As of this moment, the countdown to Baby is at 10 days. A week and a half and our Sweet Sarah will make her way into the world.
Of course, she's laying sideways, it's fricken hot outside causing me to sweat profusely, I can't wear shoes because my feet are too swollen, and my temper-fuse has been shortened by another six inches.
But other than that, I'm so excited to see this baby. I can't help but think of Emma, Abby, Matthew, and Millie as they all came into the world. I've decided that the day the child is born indicates what the child is going to be like.
Let me give you a few (four) examples....
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| Emma |
Emma was born six days late. I was anxious for her to come, but a little relieved she didn't show up in the middle of the blizzard that hit us four days after her due date. I was so worried about the road conditions, so I begged Josh to stay home with me the day after the blizzard. We lived in the mountains, around 9000 feet in elevation on back roads behind Pikes Peak, so you can understand why I was a bit paranoid about the whole road-conditions-thing. However, April 12th came and we lazily laid in bed talking about our OB appointment scheduled for that afternoon. We were going to need to decide what day we wanted to schedule an induction since I was so late. We both fell back asleep... until my water broke. Josh and I went outside to get in the car when we realized that it was still buried from the blizzard two days ago. I laughed as I held my knees together, trying to keep my broken water from making a huge mess so I could help dig the car out of the snow. Luckily, a neighbor heard of our plight, took pity, and plowed the driveway for us. Nine hours later, Emma graced us with her presence.
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| Emma and me |
How does this equate to Emma today? The girl has no problem being late. To anything. The day we left for Vegas to see Phantom of the Opera, she slept until it was nearly time for us to be out the door. She loves the snow and the mountains. It seems to take her forever to get things done, but she does them and she does them well.
Abby, however, was a different story.
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| Abby |
On her due date (at 3am) my water broke. Josh was at work so I called him to come home and take me to the hospital. We lived in the same mountainous area, but a little further from the hospital. I was a little worried when Josh came home and took a shower before driving me down the mountain. We got to the Springs and I was already dilated to a 5. Things progressed fairly quickly over the next few hours until 10am when they just stopped. My OB was called to assist in a c-section and since I wasn't going anywhere he went to help. Suddenly, Abby was coming. She was coming and there was no stopping her. We called for the nurse who called for the doc, but he was still in the OR. Instead, she grabbed some kid from the hallway and put gloves on him. I swear he looked like a kid, maybe he was an intern. Or maybe a kid. I don't know. He didn't even get a chance to put his fingers in the glove properly before he began trying to keep Abby from falling out and onto the floor. Everyone kept yelling for me to not push. Hello? Have you ever had a baby insist on being born before? There was no stopping her! Their pleas of, "Don't push, don't push!" were answered with my response of, "I can't help it, I can't help it!" Luckily, my doctor did make it just in time to catch her.
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| Abby and me |
And that was Abby.
And it still is Abby. She's up on time every morning. I don't think she knows how to sleep in. She can be ready for anything on a moment's notice. But more apparent and obvious is Abby's, how should I say it?, insistence on doing things the way she believes they should be done. Obstinate, some might say. Not me, of course, but other people might.
Matt was yet again a different story.
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| Matt |
I was induced a week earlier to ensure he'd be born in Denver where his cardiologist could have immediate access to him after birth. But the cord was wrapped around his body and every contraction strangled him. I was rushed into an emergency c-section. Unfortunately, the cord was so tight the doctor couldn't cut it, so he stuffed Matt back inside, turned him around to loosen the cord, and pulled him out a second time. Matt was flat-lined and the OB handed him off to the NICU team saying, "Jump start this baby." It took a while but Matt recovered and went on to spend 16 days in the NICU, undergoing two heart procedures to begin addressing his heart problems.
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| Matt and me (this was the closest I could be to him the first time I really got to see him) |
Today, Matt has undergone more stress and fearful conditions than anyone else in our family, but he takes them in stride. He hangs in there. He does what needs to be done, but happily accepts the help of others around him. He's sweet and laid back, regardless of the conditions around him which has its good and bad points.
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| Millie |
Millie was a planned c-section. I waddled down the hallway and hopped up on the bed in the OR. Within a few minutes of medications all in place and Josh entering the OR, Millie was born and all was well. No drama. No blizzards, no boy-doctors from the hallway, no blood transfusions for me (Matt's birth was harrowing for him AND me). Just a baby being born three days before Christmas on a day in Montana where the high temperature for the day was -5*.
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| Millie and me |
Like her brother, Millie's a bit laid back. She has no real concerns, even though she is only 3. She will happily sit still and snuggle with me, dance around and sing, or color and draw pictures for hours. Singing calms the soul, and Millie loves to sing.
This all makes me wonder: how will Birth Day go for Sarah? Will we be able to gauge this little girl's personality on the hour(s) involved in her birth? Hmm... I guess we'll see in ten days.
