We're Having a Baby, My Baby and Me!: The Final 2 1/2 Weeks

I AM SO SORRY!

Ok...I know like a million people have asked me since I gave birth when I was going to update my blog. But let me be the first to agree with every single person that tried to warn me - THIS MOTHERHOOD THING {while awesome and incredible and indescribable} IS TOUGH and finding time to take a shower, much less update a blog, is near impossible.
So here I sit, back in my office (yes, my beloved maternity leave is a distant memory...) and my baby is 14 weeks old tomorrow (how in the world!?) I do apologize for those who followed me during my pregnancy and are wondering where the most important post of all is. Well, consider this my Christmas gift to you all :) With all of that said, we'll relive the insanity that was my labor and delivery, but first let me revisit the last 3 weeks of my pregnancy...join me wont you?

I can sum up my last 3 weeks so in 3 words: ALMOST ABSOLUTELY MISERABLE. I worked from the office only a few hours a day, which turned into completely working from home, spent most of my time either in the bed or the bathtub, and tried to enjoy every single kick and movement from the inside, knowing that it would soon be gone, but that was kind of overshadowed by how uncomfortable I was. I got so huge that I toppled over if I wasn't standing at a straight 180* angle, I had to have help sitting up or getting off the couch, and it was the hottest summer ever, so even going outside to get the mail wasn't an option. If you doubt my sincerity, here's pictoral proof that I was, in fact, a whale.

My last picture taken in the oh-so-chic background of my office bathroom.
FULL TERM! 37 weeks.

He finally decided to drop - 37 weeks, 6 days.

August 14th was our 2 year wedding anniversary. And we celebrated in a BIG, romantic way...with a maternity hospital tour! Haha - it wasn't too bad because Drew gave me a stunning Pandora bracelet, I gave him his 2012 anniversary watch, and since we were going downtown for our tour, he made reservations at The Kings Kitchen for dinner afterwards. So I focused on the fried chicken and collard greens that awaited me...I just had to get through the dreaded hospital tour. I was fine, until we were in the hallway and a guy wheeled his wife to the registration desk and I saw the face of labor. And let me say, it wasn't pretty. My anxiety mounted while standing in one of the labor rooms. OMG the lights, the bed, the monitors, the pumps, the IV stands...all of it was too much for me and I had to lean on Drew to keep from passing out. In fact, once we left the room he asked if I was okay and I said (crying at this point), "No, I don't want to do this - I don't care how much it costs, you have to find someone to do this for me". While incredibly ridiculous and impossible, it made sense in my mind. But as the tour was over and we got back down to the lobby, I ran into a former co-worker of mine that was waiting for her maternity tour to start. I was reminded of how a few years ago her and her husband were expecting a baby girl and she lost it. My anxiety was then replaced by a feeling of gratitude that I even got to experience such a blessing, and I was reminded that God was in control and He hadn't brought me this far for nothing...the best was just about to come!
***I have to add that just this past Tuesday, the couple I'm referring to brough a beautiful, healthy and happy baby girl into this world! Amen and AMEN!!
So I relaxed, made Drew swear to me during dinner that I wasn't going to die during childbirth (and swore that if he did let me die, I'd haunt him for the rest of his life), and I enjoyed every single bite of my fried chicken and collards.

Happy Anniversary to Us!
37w2d

Given the state of my misery, as soon as I hit 38 weeks, Drew and I spent the majority of our days Googling 'home remedies to induce labor'. I.Tried.EVERYTHING. We walked every night (our neighborhood, Carolina Place, Concord Mills), I ate my weight in pineapple, I drank myself silly with raspberry tea. Nothing worked. Then, 2 weeks after our anniversary, too big to drive, I had Drew take me to what would be my final OB appt with Dr Belle. Seeing how big I was, (and going on 2 weeks that I was only 1cm dilated), it didn't take much convincing her that I needed to be induced. So she left to check the availability in the maternity wing. I remember laying there, thinking that after 9 months of wondering, we'd know as soon as she walked back in exactly what day our precious baby boy would be here to meet us face to face...and it hit me - we were really going to be parents. She came back, told us that a day and a half later (Thursday evening-8/30), we were scheduled to be at the hospital at 7pm to check in and start the induction process. I took all of Wednesday trying to let it soak in...so much to think about. Was my bag prepared? Was Drew's bag prepared? Were WE prepared!?! But little did we know what that Thursday would entail.
You know the saying, 'If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans'? Well, He got a huge laugh when we made plans to be induced that Thursday.