Notes from Away

Thursday night the doctor will induce Melissa. I will be a dad on Thursday or Friday.

I awoke this morning feeling like life is a bit surreal. If all goes as planned, tomorrow evening I will check into the hospital to have my daughter.  WOW! Even after nine months, it still seems odd to think of myself as a mother to some little one.  I have been amazed by the feelings and emotions that the concept brings to mind. My husband and I both admit to fears in our ability to be parents and our inability to protect the child from everything.

Many of my husband’s friends and even his parents are still adjusting to the idea of him as a dad. It wasn’t a reality anyone envisioned him with, but he has thrived and will be the dad who spoils his kid rotten.  He already does.

Tomorrow night, none of that matters anymore because we will be facing a new reality that includes a little girl.

Baby drew the short straw today as doc and Mommy conspired against her. She’s been given till the end of this week but no longer. 

I think the person who is most excited is Daddy. He is anxious to meet his little girl and spend some one-on-one time. I may not know what she looks like, but I do know her personality/attitude well. So well, I wasn’t surprised when she gave the nurse a hard time today and kept moving while the nurse tried to get her heartbeat. Eventually the nurse gave up and made a best guess.

I am wondering what games she’ll try to play now.

Still pregnant.

Still doing the work thing.

Hopefully, doc is on the same page as me this afternoon, even if baby isn’t.

For weeks now, the doctor had been saying the baby will be here early. So often was this said, I was sure she’d make her arrival by now. Yet, here I am, still very much pregnant and still going to work each day.

Forty-plus hours of work a week is tiring as it is, but forty-plus while pregnant is exhausting.  And apparently, my pregnancy is wearing my husband out as we were both in bed by 9 last night.  Poor guy is the main target of my emotional/mentally exhaustion, but he is more than a trooper. He also uses his secret weapon of walking over to the ice cream shop on a nearly daily basis to try and soothe me.

However, every day now, even he spends a few moments telling the baby it is okay for her to make her appearance. He let’s her know he’d really like to spend some daddy/daughter time together, but well, the little miss typically just kicks and turns herself over.

Supposedly at my appointment on Monday, the doctor wants to discuss some ways we can move this baby along.  Problem is, I no longer trust her since she flipped everything upside down this past monday. I suspect I’ll just be told to come back in a week.  Not sure I’ll be too understanding of that.

A few weeks back when the doctor was concerned Baby would make an early, early arrival, my mother (Memere) suggested we buy her carseat and install it. She joked it would slow Baby down if she knew we were ready for her. Well four weeks later and still no baby, so next time, I’m not listening to Memere.

I’ve spent this morning explaining to Baby that today would be a great birthday as it is Earth Day. We also discussed the high points of Friday (Arbor Day) and even tomorrow since it falls between the two.  Next week, her best options would be April 29th (her grandfather’s b-day) or May 1st (May Day).  Really mommy and daddy don’t care, but if she is being picky about her day, we thought we’d explain her options.

Doc gave baby another week and then she’ll consider induction.  Baby has been burrowing in so I am not surprised. Maybe she’ll decide to arrive this week on her own, but she is very stubborn. I am trying to go with the flow but I am also mentally and physically exhausted. (Not to mention bored)

Nine months/40 weeks is a long time.

It is a lovely friday out and I was looking forward to enjoying the nice weather predicted for the weekend. My workday was chugging along nicely. In fact, so well I lost track of time. When I finally looked at the clock, I was in for a shock. It was well past two of the baby’s exercise periods and she hadn’t moved once.  I drank some water, pressed on her little butt but got no response from her. A call to the doctor and I was on my way to the hospital.

Well, Toolbox and I now know for sure a few things about our daughter:

• She is a thumbsucker
• She is stubborn
• She has a bit of an attitude
• She makes all the rules

Although she looked fine on the monitors, it wasn’t until the end of the ultrasound that she decided to start moving. And she hasn’t stopped since. I guess she had a rough night so decided to sleep in. That or she decided she was done with work for the week and knew it would take drastic measures to go home. 

And home is where we are. On the couch resting like ordered. Too bad for the baby that her doctor has already said on Monday she’ll make the decision on when to induce me. Baby won’t even get 14 days notice.

I was reading an article which mentioned this video as a must see. And I must agree. I can not stop watching the video, especially once she starts singing . All the reactions are amazed. 

Watch it here.

It is the perfect reminder not to judge anything by appearances.

The Easter Bunny skipped our house this year.  Next year, he’ll have to add us to his long list of visits. With the days and weekends of no baby becoming less and less, I opted to spend the weekend relaxing and resting for another 40+ hr work week. Toolbox worked on organizing the basement, which will become his “man cave”.

Baby spent the weekend napping and rolling around - she is still very active and is happy to push whatever is in her way out of the way. My abs/stomach are more than a bit sore and I am sure my organs are bruised, but she is happy. 

I am hoping to finish my last work project tomorrow so I can be comfortable going on leave soon.