The biggest highlight of this week of pregnancy was, of course, our trip to the North and the special moments that come from having Jeff's mother visit.
One day we were sitting at breakfast in our hotel dining room which, just like our room there, had a gorgeous view of the Falls; and baby boy #3 was jumping around like a crazy jumping bean. Jeff was sitting beside me and got to feel the vigorous movements, the most he has felt during this pregnancy. Usually when he puts his hand on my stomach, Baby quiets down immediately. We're hoping Jeff's hand continues to have that effect AFTER Baby is born! :) Anyway, it was fun to have Jeff experience some of the acrobatics our little guy is capable of.
The night before we came home, we stayed with my brother and his family in Pennsylvania; and in the middle of the night, I awoke with a strong "cramp," as I described it to Jeff at the time. The next morning, I used the word "contraction" when referring to it; and he said, "You said it was a CRAMP." Welllll...cramp...contraction...it's all really the same thing! Fortunately, I didn't have any more so there was no concern about pre-term labor; but man, oh man, it hurt--bad enough to make me rethink my desire for natural childbirth! :) I'm such a wimp--one bad contraction, and I'm ready for an epidural. That's why my birth plan is simple: stay at home as long as possible until I'm nearly full dilated (without mentioning to my parents that I'm actually in labor because they'll MAKE me go to the hospital!)....show up at the hospital and hopefully begin pushing soon after...throw myself into the arms and advice of the midwife and Jeff and do exactly what they tell me so I can survive because I know that at that stage, I'll be thinking (and probably saying), "I can't do this! I'm gonna die! In fact, let me die!" :) This was pretty much what happened during my labor with David...
My birth plan with Josiah was much more elaborate: I wanted to listen to my own music (CDs I had carefully selected weeks in advance), use a birthing ball, walk around as long as possible, avoid an episiotomy, have my back massaged with a wooden thing-y we brought, etc. As it turned out, almost all the items I thought I would use never even made it into the hospital from the car...and after I got all checked in to the hospital and decked out in regal hospital apparel, I tried to walk and barely made it to the doorway of my room before I decided I'd had enough. The thing that REALLY worked for me was a rocking chair; but when pushing was prolonged (and the epidural I had gotten at 9 and 1/2 centimeters dilated wore off), I was ready for them to cut me open any way they needed to: episiotomy, C-section, anything...and when time came for delivery and the doctor hadn't shown up, I was ready for the nurse--or Jeff--or the janitor--or the parking attendant--to catch the baby. The birth plan definitely went out the window! :)
On a more serious note, I'm really hitting the stage of pregnancy where I feel slightly selfish: completely enjoying the fact that I, and no other, have the privilege of carrying this child, feeling his movements, being his source of nourishment, having my entire being linked with his so literally that nothing divides us. I know after the birth, that will change...and I'll actually be glad that it changes! "Here, YOU take the baby and change his diaper. YOU soothe him when he awakes at night. YOU feed him this bottle of pumped milk." But for now, he's mine. And although I rejoice that Jeff is so involved and gets to feel Baby's movements, I also relish the fact that this Baby is MINE. I'm so enjoying this time that I feel like it's moving much too fast, and I wish I had more than three months left of this pregnancy. I'm not eager for Baby to be born because I don't want to lose that closeness. Around the beginning of January, you may politely remind me of this blog entry--and hide your grins, please, as I tell you then how I can't wait for labor to begin because I'm sick and tired of being pregnant. :) But for this stage, I'm eating it up...loving life...loving being a pregnant woman...loving my precious little son.
~ the skinny pic (in our hotel room at Niagara Falls)
~ the--what shall we say?--not-so-skinny pic! (a few feet from Niagara Falls)...it was unfair of me to post a picture yesterday of my mother-in-law in her raincoat at the Falls, and not similarly share one of myself :)...I really think I look like an elephant in this pic! :)
4 comments:
Natural childbirth, honey lemme tell ya, you are BRAVE! I have to admit it is amazing to see the two different sizes if your belly in the photos. That raincoat really makes a difference ;) I'm going to have to start paying more attention to what I wear!
It's so weird how babies do that when daddies put their hands on our bellies. Elon did the same thing. He'd be doing jumping jacks in there until Nathan put his had on my belly to feel him move. That seemed to be the only time Elon was ever still!
My mother tells that when she arrived at the hospital to deliver her second baby (me!) the contractions suddenly hit -- as they reached the front door she simply turned around and started walking down the street, muttering "I've changed my mind, I'm not doing this anymore!" She said she suddenly remembered the first time, and lost all semblance of sanity!
Still, they did manage to coax her in, and I was born in double-quick time.
It's a terrible few hours ... but then we have these little people with us for such a lovely long time.
I have to say, I'm STILL laughing! that pic is hilarious!
Love the post...I love how you share your heart so willingly. And I, too, go through "I love being pregnant...everyone notice that I'm pregnant please!!" to "Please don't look at me. don't talk to me...I want this child out yesterday. mkay?" ;)
IT's a good thing though...we NEED that resolve to move onto the next stage BEFORE we get to labor. It helps us push.
Christin,
Well said!
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