The True Story of What Was

Well, today is the due date, and I don’t think Baby Girl Ford is going to make her appearance today.  I was wondering if she was going to be punctual like her mom or late like her dad, and I guess she’s chosen to take her time.  I think we started the waiting game too early.  Ah well, we’ll have a baby sometime in the next week and a half and that’s all that matters.  I can’t wait to meet her.

At my 39.5 week appt last week, they told me they think the baby is “sunny side up” or in the occiput posterior position, or “facing up.”  Here’s a visual.  She could still rotate, and I am not sure they are even 100% that’s the position she’s in, but who knows.  I’m trying not to worry about it, as it means longer, more painful labor (read: more likely I’ll want an epidural), possible use of forceps, more chance of an episiotomy and they mentioned a higher rate of ending in a C-section than a baby who is not facing up.  Ugh – all of those things are things I want to avoid.  The weather is hot, hot, hot and I’ve been working from home for a week now.  I really didn’t want to be working at home for longer than a week, and after the false labor a week ago, I was sure she’d be here by now.  Well, she’ll come when she’s ready.

Sunday night I had contactions 10 minutes apart for 3 hours!  I thought, THIS IS IT – my kid’s birthday will most likely be July 19th.  The adrenaline was going.  I thought, should I vacuum?  Should I start loading the car?  And I ate and ate and ate, because I hear once you get to the hospital, it’s no food for you!  But then I woke up an hour later and never had another contraction.  I had a few more last night about 15 minutes apart each, more uncomfortable and painful (but not bad) then the Braxton Hicks contractions / tightening that I had been having.  I just went to sleep, I would not be fooled again!  The nurse said that it could mean labor is near, or it couldn’t.  I am finding nothing really means anything when you’re pregnant.  There are so many variables.  She advised that next time I have contractions like that I should walk to keep them coming.  That’s all fine and good, but can you see an almost 40 week pregnant woman walking the streets of her neighborhood at 3am?  Yeah, I just don’t think so.  Ah well.  I am lucky enough to be able to work from home this week.  I was planning to work from home next week if nothing happens this weekend, so I just moved that timetable ahead 4 business days. 

I told the baby, fool me once, shame on you, fool my twice, shame on me.

I’ve been feeling like things are happening for a week or so now, probably even longer.  Due date is a week from this coming up Monday.

Four out of six of these things are complete: http://www.americanpregnancy.org/labornbirth/signsoflabor.html

I won’t go into the gory details just yet.

Lots of Braxton Hicks, but nothing consistent or painful, just uncomfortable.

It’s getting close.  Every time I leave the office, I prepare to not go back for 12 weeks, and every time I leave the house, I prepare to not go back for a few days.  I don’t feel especially anxious just yet, except when thinking about the gigs that Ryan has about an hour away in the coming days.

Oh, not sure if she knows what’s up, but Jasper, who normally ignores me, is ALL OVER ME.

It’s amazing how quickly I went from NOT BEING READY to feeling pretty comfortable with being almost ready.

I had a baby shower the last weekend in June, and had such a good time with some close friends and family.  I was given so many generous gifts for Baby Girl Ford.  I was lucky enough to have my parents visiting for almost two weeks.  I enjoyed spending some last minute time with them as our original family of three and getting to be the kid one last time as well.  We completed so many projects, and I am not sure we could have ever been “ready” for this baby without their help on this trip.  I think my dad probably made 8 trips to Home Depot in the first three days they were here.  They have made me feel infinitely more prepared around the house and all the work we did while they were here is really allowing me to feel less anxious and more relaxed now.  And we didn’t spill the beans on the name when they were here – I can hardly believe it.  This might be my best kept secret ever – only 2 people besides Ryan and I know.

Work is winding down, the weather is getting hot hot hot and our bags are packed for the hospital.  Baby Girl Ford is almost 38 weeks cooked and has dropped into position.  As of a week ago, I had started dilating (1cm) – hope that isn’t too much info for you, but I want to document and remember.

Things accomplished in the last 2 weeks:

– Closet system installed in Baby Girl Ford’s closet

– New blinds in Baby Girl Ford’s room

– New floor in laundry room

– Installed carseats and had them inspected

– Washed and put away everything from the baby shower

– Took inventory of baby things, and completed “needed” purchases from registry

– Put together swing, bouncy seat, pack and play, etc. and found homes for all of our new (and 2nd hand – thanks Andrea!) baby items

– Weeded back porch and front planter, mulched front planter, spread moss killer on grass, trimmed all bushes in yard, etc.

– Put up umbrella on back porch to provide shade for Baby Girl Ford

– Replaced all smoke detector and carbon monoxide batteries (not excited, but important!)

– Constructed and upholstered a 3-bass stand

– Decorated Baby Girl Ford’s room with decals

– Trip to IKEA for side table for Baby Girl Ford’s room

– Packed bags for hospital – including items for Ryan, for me, snack bag, air mattress for Ryan, electronics, etc.

Over the past week or so, I’ve been really aware of the quiet moments.  And of the types of situations I probably won’t be in again for some time.  I hesitate to list them, because it feels like I’m listing the things having a baby will no longer allow me to do.  But it’s just the opposite, it’s about appreciating those moments now, and then when she’s here appreciating the exact opposite of these types of moments.  So these are the things I’ve been taking the time to notice lately, and to appreciate now.

– Spending the afternoon in bed, sleeping or reading

– Spending the afternoon on the couch, watching horrible reality TV

– Getting up before Ryan, and getting ready for the day in silence

– Having an entire 24 hours to myself

– Being able to do things for friends, like babysit

– Play dates for Izzie

– Impromptu dinners out

I was counting my weeks on Fridays.  The doctor’s office was counting my weeks on Mondays, and they were a little bit ahead of me. So, since we’re getting close, I’ve decided to get in line with how they are counting. Normally, I would have said I am 34 weeks tomorrow, but by doctor’s office calculations, I was 34 weeks this past Monday. So, we’re calling this photo 34.5 weeks.

34.5 Weeks - Abandoned Platform of Downtown Train Station

I still can’t believe there is a baby in there, even though I feel her move a lot and she gets the hiccups a couple of times a day most days.  They said her head is down, but that she’s kind of diagonal.  Her head is near my left hip and she seems to like to poke me in the ribs on the right side.  I go back to the doctor in about 2 weeks, and then it’s every week after that.  It’s weird to think that she’s “due” 5 weeks from Monday, and she could be as early as 2 weeks, so she could be here in 3 weeks!  Wow!  This seems like it was such a long time ago.

I consider the belly button an indicator of when the baby is ready to be born.  It “pops” out like the little thing on a Thanksgiving Turkey, alerting you that the “bird” is done.  My belly button hasn’t popped yet. (I did meet a woman the other day who was less than 15 weeks pregnant with her 3rd or so child, and hers was already out!)  However, mine is a walking advertisement for kids AGAINST getting your belly button pierced on the side of the road when you’re 15 and on a Girl Scout trip to Costa Rica.  Or really at all, for that matter.  So far, the only stretch marks (on the belly) that I have are between the two holes of the piercing, which are both now located “outside” my belly button as it continues to flatten out.  I can only hope that when (if?!) the belly button goes back to normal, the dark marks will be hidden down deep inside.  I know this is gross people, but you wanted more blogging, so this is what you get.

I realized that I took a photo on my computer one other time while I was wearing this shirt (Thanks Jenna!) and thought it would be fun to compare.