Friday, January 21, 2011

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.

24 comments:

  1. Refresh.
    Refresh.
    Refresh.
    Refresh.
    Refresh.
    Refresh.
    Refresh.

    ReplyDelete
  2. My son's birthday is today!! Jan. 21 is a GREAT day to have a baby boy :) Good luck!!


    -JMH

    ReplyDelete
  3. I've got a little over 5 weeks left myself - and I'm already getting impatient. I've had a pretty easy pregnancy too and it does me good to see how calm you seem to be even past your actual due date. I'm not sure I'll still be functioning at that point! You're doing great - I'm trying to learn from you!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I am so stinking EXCITED, which I know I've said to you approximately EVERY comment for the past 2 months. But still, SO EXCITED. I can't wait to see how your adventure of meeting your son unfolds. All babies are wonderful and special, but there is something magical about that FIRST one.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thinking of you and Piglet and hoping that when Piglet decides it's time, it's a safe and easy birth!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Ahhhhh, can't wait for Piglet to finally get here! :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'll be thinking of you this weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Glad you're patiently enjoying the wait.

    Best wishes to you all!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I've been loving your whole positive, happy attitude during this whole pregnancy. Hurry up, Piglet - we all want to meet you!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I think it might be possible that you are more patient than I am about your baby making his appearance. :)
    He'll get here when he's good and ready and I can't wait to "meet" him.

    ReplyDelete
  11. You should enjoy the sleep while you can. :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. No matter what you WIN at this game =)

    ReplyDelete
  13. My baby who just turned 21 on Monday (1/17) was due on 1/3/90. It's not all bad having them late because they come out big and mine slept through the night at 8 days old. Hang in there!

    liz

    ReplyDelete
  14. But things can CHANGE so QUICKLY!! from nothing to OH! OH MY! WAS THAT A CONTRACTION!

    Just sayin'. I'm still refreshing non-stop.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Sending you happy birthin' vibes! Go Piglet! Go Jess!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I'm totally stalking to see if he's here yet! off to follow you on twitter ;)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Oh congrats what an exciting time. Will your parents come out after he's born so that you have a little help? I hope so!

    DM

    ReplyDelete
  18. The not knowing was the hardest part for me. It wasn't that I was so over being pregnant, it was that the baby could come at any time and it drove me crazy. I think the last few weeks of pregnancy would have been much more tolerable if I could have had a specific date in mind. Once my OB scheduled my inductions, I felt like I could breathe again.

    ReplyDelete
  19. This is EXACTLY how I felt at the end of my first pregnancy. I've been remembering it since reading your last post - the way the feeling no urgency whatsoever changed into finding it incredibly difficult to wait, with maybe a 24-hour turnover between those two states. With my second it was much worse - the desperately impatience began around week 38 (and the baby still came 6 days late!).

    ReplyDelete
  20. Go Piglet go! Thinking of you this weekend- glad you are still comfortable!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Well!?!? Is he here? :-)

    -Alicia (SD)

    ReplyDelete
  22. I'm with Alicia! Is he here? No twitter updates in over 36 hours!

    ReplyDelete