happy about her dropping out. She made the most beautiful of cushions for the nursery; woven using that intricate ribbon technique that the people of Hanka were so good at. I love her so much.
We had so many other gifts, and gift certificates, Jack, I wish you were here for the millionth time.
Sam
xxxxxx
October 16th 2007 - My house
I’m tired, so I’ll keep this brief.
My BP is up, so my working hours are down. I don’t have the strength to argue so I’ve let it slide. I have no idea how I’m going to manage to push a baby out as I can’t even manage down the hall to the bathroom.
A good night’s sleep is a dim and distant memory - again, I have no idea how I’m going to cope with the 2am and 4am and 6am feeds.
I’ve lost all interest in food although I’m huge, absolutely massive. I just want to give birth and get it over with.
Is it the 27th yet?
Sam
October 20th 2007 - My house
T-minus 7 days and counting
S
x
October 27th 2007 - My house
FINALLY!!
I’ve been having so many practice contractions; surely the baby will come today!
My bags are all packed and the hospital is ready and waiting. I’ll be delivering at the Academy Hospital. It’s the best of both worlds (i.e. a delivery suite and some Carter-special A+). A home birth is out of the question because of a list of reasons longer than one of Daniel’s briefings. I’m not sure I’d want to anyway. I’ve read more than I care to about labor and I kinda fancy being upright. We practice positions in my pre-natal classes, and it just feels the best position for me. I guess it’s not going to happen.
Sam
xxxx
October 28th 2007 - SGC
Still pregnant.
I came into work. I thought I might as well because I’m bored stiff at home.
Oprah re-runs could send any sane person ga-ga.
S
x
October 29th 2007 - SGC
Still pregnant.
I had a dream that the baby was here, and so were you.
It was so hard not to cry when I woke and realized that neither was true.
I love you
xxxxx
October 31st 2007
Still pregnant.
I had the day off work and I decided I didn’t like the nursery the way it was, so I moved it around.
And now I just want to DIE.
I’ve also nibbled too much of the Trick or Treat-ers candies (It’s Halloween!) and I’ve just been sick.. again.
Still not crying.
Sam
xxxxxx
November 2nd 2007
Still pregnant.
I’m scared I’ve really screwed up my back - it hurts like hell! Right at the base of my spine.
Carolyn made a house call and we talked about inducing me; she can see that I’ve had enough although my BP is stable. I would have said no a month ago; I wanted a natural birth for the baby but now I just want the baby OUT.
Sam The Whale xxxxx
Sunday, November 4th 2007 - SGC
Still pregnant.
Although, bizarrely, I feel better today. My back is still sore but I can breathe a bit easier - it must be the cooler weather. I got up, had a hot bath, pottered around, thought about my latest project and thought, what the hell - I drove into work!
And here I am, and so is Siler. He came in to run a calibration on a new ion generator. An old project from the Tollan that we dusted off. He’s a sweetie and has gone to get me lunch; I’ve got a bit of my appetite back!
I’ll write more when I get home.
Sam
xxxx
Part Two here
Part Three here
Part Four here
Part Five here
Part Six here
Part Seven here
Part Eight here
Part Nine here
Dowload the mp3 podcast for this chapter by clicking (right click to save) here
September 28th 2007 - CMC
I gave this a break for a while, mainly because there wasn’t much I wanted to say and I *needed* a break.
I love being back at the SGC and the transition between Groom Lake R&D and operations is going smoothly - I’m just hoping I can make this succeed on a part-time basis when I return from maternity leave. It’s not just the work; much of it has to do with our friends here and the unwavering support that I have been afforded, I can get quite emotional about it, actually.
The baby is still growing! I’m pretty big now, I’m kinda scared as to how much more I will expand as I feel so heavy and off-balance as it is. I’ve gone up two dress sizes and I’m out of breath just walking to the mess. My back hurts, my breasts hurt, my knees hurt and it’s hard to sleep with something akin to a bag of wet sand on your stomach, I assure you. The baby still moves, but it’s a slower, deeper movement than the early days, and if I get kicked, it can hurt! I’m thinking this baby is a future soccer star! My tests are all still fine, so I’m grateful for that. I’ve taken advantage of regular working hours and started swimming twice a week. I even joined an ‘aqua natal’ class. There’s me and some other fellow whales splashing about in the pool for an hour, then we towel off and go for root beer and Oreos to compare stretch marks and bitch about the thin young things that frequent the poolside. Ha. Wait ‘till they get knocked up - pregnant revenge can be so sweet.
On Thursday, Daniel and I are visiting the special needs school in Denver again. We have a check for them (proceeds of the CMC runway walk, don’t worry, I just cheered from the sidelines) and Daniel wants to catch up with Dan (it’s his birthday on Saturday). I also get the impression that Dan is not the only one that Daniel has been emailing and that Sylvie is more than just Dan’s mom to our gentle Doctor of Archeology.
