Photos and Baby Thoughts

I'm going to combine a few photos from our week here with my thoughts on the pregnancy right now.  The photos will be unrelated to the text of this post.  Sorry for the randomness... I'm killing two birds with one stone.  :)

 

 

(Silly walks with Uncle Ben just after Zach and Piper's wedding rehearsal)

So Mamas... have you ever been in the situation where you had a couple of friends who were due around the same time as you (or even after you)... and they have all had their babies while you're still waiting?

That's me right now.

And of course, the last month of pregnancy is filled with questions from everyone.  Everyone wants to know how I'm feeling, and when the due date is, and whether I think the birth will happen soon.  It's really not that I mind being asked those questions, and I know that people are just being kind and interested and curious, but I find myself wanting to say things that will please people, and so I try to make up definitive answers about things when the truth is I just really don't know.  And I'm not even overdue yet!  It almost feels like lying for the sake of making small talk.  Does anybody know what I mean??

 

 (My little brother's beautiful wedding!!!)

In reality, the timing of a birth cannot *at all* be predicted.  Certain twinges in my body can mean something... or not.  I've been through pregnancy enough to know that a string of steady, painful contractions in the night (like I had last night around 1 AM) is par for the course in late pregnancy.  It could mean that I'll meet my precious girl tomorrow... or it could mean that I'll be waiting another two weeks.

Maybe I should just say that to people.  But it just seems like an unsatisfactory... or even rude... response.

And the truth is, if it weren't for wanting to have something to say to other people, I think I would be totally patient.

 

(My beautiful wedding bouquet is still fresh-looking and cheering up our table, almost a week later!)

I trust my body and I trust my baby will come when she is ready.  I don't want to rush things.  Of course I would be thrilled to have her in my arms today, but I know there must be a reason why she hasn't come yet.  Maybe she's not quite in the right position for birth.  Maybe she needs to grow just a bit more so that she'll be good-sized and ready to eat and sleep well.  Maybe these early, irregular, not-quite-painful-enough contractions are preparing my body so that when labor does eventually happen, it will be swift and smooth.  If we forced this baby along, maybe things wouldn't go as they would if the timing were just right.

 

(L presses cider at OSV homeschool day!)

And deep down, I know that there isn't anything I can really do to hurry things along, so why should I worry about it?  Why should I waste precious time that I could be enjoying my girls or my husband or my family?  My body will take care of me, my doctors will take care of me, and all will be well.  I have faith.

 

(L's first loose tooth... HUGE excitement!  She has been telling *everyone*!)

And so I'm going to try not to feel insecure when I show up to yet another event about which I had warned people "I might not be there... the baby might come!"  I'm going to try not to feel sheepish when they say "You're still hanging in there!"  It is absolutely silly for me to make myself feel that way, right??

 

(first Daisy/Brownie meeting yesterday... so much excitement!)

I'm going to enjoy these last few days when I get to listen to my girls play dress-up peacefully together in their room while I write a blog post, without having to jump up to soothe a crying newborn or change a diaper or execute a nursing session (although I confess I'm looking forward to that... sounds crazy, eh??).

 

(a lovely little ice cream date with my pal C at a cool new place recommended by my friend Shel... we really enjoyed the Star Wars artwork on the walls!)

And now, I'm off to complete a few more items on the to-do list that I would not have gotten done if baby had come already.  Then I'm going to enjoy a walk with my girls through the apple orchard, probably up and down a few hills at a brisk pace (hey, I'll do what I can, right??)

We are all blessed and happy.  :)

Unrelated side story... The above picture says a lot about little C and what has been going on in her world lately!  We were fortunate enough to get this guy in our McDonald's happy meal last weekend:

 

...and the night we came home from the wedding weekend she had a nightmare, which she described to me in great detail, that the "white guy" (the Joker) was sitting on our couch in the living room with no head, and he was carrying an umbrella which meant he was angry, and planning to come into C's room down the hallway.

These images have stuck with her and getting her to sleep comfortably has been extremely challenging this week.  Combine that with preschool starting last Tuesday-- a bit traumatic for our shy little C but she is working hard to be brave-- and her own anxieties about the unknowns of new baby, and the fact that she seems to be coming down with a cold, and... well... she is having a bit of a tough time.  Say a prayer for her if you think of it!  I'm glad to have this time before baby to snuggle her a little extra, and give her a little extra measure of patience.  Daddy has helped soooooooo much with this.  I'm so thankful for his strong, steady, calm influence on her, even in the middle of the night when I'm too exhausted.

End of side story.  :)