All About Baby

Here I am.  Forty-two weeks pregnant and preparing to head to the hospital tonight for induction.  This is my third pregnancy, my third time going to 42 weeks and my third induction.  I just have to laugh!!  When I found out I was pregnant again I felt certain this baby would come in his/her time.  Surely, this time I would not go so far past my due date.  Wrong!  While it's been a little frustrating I'm not complaining.  A full term, healthy baby is a good problem to have. 

I am so anxious to meet this baby and bring him/her home!  I can't wait to see how Emma Kate and Alden are with their new baby brother or sister.  EK has expressed some concern about what this new baby means for our family and what her role is in the transition.  EK is the oldest of all her cousins by at least 3 years and she knows that little babies tend to get a lot of attention.  I've done my best to calm her anxieties and assure her of how very important her role is as big sister.  How do I explain to my oldest how valuable she is?  She made me a mommy.  She is my dream come true.  I knew I wanted more children because I was so in love with her.  That's hard to express to an 8 year old, but I sure tried. 

It's such a peaceful feeling knowing that this baby completes our family (unless the Lord has some crazy plans for us).  I can't even express my excitement at taking the first picture of all 3 of my kids together.  This baby is the final puzzle piece and I'm dying for him/her to be here so I can see the full picture!  I'm so eager to KNOW this child.  This is the only pregnancy we've not found out the sex of the baby and while I don't feel detached from it for that reason I do feel like my picture of the baby is blurry.  Will I have two girls and a boy or two boys and a girl?  I had such a strong feeling with the other two (and my hunches were correct), but this one is a mystery. 

The birth of this baby closes the "growing family" chapter of my life.  I love being a mommy more than anything in this world and it's exciting to complete our family and enter the next phase.  I'm excited to watch the kids grow and change and mature.  Each step is a new challenge.  EK is now well past the age where we are primarily focused on behavior and have the much greater challenge of learning to navigate the emotions of an 8 year old girl.  Alden is my wild man and is now past toddlerhood and will be getting  ready for school next year.  I'm excited to do the baby stages again.  They have their own challenges, but I am blessed that I have been able to savor each stage of each child. 

I am looking forward to hours of snuggle time with a sweet, precious newborn.  I can't wait to hear those adorable coos.  I can't wait to see my big kids interact with the baby.  I am excited about putting the stress of work and schedules aside for a while to focus all my energy on what matters most.  I am eager to see Alan become a dad for the third time.  He takes such good care of us. 

So, tonight we head to the hospital to get ready to have this baby.  I'm nervous, anxious, impatient and excited all at the same time.  I'm ready to do this.