I started this post last week, but never uploaded it because I never took a photo. And I don’t feel like rewriting the whole thing, so I will just post this with a few added edits to make it current.

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I am officially in my 9th month of pregnancy (and now considered full term)! Honestly, I probably feel as good as one can this far in. No aches, pains, or fake cramps. It’s just hard to bend over to pick up Cheerios off the floor. I wake up a couple times each night to use the bathroom, and normally I fall back asleep right away, so I am not even that tired. That, I know, will change once the baby is in my arms instead of my uterus.

Things I have left to do are set up the pack and play and sort the newborn stuff I have. It probably will take approximately one nap time, but I have yet to have the nesting urge hit me hard (clothes sorted but not washed…does that really need to happen?; pack and play is not set up because it is our door stop because our door doesn’t latch and something has to keep Calvin out…gonna have to figure something out). Oh, I should probably also get some food in my freezer. Somehow, last time, I ended up with meals for 6 weeks post delivery between what I made and what my mom made (okay, mostly my mom)! It was amazing. Can I just say I am glad this baby is coming in the season it is? It is way easier to put together wintery foods for the freezer (I have thought about what to make and have come up with meatballs, chili, lasagna and stew…sounds like I need to get a lot of ground beef!).

I have mixed emotions about this delivery. I don’t know whether I should feel nervous, scared, or excited to go into labour! With Calvin I was induced at 10 days over due (read about that here), and I am hoping I don’t have to do that again. But thinking about going into labour, I feel like a first timer! Will my water break? How fast will the contractions come? How strong? Will it be uncomfortable to drive to the hospital (fortunately for us, our move brought us just 5 minutes away from it)? What if my labour goes super fast? How will I know when to go in?
At my 36 week appointment, my doctor informed me they would like to induce me again, just because I was fairly quick last time, they don’t want me to wait to go into labour then not get to the hospital in time (but who doesn’t want an awesome “fireman delivered my baby!” story?). She seemed a little more into letting me go into labour naturally once I told her I am 5 minutes from the hospital. But it is hard to say no to convenience sometimes! If I know in advance, then I can for sure have somebody ready to watch Calvin, and my parents won’t have to know at the last moment when to come. As for who we have to watch Calvin, it would be our downstairs tenant and/or Amy. If it’s during the night, we can let Calvin sleep and just let the tenant know and Amy can come in the morning. If it is during the day, things get a little trickier since the tenant works and Amy doesn’t have a car. The doctor probably wouldn’t look too favourably on me driving to go pick her up while in labour when she barely thinks driving 5 minutes to the hospital is a good idea. And also, what about waiting the half hour for Tim to come from work if it happens during the day? Is that too long to wait? Maybe I should let them induce me!

And then there is the uncertainty of knowing what the hospital is like. In this case, it’s not like being a first timer because you know what options are out there. I know what was available at the hospital in Victoria, and I don’t know exactly how this hospital (which for some reason doesn’t do in person tours, just photos online) will compare. But in the end the baby will be here and it will be wonderful.

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Here are more thoughts I’ve had since last week.

I have been hearing a lot lately (mostly in my birth club on Baby Center) about the “4th trimester” where women basically stay at home in a little bubble because they are afraid to let people hold their baby and be exposed to germs and such. Some moms are even hard pressed to let their half a year old babies be held by other people! Since these women in my “club” are due at Thanksgiving, give or take a couple weeks, there are so many who say they don’t want to go to family gatherings because of the reasons stated above and think people would be rude to want to hold their baby. These same people don’t want to accept visitors at the hospital or even at home for 2-4 weeks after. For me, personally, this is ridiculous. I am not the kind of person who looks for reasons to leave the house, but I like hanging out with people, family especially. I delivered Calvin on a Friday nightand would have gone to church two days later had I been released from the hospital. I enjoy other people holding my babies and exposing them to germs. I don’t want to hole myself up in my home just because it might be acceptable because I have a newborn and need time to heal. If I need healing time, I can still sit on a couch at somebody else’s house. And even if I didn’t want people to hold my baby, I would keep it in the seat or wear it in a sling, but still visit people.

End rant.

Our baby will be here soon!

My first pregnant selfie.