Wrong.

Suddenly, we got some information that led us to believe we might need to switch insurance plans. So we started crunching the numbers and comparing benefits while I winced and timed contractions. We had to decide whether to change to a plan that might save us a bunch of money, and make that decision in about 36 hours. However, switching would cost us BIG TIME if the baby were born before August 1. No pressure, right?

And that’s not all, folks! Take a look at the other drama we’re dealing with:

• We could be signing closing papers on our house (yay!) any day now.
• My brother and his family (including my 6 week old niece and 4 year old twin nephews) just announced that they’re moving away. In like, four days.
• A family of five raccoons have taken to burrowing (and, um, defecating) under our front porch.
• Our dog has developed a swollen, bloody cyst under his left eye.

So in between the many calls we’re making to our doctor’s office and labor/delivery nurses, we’re squeezing in a critter catcher appointment and an emergency vet appointment for the dog. Oh, and I’m scheduled to be induced first thing Tuesday morning if this baby doesn’t show up in the meantime. I really don’t want to do another induction. And my brother may not even be in town for the birth of my baby! Not to mention the fact that our kids will grow up six hours apart from each other…boo hoo!!!!!

Meanwhile, with the insurance dilemma, we’ve been faced with this question: should I go on bed rest for three days? Or do we stay with the plan we’re on and do everything we can to get this baby out?

Decisions….decisions….

Ultimately, we decided not to take the insurance risk and we’re sticking with the old plan. Which means we don’t have to keep the kiddo in there until August 1.

So what do you want to bet that she gets comfy in there until we force her out with Pitocin next week? That would be just our luck.

So even though everyone who’s ever had a newborn knows that there’s really no reason for a baby nursery in the first few months, it was the very first thing on my agenda once we (finally) moved into our new digs. I needed to see the crib all set up. I craved the sight of freshly washed baby onesies and dresses (squee!!! dresses!!!) hung on tiny hangers and tucked in drawers. And then of course, you have to have stuff up on the wall, and a pretty lamp to go near the rocker…

Well now, it’s done! (Pretty much, anyway. There’s still a little more accessorizing to come…) Would you like to take a peek?

It’s a small room, just down the hallway from the master, and right next to Kellan’s bedroom. I initially wanted the color profile to be a black/white/pale pink combo with lots of luxurious fabrics and prints, but once we moved in and decided to keep the soft beige carpet on the floor (instead of ripping it up to expose the hardwood) we realized it might be smart to incorporate some tan colors into the space. Plus, Michael’s parents left us a sweet little velvety brown rocker that fits just perfectly in the corner of the room. So now everything is black/brown/tan/pale pink, with a ‘lil bit of white thrown in. Oh, I should also mention that Michael designed the art above the crib, and I think it turned out beautifully. So, without further ado…take a look!

Check out that crowded closet! There are lots and lots of clothes in there, and in the dresser below. (I’m starting her off right.) I’d like to get a skirt made for the crib so I can stash some tubs of baby blankets and crib sheets underneath to make more room in the closet, but I’m not sure when that’ll get done. Someday, maybe.

So there you have it…the big baby nursery reveal! What do you think?

After this week’s appointment? I am convinced that my body and I are horribly out of sync with each other. Because while I was thinking progress, my body was apparently thinking status quo.

There is no progress.

So unless there’s a major medical miracle in very short order, there is no way I’ll be delivering with my regular OB. Nope, he’s off for a three week vacation starting Saturday. So, this week I met the guy who will be delivering the baby. He seems nice. Sigh.

Whatever. He’s totally qualified, and friendly, and it’s no big deal. And we’ll end up with a baby once it’s over, which is all that matters, right?

At least we got to see her again this week. I was a little worried about a slowdown in movement, so the doctor ordered an ultrasound just to make sure everything’s fine. Not only is she fine, but she passed the test with flying colors! And we got another peek at her profile. Awww.

But you know what? I don’t know why any of this should be a surprise to me. I knew from the beginning that this kid wasn’t going to be here on or before her due date. I just knew it. So really, things are turning out just the way I thought they would. Except for the doctor switcheroo, of course.

