Birth Thoughts

Well, we are at the final stretch. The last week (or day or two?!) waiting for our newest one. I kind of feel like I am in the pre-labor twilight zone. I have had a terribly long pre-baby project list, and now, it's nearly complete. And I'm trying to rest, and wait. Which I am not very good at. If there is one thing I learned from having my first baby be a week "late," it's this: keep making plans and living life beyond your due date. Worse come to worse, you just have to cancel your plans (and most people are pretty understanding that having a baby is a good reason to cancel plans). It makes the waiting seem less like waiting.

But despite my plans and intentions, I still feel like I'm waiting...

Names are chosen.
Pantry is stocked.
The floors are swept & mopped.
Baby clothes and diapers are washed and waiting.
The birth pool is here.
My kitchen sink is empty and all the clean dishes are put away.
The playroom is organized so that the big brothers will have a fun place to play on these hot summer days.
My hair is washed.
And even my toe nails are painted!

Hopefully it won't be too much longer or it will all have to be done over again.

As far as physically, I do feel really pregnant. And I know that I am looking forward to not being pregnant anymore and being able to be more active. But really, for being at the end, I feel pretty positively about the pregnancy and while I have my aches and pains, it's not unbearable. But maybe that's just because I know it won't be much longer. I know I really won't be pregnant forever. I know that it goes oh, so fast, and I just might miss all of this.

Preparing for the birth:

I read this book.
I watched this film.
I read this lovely storybook to the big brothers. Many times.

I highly recommend all three. I can't believe that I waited until my third pregnancy to finally read "Birthing from Within". It might be my favorite book on natural childbirth.

A funny conversation with the biggest brother:
Dmitri is very convinced that the baby is a girl. Or, as he likes to say, "a gril". In the book "Welcome with Love," the big brother expresses that he wonders whether the baby will be a boy or girl, and that he is hoping for a brother. Dmitri says, "I'm hoping it's a sister." I respond, "But, it could be a boy and that would be okay too, right?" Dmitri says, "Well, that would be alright. Because if it's a boy, then there must actually be two babies and the other one is a girl."

He helped me make a bow for the baby's hat, just in case he is right. (And if he's not, we'll just take it off the safety pin).

I've mentioned preparing the homebirth supplies; well, I piled all of mine into the baby's crib (which is in the "birthing room" aka guest room). And this is what that looks like (except for the pool):

Sanitized towels and sheets. A hose for filling up the pool. My clothes for during labor and after. Baby clothes, diapers, hats. Receiving blankets. Trash bags. Lysol wipes. A flashlight. Drop cloths. Bowls. Various absorbant pads. Paper towels. Etc.

We are ready.