Let the Fun Begin!

If at First You Don't Succeed...

Well, yesterday consisted of multiple phone calls to my new friend Nurse Joan at Brookwood. Unfortunately, it did not end with our admission to the hospital. So, we're at it again today. We are scheduled to check in at 5 am and are hopeful we'll meet our sweet girl after lunchtime!

I am sure there was a reason for the events of yesterday, and although it was hard to be patient, little Sara will certainly be worth the wait. Thanks for your prayers and emails. We'll need them again today.

Further bulletins as events warrant (and hopefully they will)...

Being Optimistic

We decided to go ahead and dress Hallie in her "I'm the Big Sister" shirt today--in hopes that she actually becomes a big sister before the day is over!

Popsicle with Papa

As you can see, Hallie doesn't mind killing time this morning.

Learning Patience

We called at 9:30 as instructed, but to no avail. The nurse said it will probably be after noon before we can get into a room, so we're supposed to call her back at 12:00.

My main concern is how long labor will drag on today after we're finally admitted (assuming that we are). But maybe Sara is a night owl and will be just fine with it. I'll post updates if and when there is anything to share...

Until then, I'll be walking around a mall trying to keep my mind preoccupied. (So, for the sake of my bank account, perhaps we should all pray that we get in there sooner rather than later!)

Still on Standby

We called at 7:30, and there was no change in the hospital room situation. She told us to call back at 9:30. Apparently there is a backup in the postpartum rooms as well, so they can't move people out of Labor & Delivery yet because there's nowhere to put them. When some of the new mommies check out of the postpartum rooms later this morning, they're hoping to call those of us who were scheduled for deliveries today to come in.

On a brighter note, she did let me have a piece of toast and some water, so I'm at least a little less cranky about the situation than I was...

All Dressed Up With Nowhere to Go

Jason and I rose before the sun this morning, only to receive a call from the hospital saying that they didn't have any beds available in Labor & Delivery. So we've been asked to wait and call back at 7:30 to check the status of things. Apparently July 23rd and 24th are very popular days to be born.

So, we'll wait. And we'll update you if anything happens. The nurse said her "goal" was to get us in today. I certainly hope it's an achievable goal. Meanwhile, if you happen to live in Birmingham, if you could please avoid going into labor anytime this morning I would appreciate it. And if you see me, please do not mention food or drink in my presence, as the sheer knowledge that I cannot have either for an indefinite amount of time is making my stomach rumble.

On Track

I went to the doctor this morning for a final check, and Sara has decided maybe she will join us after all. I have made some progress, and we are on track to be induced on Thursday. In fact, she's made enough progress that we won't have to check in on Wednesday night like we thought. We can just show up bright and early on Thursday and hope to meet our littlest princess Thursday afternoon!

We are excited and anxious. It's very hard to believe that we'll have another baby girl in a couple of days!

Play Room!

We spent this evening converting our formerly-empty front room into a playroom for our little ones. So, come on over--we're ready to play!

Hunkered Down

Splash!

I can't seem to get the video to be vertical, but you get the idea. Hallie loves to splash!

Swim Day!

Daddy declared it Swim Day today, so we got out the baby pool and played in it this morning. Hallie loved it!

Sick? Who's Sick?

Hallie is at home with her daddy today because her stomach is still giving her trouble. She was sent home on Monday, and I stayed home with her on Tuesday. The great part of this is that someone forgot to tell her that she's sick. She has been a pretty pleasant little patient. Nonetheless, since Mommy and Daddy do have to go to work sometime, please say a prayer that her stomach cooperates with the rest of her disposition and gets better so she can go to school tomorrow!

Still No News

I went for my weekly check-up this afternoon, and Dr. Stradtman says Sara is still very comfortable where she is. So, no progress to report. This is deja vu...Hallie also made initial progress and then decided to camp out until she was good and ready.

Of course, to hear any old woman in an elevator, my office, or basically anywhere else, tell it, I'm going to have this baby just any day. Why don't they just come out and say, "You're so big, there's no way you can get much bigger. You must be about to have that baby!" I am not sure what it is about a pregnant belly that compels all strangers to comment, but I am so grateful to the occasional stranger who rides from floor 3 to floor 9 without a word.

Perhaps I should get a shirt that says something along the lines of, "Thank you for your sensitivity in not staring, touching, or commenting on my large pregnant belly." Although I'm not convinced that would have much effect...

UPDATE: My friend Ricky sent me an email with this shirt this morning (If it's too small for you to read, it says, "No, really, pregnant women just LOVE it when you tell them how BIG they look!"). Apparently I'm not the first to have this sentiment.

"Oops" Day

Hallie's school has a theme for each Wednesday, and the children all dress in the theme. Today's theme is "Laundry Catastrophe," otherwise known as "Oops" Day! So, we did our best to mismatch her outfits this morning.

Bath Fun!

I took these this weekend while Aunt Julie and "Monkey Jon" were here. Hallie put on quite a splashing show during her bath and soaked Aunt Julie.

Perhaps a Little Nesting

Everyone says that expectant moms "nest" before their babies arrive, but I think I now have proof that fathers-to-be "nest" too. Jason got motivated to do some yardwork this weekend, so here is a picture of our progress. As you can see, we planted a bed in front of the entrance with knock-out roses and angelonia (or "Angelina Jolie," as Jason calls them). There is so much to be done in our yard that it's hard to get excited about the baby steps, but at least the entry looks a little more inviting!

Last Sunday, Jason and James dug up the old mailbox (and the foot-long concrete slab that accompanied it) and installed our new mailbox, complete with numbers and a wood post. It was no small feat in the June heat, but I think it looks much nicer.

Happy Independence Day!

We spent the Fourth with my family, including Mama Pat and Granddaddy. (Unfortunately, I didn't manage to get a picture of Hallie while she was still dressed in red and white, so you'll have to use your imagination.)

It's a Date

I went to the doctor today. Although we'd made some progress last week, there's not much progress to report this time around. We have scheduled to induce Sara on July 24th. So, unless she decides to get a move on before then, we will be admitted to the hospital at 6:00 am that morning to await her arrival.

My Own Little "Holding Pattern"

The women over at girltalk have written a post based partially on the following quote from missionary Jim Elliott: “Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt every situation that you believe to be the will of God.”

The girltalkers applied this quote to homemaking, encouraging wives who stay home to live to the hilt their particular season of life, even when the tasks of the day seem mundane. Obviously, I am not in their situation. Nonetheless, I am just as tempted to look to "tomorrow" in hopes of what can be accomplished then, rather than focusing on glorifying God by "living to the hilt" the sometimes-mundane tasks of today. This last month of pregnancy seems to be a neverending holding pattern, and I am increasingly impatient with the aches and exhaustion and with the delay in meeting my sweet Sara. But I am encouraged by this post--God's timing is perfect, and Sara will arrive exactly when she should. Certainly He has appointed each day until her arrival and each one after it. So, I should not simply sit and wait. There are lots of things that can be done today and every day until she comes.

So, you will hear no more bellyaching from me about the waiting game. (Although I am firmly on the record as being very ready for her arrival.) Instead, I'd like to talk about what can be done today--for the glory of God and for the good of my already-wonderful little family.