So the wait continues. I’ll let you know when/if things change…

I’ll be hauling a diaper bag again. I’ll be hauling a baby carseat again. I’ll be doing all this while trying to corral a busy three-year old. I know it’s possible – I see parents do it all the time – I just don’t think I’ve mentally prepared myself for what’s ahead. I’m only just thinking about these things a few days before my due date! Of course, I’ve had other things on my plate lately…

So what do I need to know, friends? What am I woefully ignorant of? If you’ve got advice, warnings, or just a plain ‘ol reality check for me, I’d like to hear it.

(Just don’t try to freak me out too much, okay?)

Ah, a good night’s sleep. It’s what we all long for, right? To be cozy, cofortable and well rested…wait, cofortable?

Yes, that is what the package of the One Step Ahead Dri Nights Bedwetter Pants promises. That 4T sized children will enjoy a “slim, cofortable fit” as they snooze. How is that better than a comfortable fit, I wonder? Must be some new advanced feature?

And guess what else I learned today? The doctor is starting a three week vacation on my due date! So this means either a miracle happens in the next 10 days, or I’ll be having my second baby with a stranger. It’ll be my doctor’s partner, but still.

I know, I know. Any qualified OB will be totally fine. And it’s not like I haven’t done this before. But can I whine for a second? I’d like the doctor who delivered my first child to deliver my second! Is that so wrong? And besides that, I know my OB’s style, and I know what to expect!

If there’s a little bit of progress in the next week, I could be induced…but I’d REALLY like to avoid that route this time. Mostly so I can actually eat before labor. I was in labor for 22 hours last time, and when you consider the fact that I didn’t eat the night before I was induced, I went something like 32 hours without any food passing my lips. I am not joking when I tell you that I moaned the words, “Pancakes…french toast…waffles…” between contractions. Not sure why I was so hung up on breakfast foods. But I could have easily gone carnivore had there been something – anything – in front of me that was edible. That’s how desperate I was.

So ideally, I’d like to go in next week for my check and hear the doctor say, “Oh! You are ready to go! You have your overnight bag in your car? Perfect. Let’s wheel you over to Labor and Delivery right now.”

And since I don’t believe in all the crap people tell you to do to induce labor – eat spicy food? drink castor oil? go for long walks? walk with one foot in the gutter and one on the curb? (yes, someone told me this one, and yes, I’ve tried it) – I’ll just work on a little visualization to get this kid movin’ on out. That’s a heck of a lot easier than all those other shenanigans.

Hey, I gotta conserve energy for when this finally happens, right?

There are four members of our family whom we have to keep tabs on at all times. If one of them were to get lost, our world would surely spin out of control. Introducing…Boo Boo, Gretel, The Captain, and Betel.

I’m not sure how Boo Boo came to be a part of the stuffed monkey family, but his role is a very important one. Kellan takes care of Boo Boo and Betel (apparently the baby monkey) while The Captain and Gretel are at work.

And yes, the monkeys all have specifically assigned names and identities. I found this out one day when I accidentally interchanged Gretel and Betel’s names. Whoopsie. I immediately got a lecture on who’s who. Now I just remember: Betel=baby=smallest monkey. Got it.

How did Kellan name his little menagerie? Not sure where Boo Boo came from. The Captain is named for Captain Von Trapp from the Sound of Music. Gretel gets her name from the character in the same movie. And Betel? Well, it rhymes with Gretel. Of course.

I know Kellan doesn’t want to play favorites, but I can tell Boo Boo gets a little more attention than the rest. He’s also the only one with a full given name: Boo Boo Cosmo Reagan. Seriously. But I’m starting to worry about Boo Boo a little. His head is criss-crossed with a series of bruise-like marks. Some of them even appear to be sorta scab-like and/or bloody. I’m wondering if Kellan is not watching him as closely as he should…

Does this warrant a call to Child Protective Services? He seems well cared for otherwise. Wait a minute…now I get where Boo Boo gets his name. Poor kid.

