The waiting game . . .

I have NO reason to be impatient for this baby, since Cora was 10 days late, but I have been.  Ever since I hit 37 weeks, there has been this sneaky little voice in the back of my brain that says, "You're considered full term now!  Any day!"  Yeah, right.  I'm about as dilated as I was when I went to the hospital with Cora (1cm)--and I was induced.  There is no reason that I should think I'm going to be early.  The doctor did do an early ultrasound, so this due date should be more accurate than Cora's, but that doesn't mean early.  I alternate between thinking this baby is just about to come, and worrying what I'm going to do if she's late.  My doctor doesn't want to go much past my due date, but I'd rather not be induced again.  I just need to stop trying to be in control of this process, because it is completely beyond my control.  One positive sign, though:  I had contractions for about 4 hours last Tuesday night.  We kept thinking maybe this was it, but they varied in spacing from 5-20 minutes apart and didn't get any stronger.  (Real labor contractions will become stronger and more regular over time.)  But at least my body is doing something.  That's comforting.  I don't remember many contractions from when I was pregnant with Cora, but Josh said I did have some.  It's funny what details he remembers that I don't, and vice versa.  I was kinda glad I wasn't actually in labor, because I had three events this past weekend that I didn't want to miss, one of which being my own baby shower.

I think we are ready for her to come, as far as logistics go.  The hospital bags are packed.  I ordered a double stroller and a new car seat today.  I kept the car seat that we used for Cora, which a friend had given us; however, when I took the cover off to wash it, Cora had a blast picking apart the styrofoam padding, so now we don't trust it.  We had debated getting a new one anyways, since one of the straps tended to loosen.  As luck would have it, Target.com is having a baby gear sale this very week, so we were able to get both the seat and the stroller for 15% off, plus we had gift cards.  The car seat can latch into the stroller, which I think will be very nice.

We have a babysitter for Cora, and plans for what to do if I go into labor while Josh is at school (He has his phone on all the time now, and if I can't get ahold of him on that, I have the phone numbers of his principal and all the other fourth grade teachers so I can get someone to have him call me).  I realized last week when I dropped Josh off so I could have the car to go to my doctor's appointment that we hadn't even thought about what we would do if I happened to go into labor on a day when I had the car.  In all my planning ahead, it had never occurred to me.  But we do have a plan now.  The friend who is watching Cora said she could pick Josh up if that happened.  The odds are low, but I know it would have happened if I hadn't planned for it.  Josh thinks I'm probably going to have the baby at night, since that's when I most often have contractions.  But we can also make an argument for it happening while he's at school, because then it would be least convenient.  :D

Cora is taking a nap today (hallelujah!), which is why I can spend so much time writing.  She's becoming clingier than she used to, and can be very demanding--"Mom, come play with me.  Come play with me now!" At least she knows how to express her needs.  And I'm glad she asks me to play with her, because when she doesn't, I tend to play with her less than I should.

And now, I'm going to take advantage of the peace and quiet and get some more scrapbooking done.  I had hopes of catching up on Cora's before this baby came, but I opted to finish our wedding scrapbook instead (after 3 1/2 years . . .).  I'm at April 2010, so just a tiny bit behind . . .