I’m getting nervous about the delivery. I’ve read every horror story about childbirth there is and wished I hadn’t. I won’t enlighten you on my chances of winding up dead or paralyzed, but let’s just say that I’ve revised my will. Daniel asked to act as the child’s guardian (you would have guessed that, right?) in the event of my death, so he gets a third in trust, Cassie gets a third and junior gets the last third. George Hammond has agreed to act as executor, although I thought he was gonna blub on me when I was discussing ‘in the event of my death’. After Daniel nagged me senseless about claiming some of your assets for said offspring, I did investigate. We’re not married, obviously, but paternity is going to be easy to prove with the amount of blood screening we’ve both endured over the years. I hope you’re okay with that.
I called Dave Pryce. Well, he said to if I needed a first-class attorney, right? He was as good as his word. His specialty is corporate law but he’s commissioned another partner in his practice to act on my behalf once the baby is here and bloods can tested. They’re fairly confident that they can claim but you would have to be declared dead first. And I’m really, really not up to dealing with that right now. Pryce understood, was polite, respectful and backed off.
Tomorrow, I’m hosting a BBQ. Daniel, Cameron *and* Teal’c are coming over to paint the nursery; it’s totally about damn time. When I got back from Kansas, I went baby-shopping online and now all the furniture is stored in my garage next to the Indian and your truck - there’s no room for my Volvo!
C
September 29th 2007 - CMC
Well, after not updating for three weeks, you get two in 24 hours.
The nursery is finished!
I decided on a chequerboard of pastels for the walls, pine furniture and 40 shades of Irish green soft furnishings. O’Neill and all that.
I think it looks perfect - I wish you were here to see it.
The BBQ went well. I grilled stuff and fixed fajitas and it was pretty much DIY. No sweat.
Daniel brought his camcorder and filmed without me realizing. He showed me the footage later and I can’t believe how much I’ve changed. Obviously, I’m 40 pounds heavier but that’s not what I mean. My hair is so long now, I braid it mostly for work but it doesn’t look like me when I wear it down. I’m still not sure that I’ll keep it - long hair seems a bit impractical with a baby in tow. I also look... softer. My edges seem blurred; I guess my muscle tone is shot to hell.
Daniel says it’s contentment, but that seems dumb.
I regarded the woman in the playback and wondered if you would recognize her, I’ve changed so much physically and mentally from the dork who challenged you to an arm-wrestling contest nine years ago.
I just never expected to enter into a relationship with you, let alone end up pregnant with your baby.
I wonder if you suspected?
I don’t deserve you.
Carter
October 5th 2007 - My house
Finally in October! The baby is due on the 27th and I have to admit, I’ve had enough. The morning haul up the turnpike is getting to me, compounded by the fact that I’ve started to feel nauseous again. Carolyn says that’s normal; my body is preparing itself for childbirth, evinced by the daily Braxton Hicks contractions.
Oh yay. I can hardly wait.
My blood pressure is up. I’m booked in for twice weekly checkups until Birth-day. Marvelous.
I’m beginning to wonder if I’ll ever see my ankle bones again, in fact I’m beginning to wonder if I’ll ever see my *legs* again.
My breasts are now an entirely separate entity to me. They point where they please (frequently in different directions) and have started to leak milk at the most inconvenient times. General Vidrine was polite enough not to mention the staining on my shirt during a briefing yesterday... with six other officers. Carolyn was so pleased (?!) She drew out (you don’t want to know how, trust me) some of the thin, whitish fluid (she called it colostrum?) and had it tested for Naquadah. There isn’t any, apparently, at least at the moment.
So if I want to nurse, I can.
I’m not sure about that yet. From what I saw of breast milk, I would be ordering a steak with fries on the side if I were Baby. I just can’t see that nursing is a very Carter thing to do and certainly not compatible with returning to work. Having said that, I looked into formula and bottles and sterilizing and I’m beginning to think that the two PhDs and the Geiger prize for Physics2 aren’t enough. Also, I’m sick of wearing undergarments that are fashioned in the style of the San Francisco Bay Bridge... even if they are comfortable.
Oh! I’ve been snagging photos of you from friends because I am now compiling ~ don’t you dare laugh ~ a scrapbook. Your Soldier Sam is turning into a paper crafter. Oy! I said no laughing!! The scrapbook is for… you, I guess. Or maybe Baby can have it when they’re older. ‘This is Dad in East Germany, this is Dad in Iraq, this is Mom and Dad on a sneaky weekend to Vegas’, etc. I hope that you don’t mind, but I borrowed those photos of Charlie that you had stuck inside your locker. You know that the master-at-arms has to break into the lockers after a week of MIA to ensure nothing perishable has been left in there and she’s had your belongings in the safe ever since. She did ask if I would like the rest of the things, but I said no. Not yet. I didn’t enjoy the look of sympathy, but what would I do if I were in her shoes and she in mine? I just wanted photos of baby’s big brother; I thought that would be right. I hope I am.
