Ta-ta-ta-today, Juniah!!

Dadgum, still no baby yet. Rachel came back last night - rented a car and drove the eight hours from Peoria to be here just in case he arrives in the next two days. (Alex has the best aunties in the world, huh?) She has to get back on her cruise ship Tuesday, so we have a very small window to make something happen before she leaves. Today's plan is to go to the mall and walk 'till we can walk no more.

Supposedly the baby starts to settle down somewhat once he has been fully cooked and is getting ready to head down the hatch. Hopefully Alex is being defiant and has decided to ignore that particular rule, cuz he is still working on his Tae Kwon Do moves as I write. Mom says that I moved around like crazy up to and during labor. Speaking of which, now would be a good time to share an excerpt from the journal that my mom kept to document my first couple of years, including the month leading up to my birth. These two entries were written on the day I was born. Bear in mind, my original "due date" was September 5, 1979, so this day was a long time coming...

Monday, September 24, 1979
(morning sometime)

Who are you rough-housing with in there? The doctor said there's only one of you! You must be shadow-boxing. I just read where the baby settles down a few days before it's born. Well, take a nap, will ya!? At the rate you're pounding around in there, I could be pregnant for another year! Hopefully you'll be the exception to the rule. I know you're going to be an exceptional child - how can you mess with parents like us (tee-hee). I hope I'll see you soon.

Love,
me

Monday, September 24, 1979
3:39 PM

Hey, I won't believe it 'till I see it, but I think you're on your way. Hopefully by tomorrow at this time, we'll have you to hold instead of carry. I can't believe how many people have called and asked us to make plans for tonight. We only have about six different places to go. Were you just waiting for us to have full schedule? You're at the top of our list of things to do, so don't hesitate on our account! Oh, by the way, you're still knocking around in there.

Love,
me

Let me follow up by explaining that Mom wrote this entry while she was in early labor, set the journal down so that she could drive herself to the job site where my dad was working to let him know, followed dad back to the house so they could take one car to the hospital, then I was born at 8:27 that evening. That said, let me warn you that I am not expecting to be in the frame of mind to calmly compose a blog entry between the time I go into labor and when I go to the hospital to have the baby. Maybe I don't have enough faith in myself. I guess we'll find out...

Anyway, that excerpt was encouraging and hopefully Alex will take after his mother and be active up to the very end, despite the "rules" about settling down. However, I am beginning to think that all the fussing about could mean, "I am cramped and uncomfortable and I want out now", and that it is my body that isn't ready to let him go. So I blame myself for the delay, or at least, I am willing to take one for the team...

Tomorrow at 11:15am we go to the clinic to be checked, God willing, for the last time...