Ticking Time Bomb

*****WARNING, this post could contain TMI for your tastes*****

That's what I feel like. I'm like a bomb waiting to go off, and nobody can tell me how much time is left on the timer. I have basically given up hope that doctors/midwives can predict when a baby will come. I was told by my OB (with Mister) that women's bodies tend to follow a pattern, so whatever happened with his birth would likely happen with my following children. Right. This from the guy who also practically guaranteed me that my water wouldn't break until I was already well into labor. Apparently having your water break before labor starts only happens in about 5% of women. I was one of the lucky few both times. So anyway, Mister came 2 days after his due date. That's what I was expecting with Pumpkin. Only he surprised us (pleasantly) by coming 11 days early. Aside from the fact that my water broke beforehand, the two births had nothing in common. So much for that pattern, huh? Who knows if the broken water pattern will even hold this time? Probably not, now that I've taken obsessive measures to be ready if/when it does happen. :)

I had my 39 week appointment today and had my midwife do a check-up. Basically I'm going backward in the progress department from my last visit. My cervix was so high she could barely find it (not a problem last week), hence she could not do what I was hoping she'd do in order to kick start labor. You women who've had kids know what I'm talking about. I won't spell it out and completely gross out the guys. Also, the baby has, since the last appointment, flipped to now be facing the wrong way.. He's head down, but sunny side up, which apparently makes labor more painful and take longer. Awesome. So I've been given orders to spend lots of time on my hands and knees to try to get him to flip and to squat as low as I can for as long as I can to try to get him to move down (since apparently gravity doesn't affect him and he's moving higher up into my ribs). I'll do it. I'll do whatever it takes to get this child out of me. I've already been trying all the tricks in the book, but all to no avail. What are a few extra body contortions if it'll help speed things along? At this point I'd stand on my head or swallow the grossest medicines if they'd help me go into labor. I'm not even scared of the pain at this point. I might even weep tears of joy when labor finally does start because that'll mean I'm almost done and I can meet my new son (whose name is still up in the air) and finally have my body back to myself.

I love my children more than anything, and being pregnant is undoubtedly worth the reward in the end. But - for me, it's more like the necessary evil you have to deal with in order to get the wonderful reward you want. YES, it's totally and completely, 110% worth it, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. Too bad there isn't really such thing as a stork.... :)

On the plus side, Mister couldn't be more excited for his baby brother's arrival. He asks me every single day if today is the day the baby will come out and seems disappointed every night when nothing has happened. He's very interested in my breast pump and how it works. He's very interested in how the baby is in water right now. He saw the fresh stretch marks (lovely) on my belly and asked what they were. I told him they were little tears in the skin from the baby getting so big. It totally freaked him out and he started crying thinking that the baby was hurting me and tearing my skin. He thought it meant that the baby was going to explode out the front of my belly. I managed to convince him that my stomach wasn't going to explode without having to go into the details of how the baby is really going to come out. I don't even want to go there with him. But it's nice to know that he's so excited for his little brother to come. He loves to talk to my belly and lay on it to feel him moving. I can't wait to see how loving he is when he finally comes.

So that's where we're at right now. No baby, no signs that he'll be coming soon, and Christmas right around the corner. At first I was sad that he was due so close to Christmas, but the more I think about it, the more excited I am for him to be born at this time of year. It's the best time of the year, hands down. So festive, cheery, and all to celebrate the birth of our Savior. Now I can't think of a better time of year to be born. One thing is for sure, this baby will be so loved and doted on when he finally does make his entrance into the world. We are looking forward to meeting the newest addition to our little family.