Waiting for Baby

Just 4 more days till the baby's due date!  I never thought I'd say this but, I'm ready!  Isabelle was a week early, which was great timing since I had just finished my last cake orders, cleaned the bakement....pretty much had all my ducks in a row, but didn't have to wait and wonder.  This time around I've prepared myself for an early arrival, and between the possibility of an early c-section and the fact that we changed my official due date only a few months ago from the 1st to the 8th (for various reasons), I can definitely say that I am now playing the waiting game. 

I have fantasized about having a week of nothing on the calendar, time to nap and relax, and maybe even checking some things off my long-term to-do list (mostly business marketing and organization).  I remember thinking, wow, wouldn't it be nice for the baby to wait till the due date (or a bit later) to allow me to just sit back and chill for once in my life?  Maybe to even feel the "b" word?  The word I've dreamed about feeling one day in my own house....bored!  I can't say that's come yet, but I will admit I'm starting to get a little impatient.
 

Over the weekend we had a "pump fake"...I was up all Friday night with irregular contractions that reminded me of the early stages of labor with Izzy and was convinced we'd be heading to the hospital.  Bags were packed, and I got dressed at 4 am and started doing house chores to help pass the time!  But intervals didn't shorten and nothing got regular so by Saturday morning I decided it was definitely false labor.  Since then I've had more cramping and discomfort than I remember having with Isabelle.  I think this little baby just likes to keep us on our toes! 

 

At this point I am completely clueless about when and how the little one will arrive.  I still have no hunch on the sex of the baby, but I do think it's going to be a tad bigger than my nicely sized 6 lb 14 oz Isabelle.  And one thing we do know...the baby has a head full of hair!  According to the ultrasound technician, it's got some long hair, just "flowing in the fluid," as seen on the scan last week.  We think this is hilarious since none of our families have hair headed babies!!!  Who in the world is this little acrobatic, hairy baby that we are going to meet in a matter of days?!
 

39 weeks

 Last week we got out the Christmas decorations.  Now I know why families with young children start this process 5 minutes after Thanksgiving.  Isabelle has had more fun decorating, singing Christmas songs ("tinker bell, tinker bell"), and looking out for lights in our neighbors' yard. 

 

Unpacking decorations was better than opening birthday presents!

 Then we got our Christmas tree.  The tree lot seemed to be more fun for Isabelle than any amusement park we could dream up. She ran through the maze of fragrant trees, screaming and laughing, then cried when it was time to go. 

 When it came time to decorate the tree, Isabelle was a huge help. 

 I surprised Izzy with her very own sparkly tree that we set up in her room.  It's more fun to decorate while dressed as a "princess fairy."

 I have been treating every day like my last one to spoil my firstborn.  I am anticipating that I might not be able to take Isabelle out on very many fun Christmas excursions this year, so on Saturday morning we decided to take a "train ride" (light rail) uptown to see the singing bears in Founders Hall.  Cici and Granddaddy came along and it was a great morning despite our lack of sleep the night before!

 



 

 

Then we went up to Granddaddy's office, at the top of the Hearst Tower.  Very cool.  Running through the empty offices was maybe as much fun as running through a tree lot. 

My pre-baby to-do list is getting smaller and smaller. 

Christmas decorations?  Check.

Wrapped presents?  Pretty much check.  Although I won't be putting them under the tree till Christmas Eve since I know a sneaky little elf in our house who would love to unwrap them!

 

New car?  Check!  I still do a double take when I look out at our driveway.  It's got lots of bells and whistles that I'm still learning about, but we are LOVING it!

Baby nursery all set?  Check.  (pink "add ons" might or might not be removed)

 

Now all I need is patience.  I need to sit still and enjoy quiet moments....much like the owl who visited our backyard on Sunday afternoon. 

 

"A wise old owl sat on an oak;

The more he saw the less he spoke;

The less he spoke the more he heard;

Why aren't we like that wise old bird?"