Daybook for September 5 ~ Waiting for Baby Edition

Outside my window... dark and rainy. It has been raining all day long, which is great since it hasn't rained here in weeks... maybe a month! We spent a leisurely Labor Day at home, doing some light schooling, starting a big puzzle, Chris and Caroline played a 90 minute game of Scrabble while I took a nap... nice rainy day activities!

I am thinking... about the baby. The due date is next week... Sunday or Monday. I am ready. Emotionally, that is... there are still some things to do around here, but nothing major. I am at the point now where, although still enjoying her movements and subtle presence within me, I am visualizing holding her against my chest as a tiny, naked newborn. I don't remember having quite the same feeling with past pregnancies, the visualizing in my mind... waiting to enjoy her and spend lots of time relaxing with her. Maybe that's just a dream, ha ha, to get lots of time to just lay around in bed with my new baby, but I am certainly going to try to spend as much time as possible doing this, as long as I have other adult help in the home with me!

I am wondering... when labor will really begin. I have been having practice contractions off and on, hopefully doing some good prep work for me. I am also wondering how fast she will come and how stressful it will be to get the kids into other people's care before we rush off to the hospital. Our neighbors across the street said they would come over if we wake up in the middle of the night and need to go ASAP, before my mom can make the drive up here (a bit over an hour) to stay with the kids while we're gone. I called her today and reminded her to go ahead and start packing a bag!

I'm also wondering if I will be able to make it to our consignment sales this year... the three closest ones are all the same weekend - one week after the baby is due, of course! I have her set on clothing pretty much, but the older girls both need a few pairs of jeans. Even if I have to go to a sale with a one week old, I guess I can handle it just looking for a few pairs of pants and keeping my eyes open for playdresses for Caroline, something that is harder and harder to find as she gets older, but which she loves.

I am praying... for a peaceful, healthy, birth and as few interventions and interruptions as possible so that our baby can have a calm beginning to her life on the outside.

I am thankful... for each and every movement inside me. For an extremely helpful husband who will support me through the birth and take care of details at home in the newborn period: groceries, dishes, cooking, cleaning. He's awesome!

I am hearing... the sound of light rain outside, and the TV, which Chris just turned on... not sure what's on yet, though. Oh, it's The Karate Kid. Wow, that takes me back...

Learning at home... We have finished seven weeks of school now. I have been drafting some ideas for loose schooling plans once the baby is here... some reading and retelling of gentle nature stories, some lapbooking on Things We See at Mass, some picture study, liturgical year crafts, maybe some fine motor fun stuff like play-doh and such...

From the kitchen... some easier stuff for this week, mostly. We had chicken pot pie last night - yum!! Chris and Caroline made it together. On Thursday, hopefully, we'll make a blueberry cheesecake for Mary'd birthday! We had our small dinner group from church over on Saturday, and Chris grilled some pretty rockin' fajita meat!

I am reading... Bradley childbirth materials with Chris, as a refresher. Need to get off here and go read some in bed for a bit... Also have a Charlotte Mason Companion and Siblings without Rivalry lined up to read some hopefully during the postpartum period

To live the liturgical year... This month's dedication is the Seven Sorrows of Mary. We reviewed them with our photo cards which we took at the Our Lady of La Leche Shrine last year. Then we did a craft out of the Seton Art 1 book. Later this week, we hope to make a craft from the same book for the Triumph of the Cross. We'll also read about St. Peter Claver this Friday on his feast day and do some copywork and a coloring page of him. Today is the feast day for Blessed Mother Teresa, so last Friday, we used the day to read about her, locate her birthplace and follow her travels on a world map and a globe, do a craft and copywork about her, and bake a recipe with an Indian twist: chai banana bread, which we had for tea time along with banana chai smoothies.

One of my favorite things... babies!

I am creating... I think I have created most everything I need for this school year. I printed off some supplies for lapbooking yesterday, and I just need to create a few last Old Testament lessons. I also need to type up a few journal topics on a list for Caroline, and sew a decorative cuff on some pants for Cecilia so they'll be long enough for her this fall. I also created a preliminary birth announcement and have been working on a list for the baby's baptism celebration!

Around the house... cleaned out and organized my underwear drawer tonight - exciting stuff, huh? I've also been cleaning out some things and have a bag to donate. We have been keeping up on laundry... washed some nursing articles yesterday. Some things just won't happen before the birth... dusting, cleaning out the microwave, straightening the girls' closet, and cleaning the windows (which has been on the list since spring cleaning ha ha). That's okay. Our house is sanitary and not very cluttered, which are the most important things.

A few plans for the rest of the week... oh, gosh, if I wasn't in this baby-visualizing dreamland bliss, I'd be stressing right now... we have ballet lessons beginning tomorrow for Caroline. She is so excited! She'll be in class with two friends and hopefully will catch up to what the others know, as this will be her first year taking dance lessons. Then on Wednesday, our church's PSR classes begin in the evening... 6:30-7:45 every Wednesday evening. We also have an OB appointment Wednesday morning and OT at noon that same day. We'll be having all these things repeat every week or two (except OB appointments!) for awhile... yikes, it will be busy on top of having a new baby!

A picture thought I am sharing... none for now, going to get to bed!