Or rather, poor hunk of stuffed polyester and plastic.

I SO wish I had more energy right now. I hate that I’m not blogging on a regular basis! But alas, it’s just not in the cards at the moment. As I type this, I’m looking at eight – yes, eight – open cardboard boxes near the front door which are halfway unpacked. And don’t even get me started about the glass vase and coffee mugs that have been sitting out of place in the kitchen for the past four weeks…or the picture frames scattered all over the living room floor.

Basically, my life is all about survival right now. I’m trying to figure out how to get Kellan back on a more reliable napping/sleeping schedule, while trying to unpack and prepare for baby, all while trying not to melt in the wretched heat. I’m also trying to keep my brain from falling out of my head. I swear, I can’t remember a THING right now. Like, why did I not stop in at Toys R’ Us and buy a kiddie pool that I can act like a beached whale in? I was right by that store today. Ugh. Guess I’ll just have Kellan turn the hose on me or something.

So anyway. I am due in about two weeks. Specifically, JULY 24. Anyone care to guess when the big event will actually happen? My mom’s prediction of a birth two weeks before the due date has doesn’t hold much promise at this point. I’m guessing I’ll be overdue, probably by about a week. Because that’s just my luck.

Not much else to share at this point, other than the little tidbit Kellan shared with our OB nurse while I was at the doctor last week:

Nurse: How are you liking your new house? Is your room cool?

Kellan: Yeah. It has a stage!

Nurse: A stage? Aren’t you lucky! Does your mommy rock out with you?

Kellan: Nah. Cause she would break it.

Nice, huh? Nice for a big ol’ pregnant lady’s self-esteem! Thanks a lot, kid.

Boy, was that a smart decision.

We reeeeaaallly needed a break. I really needed a break. I needed to smell the fresh mountain air and just sit. Sit and watch the sun sparkle on the Payette Lake. To listen to the birds. To put my feet up.

I could have easily sat around like that all weekend, but I didn’t want to miss out on anything either. So I hiked in the woods, walked around downtown McCall and the Farmers’ Market, walked down (and back up the steep hill!) to the beach, and braved the crowds to get a beautiful view of the fireworks over the lake. It was so worth it. Kellan had his first Smore’s! We managed to find two morel mushrooms in the woods! (If you’ve never been morel mushroom hunting, it’s like the ultimate Easter egg hunt. It’s addicting.) We gorged on ice cream cones! Kellan stayed up late to see his first big fireworks show! We got absolutely filthy (well, some of us more than others…ahem…like a certain three year old and a certain canine) while hiking in the woods! It was fabulous.

Sadly, it just might be our last trip up to the mountains for the rest of the summer. I’m sure we’ll try to make it up one more time post-baby, but lately I’ve learned that I cannot plan on anything to go just the way I’d like it to. (Seriously. We came home to a garage door that won’t open due to a broken coil, and my entire closet rod came off of the wall and collapsed on the floor. Every time we turn around, it’s something else…) But at least we managed to squeeze in one little getaway. I think it did us all a world of good.

This is a perfect patriotic parfait for the Fourth of July holiday. It is kid-friendly, healthy, and most of all — fun! What kid doesn’t like to eat food in the shape of a star?

What you’ll need:

• Watermelon
• Nonfat or lowfat vanilla yogurt
• Blueberries
• Clear plastic 9 oz. tumblers
• Star-shaped cookie cutter

1. Slice the watermelon into 1/2 inch rounds.
2. Use a small, star-shaped cookie cutter (they are sometimes sold as fondant cutters) to press out several star shapes from the watermelon round. You’ll need four per cup.
3. Place the stars along the sides of the cup, so that you can see their shape while holding the cup.
4. Put a dollop of yogurt (a heaping tablespoon) in the center of the cup. The yogurt will spread and press against the stars just enough to hold them up against the sides.
5. Put a generous handful of blueberries on top of the yogurt layer.
6. Top with more yogurt, and add another star shape or two for garnish.
7. Serve immediately, and enjoy!