On the Eve of Something New

I went to work yesterday trying to be tough. I was determined to at least give it a shot. I made it half of the day before I had to go home. I just felt too run-down and too miserable to try to traipse up and down the halls to see my kids for therapy. I came home and slept like a log most of the afternoon. When Rudy got home, I told him that I thought yesterday was the official beginning of my maternity leave. I was disappointed and frustrated not to be able to work right up to delivery like I did with Caleb, but then reminded myself over and over that I'm 4 years older now and have a more strenuous job. I came to terms with the idea of not being able to go back to work and having to give up some of my days with Nola on the front end of my leave.

I didn't even try to go to work today. I actually called yesterday and had my OB appointment rescheduled for the morning because there was no point in waiting until 3:45. So, this morning Caleb crawled in bed with me and just as I was about to get up and get in the shower, he asked me to snuggle with him - and I did. We snuggled for a while watching cartoons until he started to get a little rambunctious and the snuggling was over. He played while I got showered and dressed and then I took him to school. I stopped at Einstein's for a bagel and hot chocolate, then went to my appointment.

When Megan, Dr. Ford's nurse, came in to the room, she asked me how I was doing. I just laid it all out there. I told her about my frustration with not being able to work, my headaches, the floaters in my vision and my extreme level of exhaustion. I also confessed that I was really nervous about the winter weather that's expected for our area later this week and that if I went into labor during all of that, my parents wouldn't be able to get here to help take care of Caleb. She listened intently, took my blood pressure (which was good for a change) and went to talk to Dr. Ford. I waited and waited for Dr. Ford to come in and when she did, I spilled it all out for her again. She was very concerned about my headaches and vision problems and we also discussed the concern about the weather. She was so understanding and reassuring and really listened to what I had to say. She then did a pelvic exam, determining that I'm actually 3 cms dilated and said, "Let's make a game plan." She weighed all of the options and then said that with everything considered, she thought it would be a good idea to induce me tomorrow morning. I was somewhat shocked, but very relieved! This means that I don't have a wait and wonder anymore. I don't have to watch the weather and worry about the potential snow and ice accumulation that could stand between me and the hospital and between my parents and here. (Seriously, the weather guys are calling for anything from 2-10 inches of ice and snow!) She did want me to repeat the bloodwork that was done on Thursday night at the hospital, so she sent me to the lab and told me to wait for a call from her office to let me know when to report to the hospital tomorrow morning.

I left the office with mixed emotions:

• Holy Cow! I'm having a baby TOMORROW!
• Woo Hoo and Yay! I'm having a baby tomorrow!
• Oh, thank goodness, I'm having a baby tomorrow.
• Um...yikes. I'm having a baby tomorrow?!?

I called Rudy as soon as the bloodwork was done and told him the good news. He was so relieved and I could hear the excitement in his voice, which made me very happy. After I called him, I called Mom and told her. She and Mr. L. kicked into high gear and started getting ready to head this way. I texted several of my close friends and told them the good news. Immediately, my phone started buzzing and dinging and everyone was so excited for us. (I'm still not sure how much of the excitement is because we're having a baby and how much of the excitement is because people are tired of me complaining about being pregnant. Either way - we are all excited and I admit that I'm excited for both reasons.)

When I left the doctor's office, I headed straight for my hair salon. I managed to get an appointment for this afternoon, then came home to eat some lunch and take care of a couple of things before going back to the salon. I sent an e-mail to my co-workers letting them know the good news and thanking them for their prayers and support over the past few weeks and months. I got some very sweet e-mails in return and I will print those for Nola's baby book. I've also gotten lots of wonderful comments and messages on Facebook today. I'm going to try to find a way to preserve those too. The words of kindness from our friends and family are just too precious to let them slip away in time.

As soon as it was time for my appointment, I went to the salon to get my hair cut and colored and my eyebrows waxed. Feeling so much better after having that done, I decided to go one step further and went to get a pedicure. I decided that if my feet are going to be in the stirrups, I might as well have pretty toes. I chose a color called "Girls Just Want to Have Fun." I thought it was appropriate for the occasion!

After my pedicure, I came home and started some laundry just in time for Caleb and Rudy to get home. Rudy hadn't yet told Caleb the big news, so we sat down together with him and told him:

• Me: Caleb, do you know who is coming to see us tonight?
• Caleb: No. What?
• Me: LaLa and Pops are on their way here.
• Caleb: (completely freaking out, dancing and shrieking) YayYayYay!!!!
• Me: Caleb, do you know who is coming to see us tomorrow?
• Caleb: No. What? (still distracted by the idea of LaLa and Pops coming)
• Me: Nola. Nola is coming to meet us tomorrow. Mama and Daddy are going to go to the hospital for Nola to be born tomorrow.
• Caleb: When LaLa and Pops gonna get here?
• Me: Soon. After dinner. Did you hear me say that Nola is coming tomorrow.
• Caleb: Yep. I so excited! LaLa and Pops coming!
• Me: Yeah...me too. :)

So, maybe he doesn't really understand that his sister is coming tomorrow. He certainly doesn't understand that tonight was his last night as an only child. He just knows that LaLa and Pops are here and he's the center of the universe right this minute as he sleeps in his bed between them. He had a blast playing with Pops tonight and has already cracked them up with his sense of humor and entertainment.

Rudy, Caleb and I went to dinner at Carrabba's tonight and it was delicious as always. It was our last time to go to dinner as a "party of 3." Shortly after we got home, Mom and Mr. L. got here. I found myself scurrying around the house, not really sure what to do with myself. I couldn't figure out what needed to be done the most and what didn't need to be done at all. My mind can't quite settle on any one thing for more than a minute. I managed to get a few things done and figured out a game plan for tomorrow morning. Mom and Mr. L. are going to take Caleb to school to keep him in routine and then pick him up when we call them to say it's almost time for Nola to be born. After finally wrangling Caleb into bed and getting him calm, they have all gone to sleep. Rudy took a benadryl to make sure he gets a good night of sleep. And here I sit at 10:30...my mind still racing and my eyes wide open. I know I need to go to bed. I have to get up at 4:30 for crying out loud! I'm going to give it a shot. I'm not counting on a very restful night, though. Of course, it will be a while before I get another good night of sleep. I'm totally okay with that.

My baby girl will be here tomorrow.