At my Monday visit with the midwives we scheduled the baby's birth date, Friday, September 3. That always seems like a bit of a confrontation with Mother Nature. Makes me nervous. But, considering the heart complication and the positive group B Strep test, we decided it was best to be calm and prepared for the delivery.
After the appointment I walked over to the hospital to pre-register and felt myself lured into the gift shop when I saw pumpkins and black cats through the window. I love Halloween decorations, even if I don't buy, I have to look. Monday I was particularly nostalgic about my hospital experiences and decided to pick out something for the baby.
Bethany couldn't believe I would
buy a blanket because traditionally, the special blankie is supposed to be homemade. Well, it's come to that. This one definitely had the aura of a sweet, silver haired candy striper. Can you see the pandas and gorillas and the words "protect me?" The phrase reminded me of how the kids regard their blankets, more for protection than warmth.
I also bought a couple of those kind of Utah looking plaques. One says, something inspirational...can't think of what right now...The other says "Love as if there were no tomorrow." That kind of reminded me of how my mom would always say' I love you' when we left the house, especially if we had been arguing. I think she always wanted to be sure that we left on good terms, just in case.
Tuesday I took Grant and William to the pediatrician for check-ups and immunizations. Grant kept saying "I don't want to get shooted" but when all was done he was quite proud of his band aids, and made sure to show them to his big brothers when they got home from school.
Wednesday I got my first burst of pre-baby cleaning enthusiasm. I broke out the shop vac and hit the van, which was sorely in need, then moved on to the garage, where it's quite possible to get a bit OCD about all the dust and leaves, especially with the shop vac where you can move back and forth from the blowing out to sucking in nozzle. Sam came home just in time to share in my enthusiasm. As I knew he would, he started dreaming up special effects he could create with the blower. In the evening we went to the salmon fry.
Thursday, Grant and William dumped half a box of Rice Krispies on the floor. I took the four elementary school kids and the three who stay home, back to school for parent-student-teacher conferences. We were an awkward bunch moving from teacher to teacher en mass but we survived.
In the evening I took all the kids to Diego's for beef nachos. We ate at Diego's with Grandad and Annie and Eric the night before William was born. We thought we'd also "celebrate" William's last night as the baby...though we were quite sure that celebrate wouldn't be
his word of choice.
Thursday night, back at home, I begged the kids to help me with my last minute, nest cleaning. Olivia wanted to help me mop the kitchen. She was singing as she worked, little earnest Cinderella, when I noticed she was scrubbing away on hands and knees with the toilet brush. Yum.
So here I am leaving for the hospital Friday morning.
Here's our lunch.
Then there was the trauma of putting on clothing for the first time.
Granddad came to pick us up around four o'clock.
I'm always emotional to leave the hospital with a new baby. It's both the end and the beginning, especially this time.
When we pulled up to our house I could see Grant's blond head in the window. Just a small group this time. Our friend Isako was watching the two boys. His wife Jackie took Mary and Caitlin swimming...
but they arrived home shortly and gave Sophie an enthusiastic welcome...
and introduction to life around here.
