Due...

 

365 days ago, he was due...

 

Jack's due date came & it went. I felt, wholeheartedly, he would be coming earlier. My OBGYN had made comments about the idea of induction after 38/39 weeks, & my other two were induced a week early. But, alas, here I was at my appointment, exactly 40 weeks pregnant, DUE, and had made no dilation or effacement progress from the week before. Which was kind of defeating because I had contractions off & on and started spotting that past Saturday.

 

Part of me wanted so much to speed it up... I couldn't wait to hold him! She had danged the carrot that was induction the last two visits, but my weight & blook pressure were perfect.  I physically had no complaints except at this point all I wanted to do was sleep... Literally, All. The. Time! But part of me was relieved when we decided to let him come on his own terms. Kaleb & Emma had both been inducted.  Kaleb due to blood pressure & swelling, and Emma I'm not even sure what the reason was... I had been sent in for a NST (non-stress test) & was sent home with orders to return the next morning.  This was different... the last pregnancy. The last baby. The last time I'd get kept up at night feeling a baby move and stretch in my tummy. Any Mama can tell you, it's more intimate than anything else... And little did I know that night would be the last night I'd sleepily get up to pee for the millionth time. and that next morning would be my last one with my full round belly. I thought maybe he'd just stay in there until they kicked him out... and I was beginning to be ok with that idea too. I made a joke with the doctor, as she was examining me that last time to just beat him out like a raccoon in a bush... we both laughed.  But she patted me on my leg and sent me home with a plan in place to be induced that Thursday.  Boy, was I in for a surprise just one short day later! 

 

 

I haven't said much about my pregnancy, or the immense stress & worry we felt for a good few weeks.  I'll chat more about that later.  It's kind of like a car wreck... you may survive & come out the other side, sometimes no broken bones, but very shook up... you find yourself taking a different route just to not have to feel your heart speed up.  That's me... my heart races when I think about it...

 

But I'll try to write out Jack Grayson's birth story tomorrow... just a teaser, it's a SHORT one!

(Maternity Portraits by Sharla Jahnke Photography)