The waiting game

It's weird to go from wanting the baby to stay right where he is, please don't go anywhere, to suddenly getting to the point where you would actively like him to come out. I'm doing well with the whole patience thing, helped by the fact that I am still not uncomfortable physically. But I'm starting to really look forward to the part where we actually have a baby.

It's weird, how it changes. This entire pregnancy my goal has been for Piglet's birthday to be January 20-anything, and, well, today is January 21. We've hit our goal and so suddenly I've gone from assuming that I will not be in labor anytime soon to realizing that it could start at any point. Suddenly the idea that it could still be a week and a half before he's born makes me feel like a week and a half is a very long time.

And, once you've given yourself carte blanche to go into labor? You start noticing things like contractions, nausea, twinges. Things that have been going on during the entire pregnancy take on a whole new meaning once you're past your due date. So far, I've had no major labor signs, and the stuff that people say could or could not mean that labor will start soon? Well, for me that stuff has definitely fallen into the category of "not so much."

I am also THRILLED that I am past my due date. I've been wanting to go late, hoping to go late, wondering if I'd go late... and now I've gone late. This baby is officially overdue, as planned. And now it's all up to him when he's going to stop cooking and come on out.

(Plus, Torsten has an important business meeting this morning, and we've been wondering all week if he'd have to cancel it or not. Dear Piglet, thanks for letting your dad make it to this one. You are already showing yourself to be a very considerate little kid, and you aren't even here yet.)

This is a good exercise in patience for me. Sometimes I start thinking about what it will be like to finally meet this baby, hold him, see him, smell him, cuddle him, BE with him, and I feel overwhelmed with a surge of love and excitement and NOW NOW NOW I want this to happen NOW.

But for the most part I am doing well reminding myself that he will come when he's good and ready. There's no rush. I will NOT be pregnant forever, and in the grand scheme of things a few days more or less won't make a difference. So he can come when he wants.

And it seems that "when he wants" isn't "now." So just as a PSA, everyone can hold off on refreshing my Twitter stream and Facebook profile for at least another few hours. Just saying.