DIANE KNOX: An Invernessian in the USA counts her blessings as she prepares for the birth of her son
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Four weeks to go until we’re “Balas, party of three!” – well, five if you count the dogs.
On that note, if you have any tips on how to introduce doggies to baby, please let me know. Any and all help with that would be greatly appreciated, as it may be the biggest source of my anxiety right now!
Time has flown by. It has flown by for me, anyway. I asked my husband if he felt the pregnancy has gone quickly to which he replied, with zero hesitation: “No, it feels like you’ve been pregnant forever!”
I also asked him if my level of “annoying” was worse now or in the first trimester, when I was battling constant nausea and sickness, and he responded with: “It’s been pretty consistent throughout.”
Of course, he jokes. I hope!
But we’re on the final countdown now, and judging by the size of this baby four more weeks could be a stretch.
We’ve known for the duration that Baby Balas is a big boy and has measured in the 98 percentile for the past few months – long legs, round abdomen and a big head! He’s measured two weeks early since the first trimester, so in a way I’ve been mentally preparing for an early arrival.
The nursery is ready (not that he’ll use it for a while), we’re armed with every gizmo, gadget and nappy we may require, and my hospital bag is packed and ready to go.
Still, I’m well aware that no matter how organised we may think we are, nothing can truly prepare us for what lies ahead.
I’ve been seeing my doctor every few weeks, and last week we talked about the possibility for birth by caesarean section. As he’s measuring so large, we can elect to book in for a section at 39 weeks, or be induced for a natural birth during the same timeframe.
I’ve said all along I’ll do whatever is best for baby boy, but the doctor also has to look out for me. I suppose there are pros and cons to both, but my mindset is to just embrace the experience of childbirth whichever form it takes.
I turn 40 in April, therefore this may be the only baby we have. Of course, we would love to have a second child, but we’ve always been very realistic about the size of our family given the stage of life we’re in and I guess we’ll have to see what happens down the line.
There was a time when this child looked uncertain, so we count our blessings every single day.
I’ve tried to embrace everything that this pregnancy has brought, from the initial period of “morning sickness” that lasted all day and all night, to the body changes and all the crazy symptoms that nobody tells you about. I’ve taken photos at each and every stage to look back on and recall the miracle that pregnancy really is.
It still seems so surreal to think that my son is going to be in my arms in a few short weeks and, for the rest of my life, this wee boy is going to take top billing in everything that comes our way. It’s a dream come true.
I’m definitely in full-on nesting mode, slowing down the pace of everyday life and getting in as much sleep as possible.
I’ll be back with one more column next week before I take a break, but I hope you’ll follow along on social media for all the updates.
Even though we can’t possibly prepare for what’s to come, we’re definitely prepared to go with the flow and appreciate every moment.
