Reflections at 40 Weeks 5 days

Still waiting.  My gut tells me this baby is going to arrive on the 24th.  It is the date that keeps popping into my head.  We shall see.  I am so ready and anxious, but I feel pretty peaceful about the decision to wait and not be induced quite yet.  I'm not totally uncomfortable, just somewhat uncomfortable.  I don't feel huge, not like I did with Lilly Jeanne.  Although, in my dream last night, it was 3 weeks from now, and I was still pregnant and I looked like this:

It probably has to do with the fact that the girls and I read this story for nap time yesterday, and Cecilia pointed out that Cookie Monster's tummy looked like mine.  Great!  I guess she gets bonus points for comparing.

I think the girls are starting to think that we are full of it, and they will never have a baby sibling.  On Tuesday, Cecilia told Ma, "Tater Tot not coming".  I don't blame them.  We've been talking about this event for weeks now.  We've even had the dinner discussion about, "Mommy and Daddy might not be here in the morning because we might go to the hospital in the middle of the night".  Only to wake up with everything normal.  This has happened at least twice in the past week.

When I wake up in the morning, and realize that those contractions that were so strong when I went to bed didn't wake me up in the middle of the night, I do feel disappointed.  And then I realize that it was one more night to sleep next to Jon and not be interrupted by a nursing baby.

However, I am so looking forward to the middle of the night feedings with this baby.  I am actually really excited about the parts of labor, delivery, hospital stays, and newborn demands, that are usually painted in a bad light.  I am excited to see if I can embrace each and every contraction this time and let my body do what God intended it to do.  I know that might not be in the cards for me, and I'm ok with that too.  I'm excited to snuggle my new baby in the hospital for a few days and let other people take care of me and my girls.  I'm giddy about picking up my new baby in the middle of the night and nursing when it is just the two of us, and maybe snuggling back in bed with Jon and our new little one.
I had a midwife appointment this morning, along with an ultrasound and non-stress test.  Everything is good.  My fluid levels were at 9cm, which is good, and lower than last week.  Last week they were at 13cm.  Lower is good, because baby has less room to float, which is how baby was on Monday- "floating".  Today, baby was low and pushing down.  I was also 3cm dilated!  YAY!  My body is making progress, slowly by surely.  All of those contractions I've been having are doing something.  My midwife stripped my membranes in hopes of speeding things up a bit too.  They will let me go until 42 weeks if I want.  So, at the latest, I will be induced on the 31st of August.  I've said since the beginning that "I will have the baby by September".  Good thing I told myself this, because there is a chance I will use every day of August for this pregnancy.

The baby hunch pool, is very, VERY, shallow at this point.  Only two people are in the running, and unless things happen really quickly today, it looks like we will be down to just one guess.  So, I thank all the people who guessed I would have this baby early, or even on time, that was so kind of you.  Obviously, this baby will come to meet us when they are ready, and they cannot be swayed by a majority vote.  The majority vote would have been for a boy on 8/18.

So, for now, we wait.  Life goes on as usual.  Although, the girls started school on Tuesday, and I'm not quite sure what to do with myself when they are not here.  Soon enough, I will be recovering and tending to my new little one full time.

We are ready to meet you Tater Tot!!!