Forecast

Here's what the weather forecast looks like for today:
A slight chance of light rain through 10 am...then rain likely during the morning...then rain through 4 pm...then rain and snow.
Verbatim, from the NOAA site.

I finished work last week, and boy, am I glad. This baby has moved farther down, making it harder to walk, sit, stand...basically do anything comfortably aside from lie on my side. A good sign, I know, but jeez, a bit much! Can't wait until her head is in my pelvis...that should feel great!

The baby forecast, according to my "due date" (which we should really come up with another name for, like "estimated date of arrival" or "maybe date"), is December 18...my obstetrician doesn't want me to go beyond December 11 (due to a slightly increased risk of fetal mortality in gestational diabetic moms that go to term), which my midwife thinks may be a little to overly cautious...my doula thinks closer to December 7, which would be fine with me. I don't really have a strong sense, other than that this baby is on her way, and I doubt she'll wait past the 11th.

It's her call, and we'll just have to see!

Thankfully my parents will be here toward the end of this week, so I'll have more support (and pampering) for a few days before labor begins.

Thankful

For this past Wednesday being my last day at work for six months.
For this heavy, medicine-ball-in-the-lower-abdomen feeling being temporary.
For having loving, capable friends to surround me in the delivery room.
For having loving, capable friends to surround me after we get home.
For a husband/partner/best friend/soulmate to cheer me up, cheer me on, keep me laughing, cook and clean, and offer so many strengths not only to me, but to our child on the way.
For family, so eager with anticipation, ready to pitch in and help in between rounds of holding and staring in awe at a baby.
For Kegel exercises, birth balls, Boppy pillows, slings, car seats, tiny socks, diaper services, books, helpful Web sites, and stuffed animals.
For getting the opportunity to do this, the most common and the most miraculous of undertakings.

An Orange Present

My coworker, friend, and all around neat person Cheri Reiman gave me the cutest baby gift - a hand-dyed onesie:


Here's Cheri at her stall at the Ann Arbor Artisan Market:

Cute stuff, eh?
The Artisan Market is full of lovely treasures, hand-made by local artisans. Visit the Web site: artisanmarket.org



Get in touch with Cheri at cheririeman@hotmail.com; her "support local" shirts are especially cool!

Thanks, Cheri!

Special!

I found out really good news - my midwife can attend my birth!

After all that worry and stress, and then letting go of the idea of having a midwife present, things have finally aligned the way I wanted them to begin with.

I say "special" because when I saw her over at the hospital, she came up to me and said, "Good news - I can special for you!"

To which I replied, "Sounds great, but I have no idea what that means!"

We had a good laugh.

Needless to say I'm much more relaxed, and less apprehensive about labor and birth.

Thank goodness I live in Ann Arbor and not some other place with less progressive views on co-managed care.

Yay!

Falling Back

Daylight savings time ends soon...time to fall back.
Remember trust falls from camp?
Surrendering to the process of letting go, both now with my health care and thinking ahead to labor!
I expected to go into the OB clinic and find some antiquated, intervention-happy OB with forceps sticking out of his back pocket. Boy, was I surprised to see a friendly young smiling fellow that I know through my local herd share (where we get fresh milk)!
Many fears evaporated.
The doc has already had a conversation with my midwife about how she can be involved at the birth. I've been attending twice weekly fetal monitoring sessions (which consist mostly of my relaxing and listening to the rhythmic pulsing of my daughter's heart) along with weekly ultrasounds, which are pretty fun to see. All part of being on oral insulin.
So glad to not have to manage injectible insulin and sharps!
And my stress level has come down considerably now that I've crossed the once-looming threshhold into "life without a midwife" which may not be completely without a midwife after all.
Falling back into feeling things are all okay, and feeling my excitement (and my belly) grow every day!