Frequently Asked Questions/Heard Statements:

• When are you due?
• You’re not very big!
• Do you know what you’re having?  (Girl or Boy, is what I normally assume people are asking.)
• Do you have a name?
• Have you decorated the nursery?

At this point, I’m pretty good at answering the above questions/reacting to these statements in a polite, courteous, nonchalant way.  Example:

Person:  When are you due?

Me:  End of September.

Person:  Wow, you look great!
Me:  Thanks!

That is an example of how I respond to this question/statement, pretty much on a daily basis.  The real answer, however, is a little more complicated than the above.

Me:  I’m really due at the end of October.  The 29th to be exact.  But, I’m being induced at 35 weeks because my baby has a chromosomal abnormality, and delivery at 35 weeks will be less stressful for her than if we wait until full term.  We’ll also increase our chances of spending more time with her out of utero.  Oh, and I “look good” because she’s going to be really small; she’s not growing at the rate of other babies her “age”.

That’s what I really want to say during these casual conversations, and if you know me, you’re probably surprised that I don’t just go ahead and bust out with all of that, but it’s just not worth it (for me, or the poor person on the other end).  That’s what this blog is for 😉  I do have to say that no one is at fault for these conversations – they are normal questions that are asked of a pregnant person, so I am more than OK with answering with a normal response.  Charles and I just happen to be a small fraction of the pregnant population that is abnormal.

As I mentioned in a previous post, September is the month when we will meet our baby girl.  Over the last week or so, this has become a HUGE reality for me.  My practical, anal, OCD-self is cleaning and organizing the house, running tons of errands, ensuring there’s a plan for the dogs, packing our hospital bags, and finishing odds-and-ends of a long-overdue “To-Do List”.  (If you’re a psychologist/psychiatrist reading this — yes, I realize I am putting all of my nervous energy into tangible, distracting things.)  My emotional self has a prescription for xanax.  No, but seriously, my emotional self is nervous, anxious, excited, scared, happy –scratch that– elated, and afraid (to name a few feelings).

The last 9 months of my pregnancy are coming to an end, which is SO hard to believe, and AJ and I will no longer be physically attached in a few days.  (Yeah, after 9 months I kind of like having her with me all the time.)  I’m (somewhat) prepared for a lot of the physical details in which my body will undergo (thank you, previously pregnant friends), but I am definitely not prepared for what emotions I will feel.  And that’s the scary part.  I don’t like the unknown, and there is just no good way to prepare for this, unfortunately, because I want to be able to plan.  Well, AJ, you’ve successfully shown me that everything in life cannot be planned (even though I always want it to be).  In fact, the BEST things in life are the BEST things because they aren’t planned.  Like this.  AJ is the BEST thing that has ever happened to us, and this special situation was definitely NOT in my plan.  I cannot imagine what the next few days will be like, and I certainly cannot fathom what the days, weeks, months, and even year(s) after are going unveil.  (And what lesson would I have learned if I tried to know or PLAN!)

Over the last nine months we have realized that we ARE special to have been chosen to be AJ’s parents; we are lucky, blessed and handpicked for whatever the reason.  And we cannot wait to meet her – OUR DAUGHTER.  Glory to God for all things…Amen!

{It is safe to assume since I’ve said it a few times, we are meeting our baby this month, and there aren’t that many more days in the month, so it’s gotta be soon.  We cannot adequately express how appreciative, moved, overwhelmed with support, and full of love we are from YOUR love, support, encouragement, prayers, and everything else we have been given by you, our family, friends, and even strangers.  We will update the blog as time permits, but we would like the next few weeks to be a special, private time with our little family.  Sending much love into the cyber world!}