Almost ‘Go’ Time

38 weeks…

It’s getting close to ‘Go’ time, which means preparing for a surgery, a hospital stay, and…after. I mentioned before that one thing that was making me especially anxious was wondering what would happen to my kids- both human and fur- while I am in the hospital. The human kids are are crazy busy with school and daily practices. It seems the ‘issue’ of how they will get where they need to be has worked itself out, fingers crossed. Will I still miss events and time with them (dogs included)? Obviously. But it is just a few days and I have really been trying to focus on the big picture where my kids and dogs are concerned. So this change in focus allows me to be fully present in the last days with this baby, her family, and the end of this leg of our journey together…And that means preparing for the hospital.

The baby’s parents will arrive in a week just in case I go into labor before my scheduled delivery. Their packing lists have been written, re-written, added to, and subtracted from…So much so that Santa would blush. Of course, I only have to pack for myself, and not for days of driving, either. They have to pack for themselves, AND the baby, AND for a long drive, no less. And with only an 18 year old son, they are essentially 1st time parents. They ran their lists by me, which I love because it makes me feel valued and not just like an employee. Baby care books have been read cover-to-cover, the car seat is in the car, and the nursery is set up and awaiting the arrival of its sweet little inhabitant.

The hospital tour was detailed and informative, and the pre-birth order and any other legal information was passed along to the staff. Upon arrival next week, I will be checked in and prepped for surgery. A case worker will likely come in and speak with us briefly to make sure everything is legally in place and parenting/naming is clear. During the surgery both parents will hopefully be in the operating room, space permitting. They will stand at my head, holding my hands if they wish (I’m making an exception to my ‘no touching’ rule, lol). Once the baby is out, the OB will show her to us briefly, she will be cleaned, weighed and checked out, and handed off to her parents for the important skin-to-skin contact. While they love on her, I will be stitched up and off to recovery on my own. We will have separate postpartum rooms for the duration of our stay- me for at least 2 days, them for at least 24 hours. We don’t simply go our separate ways here, though. My kids will come up to meet and hold the baby, and I am going to pump for her while I am at the hospital.

But, as it is said, all good things must come to an end. The baby will go home with her parents. Their lives as a family of 3 will end, and lives as a family of 4 will begin. I will miss having my little buddy with me everywhere I go, and our time together will be a beautiful memory I will forever cherish. While they spend the next weeks and months getting comfortable raising their little miracle, I will enjoy a 2 month maternity leave, and keep busy with a few new projects of my own. I have 9 days left until I get to meet this little kicking machine and see the sheer joy in her parents eyes as they hold their baby for the first time. Until then, stay tuned while my family grows another…