{SQT} The Final Week of Baby Countdown

Watching the clock . . . I would have been 39 weeks' on Saturday . . . but this is what we call in literature foreshadowing . . .

1. Esther, the Musical

The final performances of Esther, the Musical were last weekend and went swimmingly! Click here for the full report of the culmination of our summer activities.

2. "I'm not tired, Mama"

On Friday last, Thomas--who doesn't talk much--indicated to me that he was tired early for his nap by dragging a pillow and blanket into the kitchen. I ignored the poor baby, and found him half an hour later snoozing on the floor of the den.

Tired two-year-old

Friday night bedtime for little boys

Joseph watching television after declaring to me that he was not tired:

Margaret asleep after telling me that she was going to stay up all night reading "Olga da Polga":

3. Scholastic Scenes

Margaret decided to teach herself cursive this week. I taught John, but both girls have spontaneously taught themselves. I like this teaching gig.

Joseph loves his new preschool binder I bought, printed, and laminated for him;

4. Friendly Dogs

We went for a walk (on Wednesday???) and cheerfully discovered that a diseased tree had been felled, leaving behind a large stump perfect for sitting on. While we were there to walk the cul-de-sac (and try to "walk" this baby into labor), the tree stump grinding man showed up, which would have been a fun show to watch.

Unfortunately, the man brought his dog.

A pit bull . . . not castrated . . . and off leash.

The man repeatedly offered that "your kids can pet my dog! He's really friendly!"

"Just don't pet his ears." (Why not!?)

"I even rescued him from a home where his owners weren't being very nice to him." (Oh, a pit bull taken from an abuse situation, there's a story we've never read about before, beneath the tragic headline.)

I whispered to each child that they were NOT to pet that dog, and then we gracefully made our exit. I was impressed that the children obeyed me and asked questions later, which I answered.
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Sorry, anyone is free to call me a 'dog species racist.' We just don't take chances with pit bulls.

5. NOW I Can Have the Baby

Below are projects and organizational tasks I've done this week, each time thinking that "NOW I can have the baby . . . "

• Painted my toenails
• Organized the game cupboard (which I do about twice a year)

Imagine all these cards mixed up in a bin!

• Ordered school curriculum for religion and history (only math and geography remain to be ordered)
• Kept all laundry in the house washed and put away every day, so I'd always be "ready"
• Re-organized the shelves above my mother's desk in the kitchen

6. Midnight Partying

On Wednesday overnight, our normally fabulous sleeper Thomas (24 months) wouldn't sleep. After Chris repeatedly put him back to sleep in his crib, he asked me to try. I brought Thomas into bed with us from 2:00 to 4:00 a.m., ignoring him in the dark. He lay there, utterly wide awake. He shared my pillow and silently planted kisses on my lips or did Eskimo kisses, rubbing our noses together. What mama could be mad at him?

Photo taken during a snack at 4:00 a.m.

By then I'd been awake so long, I was really hungry, so I waved the white flag by taking Thomas downstairs for a midnight (well, 4:00 a.m.) snack and watching "Barney"! This was bizarre.

Finally at 5:30 a.m., I sensed that Thomas was stilling himself, so I laid him in his crib, where he went to sleep peacefully . . . and my day began, with me running on extremely little sleep. (I swear, Mamas, aren't you always awake all night the night before labor? I know I am!)

As a friend later pointed out to me, Thomas seemed to know it was his last-ever day to be the baby of the family. Cue this Mama bursting into emotional tears!

7. Welcome to the World!

That Thursday morning, I didn't feel right at all. At 5:30 a.m., I took my blood pressure and it was well over 150/100, which is seriously bad news. I took it again two hours later, and it was higher. So, I placed a call to my midwifery office, requesting to go get checked at the hospital and knowing it was probably going to be the right decision to induce labor. By the time Chris dropped me off at the hospital by myself (because, six phone calls later, we still hadn't found a babysitter and he had five children to care for!), my blood pressure was above 160/110 and setting off blaring alarms in the hospital, so it was time to induce.

Twenty hours of induction labor later, David James was welcomed into the world on Friday August 11 at 2:28 p.m.! He was 20 inches long and weighed 8 lbs 6 oz.

Stay tuned for a proper blog-worthy birth story when I have time to write it up!


For more 7 Quick Takes Friday, check out This Ain't the Lyceum.