Home Stretch

Hello, all. Sorry for missing my March post. As you can imagine, preparing for the baby has consumed my life. The good news is that I’m in the home stretch, only about six weeks to go. That number scares me, but what scared me more is that number represent the maximum time I have left. He could arrive even sooner. For so long I have focused so much on May 12 and almost had it planned as if that is the only day he could possibly arrive. Like, ok it is Saturday, May 12, I think I will sleep in, have breakfast and then head to the hospital to have a baby. Right.

It would be nice if he could arrive on the weekend, though … I’m just saying.

I hope I don’t jinx myself, but I’ve been feeling pretty well lately. I don’t have some of the issues that plague pregnant women, like heartburn and swollen feet. I don’t sleep as well as I would like. Maybe it’s God preparing me for never sleeping well again. Just last week, I started feeling a little uncomfortable around my stomach. It feels as if I have maxed out the space available and it aches when I move too suddenly. I’ve managed to keep myself out of maternity shirts. I opted to just by longer normal shirts in a size bigger, if needed. Maternity shirts fit me weird. I have a total of two and they both look stupid on me.  

My weight gain has been completely in check. I’ve gained about 18 lbs. It’s good to know I can still be strict about what I eat (most of the time), even when I’m pregnant. I still try to eat a lot of protein and vegetables and limit my sugar. I’m still crazy about getting enough water every day. I average about a gallon a day, and I think it really makes a difference in how I feel. Hunger and cravings during pregnancy are a beast compared to normal life. I’m not saying it’s been easy or that I haven’t been hard on myself from time to time, but I’ve managed. That’s a lot for a former fatty.  

I’m ready to have my son here, but still a little scared of the whole getting him here part. I have opted to not have a birth plan of any sorts. I know that completely goes against my OCD planning and organizational insanity, but I think it is the right move. I have a tendency to make a plan and then get annoyed or upset when things don’t go according to plan. My work in a public relations agency has greatly improved this, but when it comes to my personal life, the problem still lingers a bit. Hi, I’m Stacy and I’m a control freak.

The last thing I want to do is try to guess what the labor process is like. Let’s face it; I’m not really in charge of what happens. That control lies completely with my son and God. For example, I would really like to not have an epidural. Most would say this is crazy. Maybe it is, but I have no idea what it is going to feel like, how long it will take or how I will respond. So the “plan” is to try it without an epidural, but not rule one out completely. The only other planning I’ve allowed myself is what I will take to the hospital and who is allowed in the room with me. In case you’re wondering if you are invited, the answer is absolutely not … unless your name is Elijah Alcala.

I catch myself trying to carefully plan what will take place the day I go into labor, but that never works. The problem is that I won’t know when or where the journey will begin. What do I do with my dog if it’s the middle of the night? What if my water breaks at work? At what point should I alert my family to help them avoid waiting at the hospital for hours? The other day I asked my parents if one of their neighbors would take care of their dog for them. My mother immediately accused me of being a control freak and told me to stop worrying about it. Sound like tough love? Nah, she just knows me too well. I am definitely my mother’s daughter.

Other than trying to plan for the unknown, Eli and I are enjoying our last few weeks of being a family of two. We’ve been getting things done around the house, putting together a lot of baby gear and discussing how our lives are going to change. We are spending the upcoming holiday weekend at Opryland Hotel to just do nothing. Time didn’t allow for us to take a trip somewhere, so we are getting away a little closer to home. The idea is to remove ourselves from the home for a few days. This way we can’t be working on our to-do list or sitting around feeling like we should be doing something productive. The plan is to eat, sleep and just relax. You’re welcome, local economy.

That’s all I have for now. The next time I blog it could very well be to introduce you to Silas. If I were you, I would check Facebook for any baby updates. At the rate I’ve been going, it will take me a while to get around to another blog.