Alas, I Am Awake

Well, as if I needed to say it. . I couldn't sleep much last night. Not only did I go to sleep saying "tomorrow I will have a baby," (it was after midnight), but I also woke up at exactly 5:30 AM thinking that at this time tomorrow morning, I will be at the hospital!! This is the last day Patrick and I will be just us two! What a shocking thought. I hope that I can sleep today taking a couple naps, because I know that I will have a hard time going to bed tonight. My little boy is coming! I am so excited I can't stand it! (I sound just like my mother there! tee hee!)

They have wifi at the hospital, so I will be able to download pictures and post them ASAP. I know how anxious I was to have my nieces' pictures, so I will try to be as thoughtful to you guys, too.

Many people ask me why I chose to have an elective induction. The simple answer is that I couldn't stand waiting any longer. He is getting heavier by the minute and I am more and more uncomfortable. Supposedly, if he follows the rules, he should be about 8+ pounds. If I were to wait until my due date or longer--should he be like his parents and be stubborn, he could get to 9+ pounds. I don't want my little baby that big. Plus, the doctor is okay with it. I like knowing that there is somewhat of a plan in place. I don't do well when things are so uncertain.

Look for the blog tomorrow so you can see updates and/or pictures of the little guy!

T minus 6 and waiting

My doctor visit today went well. I am not quite 3 cm, everything else is the same. She said that it is my choice to induce early or wait until nature takes its course. I opted for induction. I have to be 39 weeks and that will be Monday. So Monday it is!! I will go in at 5:30 AM to have my water broken and then a baby will be soon!

Monday!!!! I love knowing he won't be getting too much bigger. He should be about 8 pounds this Friday. Who knows how big he would be if I waited until the 8th--or later! I am so excited. He is getting heavy and waiting is not something I do well. Six more days!!

I am going to be a Mommy this time next week. How exciting is that?!

Dr. update

I had another appointment today. I am 2 cm dialated and 80% effaced. She said his head is much lower than last week, too. Other than that, not much to report. I am ready and waiting. Please keep praying for my patience. I know that God's timing is best.

The Waiting Game

Only two days into my time off, and I am already thinking I may run out of things to do. I am finishing up on my thank you cards, getting the house spotless, and washing all those new baby clothes and blankets. Patrick and I put the car seat in the back of my car just in case and adjusted the baby mirror. We bought and tested the video baby monitor which is pretty cool--it has night vision! I also bought the breast pump and read up on using that-not quite yet ready to test it. There are new curtains hung in the nursery and front bedroom and the old puke stains from Candy are almost completely gone from the carpet. Roman is getting a short walk to and from the mailbox every day which he has not done in quite a while since he has been lame on his back hips.

What am I going to do if Alex waits for June!!! I will be bored. Well--At least I don't have to worry about going to work and having my water break in front of the kids. My feet aren't swollen any more because I can put them up whenever they start to puff. My back still hurts a bit, but hey I have a 7 pound baby in my tummy! That back pain is inevitable.

I know that God's timing is perfect and that nothing I do will alter His plan, but I still pray that I can see Alex's little face and hold his hands within the week. Pray for my patience and Alex's good health.

Cut Ties

My cerclage is out!! Yeah, it hurt, but it is now gone. Dr. Berry said that I was already dialated to 1 cm and 60-70% effaced. That should make my labor a little shorter, hopefully.

Thursday was my last day of school for the year. I couldn't handle the swollen feet and emotional instability. The kids weren't getting the teacher they deserved-they had a Dr. Jekyl. I could turn in an instant into someone not so nice or fun to be around. On my Thursday visit to the regular ob, my blood pressure was a bit elevated beyond my normal, though still within a good level. The stress was getting to me and neither Patrick nor I could stand the thought that Alex was having to go through all of it with me. He is too little to be dealing with adult-level stress. I didn't tell my boss until Thursday morning because I had fought it so hard. I thought I could make it through the year in order to save up my leave days. Mary was, thankfully, supportive of my decision.

I am really glad that I did that because after getting that stitch out, I am in super-hyper nesting mode. I am organizing the nursery, making lists of things still needed and trying to get all the new clothes and blankets washed and ready to use at a moments notice. I even took the plastic off the crib mattress and put the sheets on it!!! We packed Patrick's baby bag and I am catching up on some preparation reading and much needed rest.

All I ask is that Alex gives me one more week to make sure everything is ready to go before he decides to let me see his beautiful face. (Which, by the way, I got a great picture of on the ultrasound. I will try to get it on here soon.)

Shower

My wonderful friend, Anita, and my sweet cousin, Julie got together and threw me an amazing baby shower yesterday. I got lots of great stuff and ate lots of yummy food. I had a wonderful time, as I hope everyone else did, too.

One of the games was for everyone to try to guess the size of my belly by using streamer tape as a measure. My mother, who thinks that I am absolutely huge apparently, cut a piece so long it was taller than me!! That was really funny. Aunt Lisa got right on the nose! Kudos to her.

Thank you to everyone who came and for those who couldn't, thank you for thinking of me.

This is my first semi-mother's day as well. Only a few more weeks and I will truly be a mom. What a scary and exciting thought that is.