So Close, Yet So Far Away

These days, the emotions run the gamut between excitment and exhaustion. Here's why: We know we're close. Things are starting to happen with Leah's body that indicate that a birth is near. Kristi has decoded some of her feelings as "Yep, you're close!". Yet we look at the calendar, and we're at 34 weeks. Given a full 40-week schedule, we're still 6 weeks away. But they say anything at or after 37 weeks is full term, so we're 3 weeks away. But first timers are always late--at least, that's what they say. So while we're slowly but surely making final preparations and becoming overcome with the excitement of what's just around the corner, the reality kicks in a few seconds later and tells Leah that she's got several more sleepless nights and uncomfortable days ahead of her.

Would I want Nicholas to be born today, or tomorrow, or this weekend? I find myself asking that rhetorical question almost daily. I was 5 or 6 weeks early, so I'm assuming that right about this stage in my mom's pregnancy, I was born. I weighed only 5 lbs, 14 oz at birth. According to a typical 7 1/2 lb baby growth chart, this week Nicholas weighs 4 lbs, 12 oz. So in about 2 more weeks, he will probably weigh about what I did when I arrived at the soon-to-be-blown-up Baptist Hospital in March of '73. And I turned out arguably normal. : )

For the most part, I think we're ready. Emotionally, we're definitely ready. The nursery is pretty much ready--the crib is set, the quilt is hung, the Diaper Genie is in place. Film is bought and in the camera. Suitcase is pretty much packed. I'm sure we'll think of a million things to do on the way to the hospital ("Is the coffee pot still on? No, I think I turned it off....wait, never mind, we don't have a coffee pot!!).

Patience is a virtue.....and we're learning that daily.