Ticking Time Bomb

Hello last month of pregnancy, can we please come to a gentlewoman’s agreement?  I’ll try to take it easy, rest, and try not to bump things with my belly if you will ease up on my upper abdomen and allow me to go 30 minutes without having to urinate.  Deal?

If only it was that easy.  We are officially in the final stretch.  My best friend Grace described it last night as the top of the ninth inning (they are going to Boston/Fenway this weekend for their anniversary).  If this is the top of the ninth, who is winning?  I would say Hannah has a fair lead on me and I am not sure if the rally cap is going to make a difference at this point. 

The good news is that, for the most part, have all the things we need to bring the princess home,  Crib, Clothes, Diapers, Monitor, Car seat (installed even), and binkies (pacifiers).  Of course we have more than that, but we feel we have covered the essentials.  Clark said we don’t even need those.  He insists that he slept on a concrete slab for the first two years of his life and learned to communicate and scavenge for food as needed by the end of his first week of life.  He expects Hannah to do the same or at least become self-sufficient by the end of October at the latest.

Clark is still remaining relatively calm, however, some extra questions are starting to pop up, such as “where is that bag of stuff you want to take to the hospital with you?’, “should I pack a bag too?”  He is also getting some great advice from friends.  A work friend said he has already done his part and should be able to just work throughout the birth anyways.  Other advice I agree with a lot more is to “just say you are sorry and ask if there is anything you can do.”  This is advice that Clark has taken.  For the past couple nights, by the time we get home from work, I have been miserable and sometimes in tears briefly from being uncomfortable and yes, probably at the mercy of hormone fluctuations.  He has been great and has taken on all of the chores that I can no longer do.

It is comforting to know we are in the home stretch.  The fact that I could literally go into labor at any moment is a funny feeling.  I am trying to be more aware of the amount of gas in my car (I often let it get down to nothing, bad I know), we have a plan for Nixon while we are in the hospital, and lastly I am trying to make sure I can walk away whenever needed from work by working a transition plan with my colleague.  Mom and Dad let me know they are on “High Alert” for the entire month of September.  They are committing to nothing (even serving communion next Sunday).  As soon as we head to the hospital, they will make their way down south.  So we continue the T minus countdown and pray for the patience (and some relief) to get through these last couple of weeks.

Cheers,

Team McCarthy