My last update pregnant with Samantha

Well, here we are.  The past 4 pregnancies set us up for a list of obstacles to pass.  The chemical pregnancy had us set up to need to get past 5 weeks, the blighted ovum had us wishing to get passed 6 weeks with a heartbeat, the spontaneous miscarriage set us up for wanting to get passed 8 weeks without bleeding and Matthew's pregnancy gave us the goal of getting past 23 weeks with amniotic sac in tact and past 33 weeks without delivering.

Thanks to the amazing medical team that hovered over us this pregnancy and the gracious support of family and friends, here we are.  39 weeks and 2 days pregnant.  Amniotic fluid all still there and a body that has done such a good job of protecting this little one that it refuses to deliver on it's own.  What an amazing feeling that is.

So, here we are, delivery time is in about 7 hours.  Of our full term baby girl who we get to take home with us.  Who would have thought?

While I'm not thrilled about the recovery of a cesarean, there have been some definite upsides.  All of our "labor and delivery" clothes are nice and ironed instead of sitting in my suitcase waiting to be taken to the hospital.  In a few hours I will no longer question every single twitch, feeling or contraction and wonder "is this it?"  And I went to bed last night being able to fully appreciate every bit of pregnancy, knowing it is your last night of pregnancy makes everything seem that more amazing.  Just knowing that tonight if I get to take my nightly shower, I will be able to see my knee caps when I glance down is a good feeling.  Knowing that soon I will be able to get out of bed without it being a circus act makes those middle of the night trips to the bathroom almost enjoyable.  And of course, it forces you to feel out for those little kicks, jabs, turns, somersaults and everything else knowing that you will no longer feel the most amazing feeling in the world in just a few hours. 

And of course, the planning aspect is awesome!  We know when and where so we can give our family and friends plenty of time to plan to be at the hospital :)  We can tell Kaitlyn's teacher what time we are going to pick her up, we can plan on having time for her and Dusty to get lunch on the way.  I know to make sure I pamper myself in the morning to prepare for dry hospital air.  I get to DVR my favorite shows that I will more than likely miss :)  I get to make sure that the dogs are fed and watered and that Kaitlyn has her own packed bag of stuff to play with in the waiting room.

Of course, that also means there is the intense feeling of waiting.  I went to bed at about 9:30 and was up at 3:15 unable to go back to sleep.  I watched Law and Order SVU until 4.  Then Discovery Health had a Special Delivery show on which featured 4 women going through cesarean's for different reasons.  I watched about 15 minutes of a "lost" episode of Married with Children before I fell asleep until 6.  Even though I didn't have my alarm set for another 45 minutes I decided to go ahead and get into the shower. 

The downside is that I'm STARVING.  And I'm thirsty.  And I have heartburn, but I can't take anything because it would go against doctor's orders.  But, in a few hours, it'll all be over :)

So, wish us luck!  And if you want to participate in the baby pool: http://bebepool.com/BabySamantha/