Goodbye 2011

December 31, 2011 and no sign of our son. It looks like we won't be "three" in 2011. Our little guy is officially LATE.

He most definitely takes after his dad. But that's okay. His dad has some pretty great qualities...so if he only makes an appearance after Jan 1st, if he is healthy and the delivery is without complications, we are content to wait as long as need be.

Where is the baby?

He hasn't come yet. Today is the due date. Or one of them anyway. We actually have two due dates. The 27th and the 29th. We really hoped to have our little son by Christmas, but he's got plans of his own and just wasn't ready to make his grand entrance to the world.

Already he's going to beat to his own drum. Definitely my son.

So we wait. That's ok. He can come when he is good and cooked, as long as he's safe and healthy.

I, of course, am going bonkers in anticipation waiting to meet him. But I must be patient.

We see the doctor again today - and hopefully she's able to help things along someway....

6 days?

What...is that even possible? 6 days to go! This past Monday I thought we had reached our moment. I had contractions for about 5 or so hours that were in regular intervals...so I called the husband at work and just said "I'm monitoring this...maybe today is the day!"

Then I ate lunch and the baby calmed right down and the body stopped the 15 minute-interval contraction. And I felt quite disappointed. I thought for sure that I would be meeting our son. No such luck. So we wait. And wait.

Christmas is coming up fast and nothing would make me happier than to have our little family together on Christmas morning. I'm not sure I'll be so lucky. I've scoured the internet for natural ways to induce labour and this is what they've said:

• Pineapple - easy enough, but apparently it has to be "fresh"....I hate cutting pineapple...so nix that.
• Walking - trying that, although some sites say that it helps progress labour once you've started, not that it actually starts labour. But I've walked. Not hours on end, but daily walks. So far, nothing!
• Sex - really? Seriously. I look and feel like a beached whale. Plus, it didn't work. Not wanting to try that again. Ugh. 
• Nipple Stimulation - this is weird. Apparently if you do it for like 7 hours you can cause your uterus to contract. Too funny. And so not happening.
• Castor Oil - acts like the most effective and major laxative ever and because of all that "cleansing", you can trigger your contractions. Not really deemed safe as it can cause fetal distress and/or cause the baby to have meconium during labour which is never a good idea. Some midwives and docs swear by it and others area adamantly against it. It sounds gross.
• Spicy food - I like spicy food and have eaten some but again - nothing is happening. 

So there we have it. I can walk. Big deal. It's not working. I thought based on my size and all that this baby would come early....short folks are known to deliver early, and I am definitely of the "short" size category....at barely 5ft I held out hop he'd need to make an early exit.

And today is another day. Another day of waiting.

I dispise waiting!

Come on baby. We're all anxiously waiting to meet you.

The Final Countdown

Now more than just one of the best hair-metal anthems of all-time...

The calendar says there are just 10 days to go, though it's really feeling all like a blur at this point. Having finished my Christmas shopping today I should be taking a deep breath content in the knowledge that my pre-Christmas work is essentially done. Truth be told, it's just starting!

I do believe that nearly the finishing touches for the nursery have been made. Mobile = suspended. Artwork = hung (and a great job done on them by K!). Wall name = mounted (pictures of that will have to wait until after he's born). And all the baby paraphernalia - stroller, swing, playard, etc, etc - have been assembled and are ready to roll.

On a side note, who knew that the folks that inspect car seats would have an objection to a pair of scissors being left (blade forward no less) next to the back headrest pointed at the car seat? Such nitpickers.

Anyway, it feels like we've got everything in place now, except the little man himself. So when we look around I think we end up saying to ourselves "well our part is done, so you better hurry up and show up soon!". But I've been told that they tend to have a schedule unto themselves!

And speaking of schedules, the first casualty in the birth pool has been Nanny. Kathy gambled on an early date and took Dec. 15th as her grandson's birthday. Come and gone. Up next is Mommy with the 19th, then Daddy with the 20th and Pappy with the 21st. Seems like her side all guessed early. Nanny Stringer tonight informed me that she's taking New Year's Eve, but we all hope she's wrong! And since K always says I'm late for everything and she's normally early, I guess this will be the first indication as to who our son takes after.. early or late!

All that said, I really just want to meet him. It's all been well and good for 8 months, and I think K would say I've been overly laissez-faire about everything. Which, from her perspective, I can understand; I'm not the most reactive fellow. But now things are really gearing up and I can honestly say that the excitement has truly hit home. It was always there, but of course we men don't experience everything the same first-hand way that our wives do. Now, however, it's full on. The bags are packed, the work road-trips are over, and I'm ready for the call. Let's do this!

Christmas Hope!

Well, we're almost at 38 weeks. And I am wishing and hoping that our son makes an appearance soon. Christmas is my favourite holiday season, everyone is always so happy and the world seems so full of hope and cheer. And I would just love, love to celebrate Christmas with my husband and son and rest of the family.

It would make this Christmas extra special. Unfortunately, babies come on their own schedule, or so I've been told. And it's highly unlikely my doctor would do an elective induction just because I'd like that for Christmas! Not exactly a good enough reason. So, I am walking. And apparently I need to start eating pineapple. That's what I've been told. Some mothers have suggested castor oil and when I made that joke to my doctor she laughed and told me horror stories about patients of hers that have done that. She was adamant that it was a horrible way to go into labour and that it rarely worked, but if by some small chance it did, it would essentially feel like death. But I noticed that she didn't say "don't do it", she just said "I certainly wouldn't ever suggest doing it".

So maybe if by the 20th or 21st this little guy hasn't come yet, I might be tempted....just to get him home for Christmas. Yep, I guess that makes me one selfish mamma!

I've been feeling some contractions, but nothing that says that it's go-time. It happens maybe once or twice a day and then I go back to my regular old pregnant self.

And I sure am tired of it.

Baby watch!

I have officially been on vacation from work for the last three days. I'm already bored. I'm exhausted. But bored. I'm definitely ready to meet this guy. This week has us finishing our 37th week. The little guy can come any time now and be considered by all accounts "full-term". Which is the exact point I wanted to get to. Working in a hospital you can always tell when a baby is born before "37 weeks". As a 'just in case', they have to have some specialists on hand in case help is needed. You wouldn't think much happens from 36 weeks to 37, but let me tell you from the hospital intercom, apparently a lot can happen!

I see the doc again on Thursday and I'm sure I'll continue to get that more anxious. It seems that this has been the longest 37 weeks of my life, and now I am stunned that we're already at 37 weeks! And is this guy ever loved. I've been the lucky gal of not one, but three baby showers. We have everything we need or could want and our son is starting his life on the right foot.

Interestingly it was a lot harder to leave work than I thought. It was a bittersweet day. While I was ready for a break and time off to get the house in order and get as much rest as I can because everyone keeps telling me I'll need it! But it feels weird to leave such a huge piece of me behind. Work has been such a big part of my life and while I'm moving on to a new "job" for the next year, I am going to miss going in every day and doing what I do. Although, this could all change the day we bring baby boy home.

The husband and I are getting antsy and we are crossing our fingers that he comes soon and healthy with all this toes and fingers.We are definitely on baby watch. 37

I just can't wait to meet him!