I wish I had more photos of you as a boy. I stuck my neck out and called Sara on the off-chance she might have some. She’s going to have a look, but she knows that you threw loads of memorabilia out when your mom passed away. We had a chat, a nice chat, actually. She’s been appointed deputy principal at Cedar Heights High! Some good news for a change.
Wow. I’ve just had a really strong contraction! I’m waiting for another, but nothing yet. I hope I don’t go into labor tonight - Cassie is throwing me a baby shower tomorrow!
Carter - Sam - whatever
October 7th 2007 - My house
Well, no baby, but a mountain of gifts.
Jack, we have some amazing friends. Sure, it was a girly baby shower, but the guys came as well - you know which ones. However, they tended to hang around outside on the patio even if it is getting colder - I think that may have had something to do with the games we played. “Hold the kewpie doll & cell phone and do the laundry at the same time” on a *stopwatch*.
Relax, I only dropped the kid twice. Apparently they bounce!
We also had drinks (sadly no Guinness cocktails) with ice cubes containing plastic babies. When the ice melted we had to yell out MY WATERS HAVE BROKEN! Haha!
Cassie was there, she took a sneaky weekend off UCLA. Thankfully, she is well into her second year (and enjoying it) and I have persuaded her that neither you nor I would be happy about her dropping out. She made the most beautiful of cushions for the nursery; woven using that intricate ribbon technique that the people of Hanka were so good at. I love her so much.
We had so many other gifts, and gift certificates, Jack, I wish you were here for the millionth time.
Sam
xxxxxx
October 16th 2007 - My house
I’m tired, so I’ll keep this brief.
My BP is up, so my working hours are down. I don’t have the strength to argue so I’ve let it slide. I have no idea how I’m going to manage to push a baby out as I can’t even manage down the hall to the bathroom.
A good night’s sleep is a dim and distant memory - again, I have no idea how I’m going to cope with the 2am and 4am and 6am feeds.
I’ve lost all interest in food although I’m huge, absolutely massive. I just want to give birth and get it over with.
Is it the 27th yet?
Sam
October 20th 2007 - My house
T-minus 7 days and counting
S
x
October 27th 2007 - My house
FINALLY!!
I’ve been having so many practice contractions; surely the baby will come today!
My bags are all packed and the hospital is ready and waiting. I’ll be delivering at the Academy Hospital. It’s the best of both worlds (i.e. a delivery suite and some Carter-special A+). A home birth is out of the question because of a list of reasons longer than one of Daniel’s briefings. I’m not sure I’d want to anyway. I’ve read more than I care to about labor and I kinda fancy being upright. We practice positions in my pre-natal classes, and it just feels the best position for me. I guess it’s not going to happen.
Sam
xxxx
October 28th 2007 - SGC
Still pregnant.
I came into work. I thought I might as well because I’m bored stiff at home.
Oprah re-runs could send any sane person ga-ga.
S
x
October 29th 2007 - SGC
Still pregnant.
I had a dream that the baby was here, and so were you.
It was so hard not to cry when I woke and realized that neither was true.
I love you
xxxxx
October 31st 2007
Still pregnant.
I had the day off work and I decided I didn’t like the nursery the way it was, so I moved it around.
And now I just want to DIE.
I’ve also nibbled too much of the Trick or Treat-ers candies (It’s Halloween!) and I’ve just been sick.. again.
Still not crying.
Sam
xxxxxx
November 2nd 2007
Still pregnant.
I’m scared I’ve really screwed up my back - it hurts like hell! Right at the base of my spine.
Carolyn made a house call and we talked about inducing me; she can see that I’ve had enough although my BP is stable. I would have said no a month ago; I wanted a natural birth for the baby but now I just want the baby OUT.
Sam The Whale xxxxx
Sunday, November 4th 2007 - SGC
Still pregnant.
Although, bizarrely, I feel better today. My back is still sore but I can breathe a bit easier - it must be the cooler weather. I got up, had a hot bath, pottered around, thought about my latest project and thought, what the hell - I drove into work!
And here I am, and so is Siler. He came in to run a calibration on a new ion generator. An old project from the Tollan that we dusted off. He’s a sweetie and has gone to get me lunch; I’ve got a bit of my appetite back!
I’ll write more when I get home.
Sam
xxxx
