I've been doing much better in the last few days centering my mind around the lack of urgency in delivering this baby. However, today, I had a set back. I know it's stupid, and I'm stupid for doing it, but I couldn't resist. Let me explain ... 18 months ago, I was 37 weeks and 6 days pregnant. It was a rainy, Saturday - very cold and dreary (quite expected for November). Steve and I had nothing in particular planned for the day, so it became a sort of "lazy Saturday" that we just made up as we went a long. We got coffee in the morning, took a walk (not very far), did some work (I think I was grading massive projects at the time), and then decided we were going to do shopping and dinner out. We went to Meijers and picked up all of the items listed on the "labor packing list" along with a few other things (I distinctly remember getting Andre wet cat food so he wouldn't feel too "left out" when the baby came. Almost equally silly was our purchase of N/A champagne to "toast" our new baby...). Afterwards, we went to Texas Roadhouse. We had never been there before and thought we'd try it. The wait was over an hour, so we checked in and walked to Sam's Club to pick up a few more items (Sam's Club shares a parking lot with the restaurant). We returned with 30 minutes to spare but ended up waiting an additional 30 MORE minutes. What really made it ridiculous was that no one wanted to give up their "waiting seat" for a very obviously pregnant woman. I stood the entire hour ... our meal took a long time (I ordered a salad ... I don't usually, but for some reason that sounded "right"). As a concession for our ridiculous wait, the manager gave us a giant brownie sundae for dessert, which by the time we got it, neither of us felt like eating (it was pretty late, like 9:30 or something). I remember we drove home, exhausted, never unpacked all the groceries we had purchased, just left the paper sack on the counter and hit the sheets. Around 3:00 a.m. that Sunday morning, EXACTLY 38 weeks pregnant, my water broke. 24 hours later, on Monday morning at 3:05 a.m. we were holding our precious gift, Kayleigh Elaine.
It was very very difficult not to sense the similarities as our weekend started to take shape. I'm currently 38 weeks and 6 days pregnant. It is a Saturday that turned out lazy because my tournament was cancelled. It was unseasonably cold and wet ... not much different from that Saturday in November. We did some shopping today for things we needed (not the silly labor packing list ... I haven't even packed for me because I can't bring myself to believe that this child will EVER come out) and as the day wore on, I joked with Steve ... Perhaps we ought to go to Texas Roadhouse (we've only been there one other time, except for that fateful night and that was to celebrate Kayleigh's birthday, just the three of us.). When we walked in and the place was jammed packed, wall to wall with people and we were told it was a 40 minute wait ... we smiled at each other, left and went to Sam's Club ... We didn't have to wait after we returned, and a sweet elderly couple moved over instantly when we walked in the second time. BUT, I ordered the same meal as I did before ... and secretly I'm hoping that everything goes the same tonight (so much so that I haven't even unpacked the items we went shopping for ... lest I "jinx" the whole scenario).
Oddly enough, the dates line up rather curiously. The morning my water broke was Sunday, November 9th. Kayleigh's birthday was Monday, November 10th, 2008. If little man is born, with a similar situation, he would be EXACTLY, 18 months younger than his sister ... to the date! I think that's pretty fantastic ... and a great little setup ... Sound good, God??? :)
No worries, I'm light hearted about all of my superstition. When I wake up tomorrow morning with my membranes still VERY much in tact, contracting as I've been for the past 3 weeks, I won't be any more disheartened than I would otherwise ... I'm just trying to have a little fun with these last few weeks.
As a P.S., Kayleigh has been so naughty at restaurants lately ... she just can't seem to sit still. But tonight, she was back to her old self: hilarious, flirtatious with everyone around her, patient, and sociable. We had a great pre-Mother's Day dinner ... I am truly blessed with my little family.