Thoroughly Discouraged

Wednesday is no go. Apparently you need to be 41 weeks if you are a first time mom before they will induce you. Real nice......

Wednesday?

Well..so much for Monday. I just got back from my appointment and sadly, they weren't able to strip my membranes. The nurse practitioner couldn't reach my cervix enough to do it. My body is turning against me, I think. But I spoke to her about induction and I may be able to be induced Wednesday. She needed to talk to the doctor on call to be sure, but she thought I'd do well because my cervix is so thin. So, she said not to make another appointment and she'd give me a call to let me know the final decision. If I can't be induced Wednesday then I'll just sit back and wait my turn I guess. In other news....Christmas was very nice. Kade and I enjoyed our last Christmas alone together. Since we had Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve with my family, we spent the whole day with Kade's family on Christmas. I wasn't feeling very well that day so I got pretty overwhelmed when the whole family showed up. But it was still nice to see everyone one last time (hopefully) before little guy comes. That is..if he ever comes. I finished the nursery completely today. It felt good to be done with it. One step closer. I hope that you all had very nice holidays. Enjoy the new year. We'll keep you posted on any developments...or lack thereof.

Monday...

Monday, Monday, Monday. That is my new mantra. The doctor agreed to strip my membranes Monday. MONDAY, MONDAY, MONDAY!! Oh friends, what good news that was to me. Now lets all cross our fingers that little Easton will cooperate with our plans and come to meet us all. I'm still sitting at one centimeter and 70% effaced. Thats okay. It's not zero. And it doesn't determine anything anyway. But his head is engaged and he's all ready to go. Now to get him here. That is the hard part I'm afraid. But either way, my due date is only 15 days away. AND you know what? It's Christmas Eve Eve so all is right in the world. I hope you all have wonderful holidays. Hopefully the next post is complete with photos of our new little man. OH PLEASE! MONDAY!!!!

One

Good news! I'm one centimeter dialated and 70% effaced. Wahoo! We're really getting there now. :) Kade and I are really ready. The baby showers are over. The nursery is ready. All we need is our little man. Oh dear...when will he come?

Mary

I've been thinking a lot today about the true meaning of Christmas, but more specifically, I've been thinking about Mary. I am so grateful for her example of motherhood. I can't imagine what it must have been like for her. She had to endure endless persecution for carrying a child that was not her husband's. She had to travel great distances on foot in the final days of her pregnancy. She had to endure the worry and grief it must have given her to be turned away when looking for a place to stay and birth her child. Never mind the immense pressure and responsibility put on her to carry and care for the Son of God. All these things she did. And of course the Lord rewarded her. She held and kissed and loved the infant Christ. What would it have been like to know that you held the Son of God in your arms and gazed into his eyes? To watch Him reach his first milestones? To know that our Heavenly Parents and Their Son depended upon you and your skills as a mother to give the Savior everything he would need to survive and succeed on this earth? She is an amazing woman. What an example she is to me! She must have lived her life greatly even before motherhood or the Lord would never have trusted her with such a great responsibility. I can't wait to hold my own infant son in my arms and understand the joy she felt that night in Bethlehem. I am honored that the Lord would trust Kade and I with one of His children. I doubt that I could measure up to Mary, but I will try my hardest to be the best mother I can for Easton. This Christmas, as we reflect on the birth of our Savior, don't forget to remember Mary and her profound sacrifices. Merry Christmas.

My pregnancy soapbox

I don't know if you are all watching the baby ticker still...but if you are you'll know that it says 34 days today. YIKES!!! Where has the year gone, my friends? Today we had an appointment and an ultrasound to check on our little guy's growth. Good news! He's just fine. He weighing in at almost six pounds already and measuring at 35 weeks 3 days. Yay! Go Easton! The funny part is that my belly is still measuring at 30 centimeters like last time. I should be at 35. No wonder my back hurts so badly. He's camped on my spine. I forgive him. I've decided that he is every bit as uncomfortable as I am. It can't be fun to be all squished up inside me either. He's still very, very active and has begun to drop. The drop has caused some unpleasant side-effects I never knew about. I've been very nauseated, dizzy, and my back feels like it's about to snap, but my doctor assured me that it's my body's natural reaction to the pressure. Anyhow, with that, I'm just going to take one second and get up on my box. I've been very offended lately by people who seem to think that it is their place to judge me or others who don't particularly enjoy pregnancy. I am very grateful to have been given this opportunity, even though it is not what I had anticipated it to be. Kade and I tried very hard for 9 months to get pregnant, and I do not regret our decision. I am extremely happy that Easton is growing inside of me, even when pregnancy is making me somewhat miserable. Pregnancy is different for every woman because we all have different bodies and builds. It obviously will be less enjoyable for some and more enjoyable for others. Even though I am hoping he will come a little early, it is not solely because I would like to have my body back. It is for many, many reasons. If you would like to find out those reasons, please feel free to ask before you make assumptions. And of course, I would never want him to come a minute early at the expense of his own health. I assure you that I am not that selfish. I would share my body with him for as long as he needed to be a healthy, normal baby. I don't think that there is anything wrong with not being in love with the whole experience of pregnancy. Good for you, if you are. That really is a blessing and a talent. But please, don't judge me and make me feel badly because I don't enjoy elastic pants, nausea, sore ribs, and swollen ankles. But I am grateful to the Lord for trusting me with such a responsibility, and despite what some think, I do thank Him daily for giving me such a miracle. I already love my son more than I can express and I can't wait to meet him. I already know he is one amazing little guy. I'm not ashamed to say that I would rather hold him in my arms than in my belly. Get over it.