Ready as I'll ever be

Now that we’ve passed the 38 week mark, we’re just playing the waiting game until our little one makes an appearance. There will always be jobs I haven’t crossed off the list, things I haven’t quite finished, but for the most part I’m ready. Ready as I’ll ever be, anyway.

Baby Love continues to show excellent growth on all weekly scans – a ‘textbook baby’ in Dr Glenda’s words (aaah… aside from the number of chromosomes, but who’s counting), and is still wriggling around inside like crazy. I’m thankful that we’ve made it beyond ‘full term’ now, giving our cherub even more opportunity to develop well before arriving this world.

In preparing for our newest arrival, I started contemplating our ‘birth plan’ yet again and discussing the birth with our OB. We have been told there’s no reason this birth shouldn’t proceed ‘as normal’ and we are lucky to have had two calm, natural births previously, so I’m not so much concerned with the actual delivery. What we have documented, though, is our desire for this baby to welcomed into the world with love, joy and excitement by all hospital staff we encounter. It seems almost bizarre to have to remind people to congratulate us on the arrival of our child, but I guess it’s just another part of this journey. In essence, I suppose we are trying to protect ourselves from any negative reactions that may arise. I was comforted that Dr Glenda had already spoken with the midwife staff at our hospital and her team of OBs that may attend if she’s unavailable. At this end of the pregnancy, the thoughts of Down syndrome have really been put aside as we prepare to finally meet this long-awaited baby – right now, for me at least, it’s more about welcoming this new little one into our family and all the logistics that entails (that’s enough to get our heads around some days really!).

With two children already, and what feels like a revolving door of sickness at home lately, as well as the usual pressures of daily life, it’s been more difficult to get into ‘nesting’ this time around. But we have a cot and a basinette, washed baby clothes and blankets, and a hospital bag packed – so the basics are covered. One thing that almost landed in the ‘too hard basket’ was getting a few pregnancy photos taken, and I am very grateful to the lovely Kathy of Lily-Kate Photography for helping me to make it happen. For a fairly spontaneous photo shoot with about a million children in tow, she has managed to capture some beautiful moments of this big belly (and Charlie, but Sam declined any public appearances) and I know that I will treasure these shots for years to come. Thank you!

We are very lucky to have wonderful family and friends in our lives, and never is that more apparent than at our ‘hour of need’ (ie. mumma’s going slightly insane and starting to crack). In particular, I want to send a big shout out to an amazing brother and Dad who have worked tirelessly to finish off the ‘parent cave’ under our house (photos to come in a future post!) – and the wives and children who support the Master Builders in my life; a younger sister who has had her phone on standby overnight for at least a month now waiting for this baby, and never fails to just check in, hijack my laundry, or do the odd emergency osteopathy appointment on her days off; parents-in-law who are constantly whisking our boys off on adventures and playdates when we need a break; and a wonderful mother who has somehow managed to turn a chaotic playroom into some semblence of a nursery, wash and mend clothes, clean my fridge, entertain my children and just generally be there for us. Mum, I still don’t know how you managed to being pregnant seven times and raise seven children (but as #6, I’m kinda glad you persevered) – with each passing day, I am more in awe. Thank you to all those who have played a major role lately, but also to the many friends and family who do little things each day – we promise each gesture is noticed and appreciated.

I think it’s an absolute privelege to be able to carry a baby, to give life, to be a mother, and I am incredibly grateful for that gift so I would hate to use the term ‘over it’ when it comes to being pregnant. I’m also conscious that this will undoubtedly be the last time I am pregnant in my life, so part of me wants to savour it. But as this pregnancy draws to an end, I am feeling very tired and a little bit broken and think I’m just ready for our baby to be here in our arms. Certainly, there are many fears in the back of my mind about the journey we’re beginning once this baby arrives and being a mother of three, not to mention the thoughts of the process of getting this baby into the world, how the boys will be while I’m gone, and a million other things, but it’s time. So, if you’re listening God, anytime you’re ready to get things moving, just let me know. We’re in your hands.

Hopefully this will be my last post before officially being a mother of three, and I can’t wait to be able to make the big announcement about our Baby Love’s arrival. In the meantime, I ask you to keep us in your thoughts and prayers for a safe, calm and uneventful delivery, a healthy baby and mother, and a relatively sane birthing partner and father of three in the wings. And, on that note, I’ll leave you with one of my favourite prayers…

“A Mother’s Prayer for Her Unborn Child”

Blessed and Merciful God,
Thank you for the gift of life.
Thank you for the life of the child growing inside of me.
Thank you for your love that is shaping and forming
this child’s life into divine perfection.
Thank you for shaping this child’s mind.
Thank you for shaping this child’s bones.
Thank you for shaping this child’s destiny and for
writing it upon his or her heart.
Thank you for knowing and calling this child’s name
even as it is being formed.
Thank you for showing me how to love this child even
before it is born.
Thank you for giving me a healthy appetite for those
foods that are life giving and life sustaining while this
child is growing inside me.
Thank you for giving me peaceful rest while this child
is growing inside me.
Thank you for peace of mind while this child is
growing inside me.
Right now I give to you all of my concerns for the
health, strength and well-being for the precious life
growing inside my body.
Right now I call forth your grace, mercy and the
loving light of your presence to fill my being and
sustain the life growing inside me.
Prepare me for this birth. Prepare my mind. Prepare
my body.
Bless me and this child that its birth will happen easily
and effortlessly, under the grace of your peace.
I give your angels charge of this child.
I give you charge over my entire being.
I give you thanksgiving and praise for this blessed life
growing inside me.
May this prayer be lifted, heard and accepted into the
highest realms of all that is good
For this I am so grateful.
And so it is!
~ Iyanla Vanzant