Still here...

...still pregnant....but feeling more ready....

or as ready as I'm gonna feel to welcome our new girl....

It's not that I've gotten a lick of anything done in the last few days to make me feel "more prepared", but I feel like our schedule is now clear enough that it's "ok" to go into labor now. I know that sounds crazy, like a baby is actually gonna come now that "I'm ready and our schedule looks better"...but so be it...that's how I feel. That being said I'll probably still be very pg on Tuesday and really getting nervous about that induction on Wed. a.m. Ugh...what to do about that?? I'm leaning toward canceling it and waiting a few more days...like til next Monday...but is that totally crazy as I could still be pregnant then and just going in for a later induction? I just don't think 2 days past my due date is enough time to go into labor on my own. Remember with Dylan I was 3 days over....and I just figured with this one I'd go at least 3 days over if not more....

So, here I sit...getting bigger by the day, still uncomfortable and still very exhausted. Not that any of that is gonna change post-partum...I'm sure I'll be in more pain and more exhausted, but at least the fruits of my labor will laying in my arms and I will have some back-up help (aka daddy and Nina). But, honestly I'm doing ok. I am in some ways glad to still be pregnant and glad that I've been able to take part in the kid's busy activities (did I mention that Hailey is going to be a model in an American Girl fashion show in a few weeks...we raced to Indy yesterday so she could "try-out" and she made it...phew! :)). So, that was the "one last thing" on the schedule that I wanted to be around for. Of course now I'm hoping to go into labor today or tomorrow so that Kev's parents can meet the baby before they leave on vacation on Tuesday...but I'm thinking they're probably gonna miss the big event unless by some miracle I happen to go into hard labor soon....so that's a bit of a bummer.....and all that weighs on my mind as I consider this induction coming up. Sure a baby on Wed. would be great...that would mean I'd be home by Friday most likely and then we'd have a nice weekend together as a family. But, then the scarred past induction of Hailey creeps into my head and I get sick to my stomach thinking about 40+ hours of terrible pain and exhaustion. I guess I'm just in "doubt mode" and not knowing what to do and what is best for the baby.....so for now I'm just waiting...waiting for some sign....praying that I know what decision is best....

But, I am as ready as I'm gonna be, I suppose...and tomorrow is "due date" so we'll see if that matches up with "delivery date" :) For now the "hicks" are still pretty consistent and my sleep is pretty horrible (i.e. Kev had to help me turn over from my back to my side the other night cuz I could not do it myself...is that pathetic or what?!). And last night I slept from 8pm to about 7am....crazy! But, I've given into the exhaustion and it's been great to have Nina here so I don't feel so guilty about neglecting the kids and crawling into bed....

Anyway...with that I wanted to send a congratularory shout-out to my "once fellow prego pal", Amanda in MI. She went and beat me in the delivery day race and had her baby girl yesterday. Tessa Elizabeth is the cutest lil' thing...I just saw pics of her and she is truly adorable just like her mama and big sis :) I'm going on memory, but I think she was a nice, normal size (7lbs, 14oz; 20in)...I hope I get that lucky and don't have a sumo wrestler size baby like Dylan was! :) But, big CONGRATS and hugs to Jared and Amanda and the 3 big brothers and big sister! I have to say the look on the big sister's face as she held her lil' sister was priceless! There is nothing like that sister bond (not that I'd know personally)...but Big Sis Annaliese sure looked happy! :) So, welcome Baby Tess and a big "YAY, you did it!" to Amanda! I'm so glad she beat me in the race to the delivery room and so excited she welcomed another daughter to her family! I'm so happy for you, my friend! Now if you could just pass the torch to me (like today or tomorrow....)...that'd be super great! :)

Anyway....I'll keep ya'll posted on this lil' bambino of ours....I have no idea on my intentions to blog once I'm in labor and off to the hospital. There's been talk about Nina taking over to give updates, but I think it all depends on time of day, etc. But, I'll keep ya' as posted as I can.....and you can probably rest well tonight knowing I'm still resting in my own bed too with a big ol' baby belly still attached :) And you can be rest-assured that tomorrow will bring about some major walking/jogging/running, eating spicy food, any doing any other ol' wives' tales that might bring some real labor on! Any suggestions in that area would be welcomed too! I was planning on doing some walking today, but the remnants of Ike came our way and it was too windy to even stand outside much less walk so instead we spent the day in our powerless home :) Hopefully tomorrow will be a nicer day for bringing labor on....