Only 19 days (or less!) until we meet baby!!! I’ve never been so impatient in my entire life. This last month, every little movement or feeling has had me asking myself, “Is it go time?!” But baby has been staying put and growing… and growing… and growing.
My original due date was September 19th, but baby is growing so big that the doctor thought it would be best to induce on September 12th. He’s measuring about three weeks ahead, which doesn’t mean he’ll actually be here three weeks early. It just means he’s getting to be a BIG BOY.
I’m not scared about giving birth. I’ve done it before, and with Chase being there, I know I’ll be okay no matter what happens. I’m just a little scared about giving birth to an 11-pound baby. Yikes!
Last week, I got a little scared because baby hadn’t been moving much one day. I called the doctor, and we headed to Aberdeen just to be safe. The first thing I did was call my Stateline aunties, and they came rushing over to watch the girls so we could go. I’m so very grateful for the friends my parents have made over the years. Without their help, I don’t know what we would do. I know mom would be so grateful for them being there for us. So thank you again dad, Aunt Kathy and Teresa. You mean so much to us.
We got to the hospital, and as soon as I got hooked up to the monitor, baby started going crazy. Thank goodness! The nurses were so nice and told me to stop apologizing for the incontinence. Apparently, they have plenty of moms come in for a check just to make sure everything is okay. And that’s exactly what they want us to do!
So, I sit here and wait. And wait. And wait.
My brain has honestly been going crazy this last month, and I feel like I’ve put my husband through the ringer every day. Hormones are not for the weak. The littlest things will set me off, and he has been a champ through all of it. He deserves some kind of award, or at least a very long nap and a cold adult beverage.
Probably one of the hardest parts about this last month has been not being able to do the physical things I usually do. I had to stop my cleaning jobs for now because I’m hurting by the end of the day. That means less money coming in, and I have to constantly remind myself that I’m doing the biggest job anyone can do. But that still doesn’t stop a mom from feeling guilty.
We knew things were going to be tight until I can get back on my feet, but some days I just hate not being able to contribute financially to the family. Once again, I know I’m already doing a very big job, but society today doesn’t exactly make pregnancy guilt any easier.
I remember that my mom worked three jobs when she was pregnant with me so she could save money. She flipped pizzas really early in the morning before heading to her daycare job, and then cleaned a hospital at night. Wonder Woman. Moms didn’t get maternity leave back in the day, either. My aunt said she had to save two weeks’ worth of PTO just to take off for her first child, and that just rattles my brain.
But us moms do what we have to do so we can keep moving forward for our families. I might not get six weeks off, but I sure want to enjoy those first two weeks without the stress of money or chores when baby gets here.
This Wednesday is our last ultrasound, and I couldn’t be more excited. I’m hoping they just tell me I’m not going anywhere and send me straight up to Labor & Delivery so I don’t have to drive back to Aberdeen. Probably won’t happen, but a girl can dream, right?
Anyways, we’re all so excited to meet baby boy. And honestly, I’m pretty excited to be able to put my shoes on again without help. I keep thinking about the moment when the girls come to the hospital and get to hold their baby brother for the first time.
The home stretch is here, and we cannot wait to meet this big boy!
