Hm, perhaps the title says it all?
We're still waiting. It's been a long but so far (for us, at least) uneventful day.
Sydney checked into the hospital bright and early. She checked the "No Information" checkbox so she should have a nice, quiet experience. We've texted off and on all day but she doesn't want us at the hospital yet so we've done all kinds of other things.
We went back to the awesome bagel place for a Rainbow Bagel and a Bacon Cheddar Bagel. We had a bit of a meltdown when we realized we didn't have a camera charger (said meltdown took us to Walmart, Staples and The Shack). We went to a candy factory where Tall Girl kept tasting everying in site and loved watching the production line through the window. She also picked out a sock monkey for baby boy. We washed the car. We played in an awesome park with a tot lot and sooooo many ducks. We got Mexican food for lunch and the mister and I ate it on the deck while Tall Girl took a long nap.
I also had a nice long chat with our lawyer. I don't think he's quite used to paps (prospective adoptive parents) like us. He likes us, just not sure he gets us.
He's been really concerned with getting the contact agreement done. In his experience, that can really hold things up. When we talked today he said that he and Sydney's lawyer talked and they aren't concerned about it at all.
He said that usually that was the only "leverage" the expectant mom had over the adoptive parents.
That just made me a bit sad. I think he's right and that's all too often true.
But both lawyers see that just isn't the case here. None of us are about "leverage". We're focused on making sure that what's best for baby boy is the center of all decisions.
We presented both our lawyer's and our adoption consultant's contact agreement to Sydney as the basis for our discussions. She's always been a bit hesitant to have any sort of agreement, even though we've tried to assure her this is just to protect her rights and she can only enforce it, not us. When she read over our lawyer's form she said "yup this is what I figured it would be like - full of formal language and lots of clauses". When she read our consultants, she breathed a heavy sigh of relief and just said "THIS feels much better".
So my job today was to try to thank our lawyer for his work so far and remind him of our stance on things like contact agreements. Oh and signing forms in the hospital. That's another big no-no to us.
Normally we'd never support an expectant mom signing anything at the hospital but we're willing to bend that rule only if Sydney wants it and her lawyer agrees. We still said we'd prefer to do it somewhere a bit more cosy like our rental or Sydney's place.
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Now we're at the hospital. Sydney's mom called us and said we should come in and get settled for the night. Sydney's mom sounded tired and drained and worried. We hate that. Sydney is still progressing slowly and was in a lot of pain. They just gave her an epidural and that seems to be doing the trick.
The "no info" thing is really working too! We checked in at the maternity charge station and no one is even using her name (just her room number!). There are a lot of babies on their way tonight so our promised room isn't ready. The maternity waiting room is all full too so we're down the hall in the family waiting room. We have the whole place to ourselves!
The security guard just came through and warned us that if we leave to go the snack machines, we won't be able to get back to our waiting room. We need to have Sydney's nurse call security and add our names to the super secret list. That'll score us a couple of stickers and we'll sign in and out to no patient. Nice, huh? Also the nurses on this floor all wear special "secure scrubs" with their own secret code.
Lots of this is probably old hat to those of you that gave birth in hospitals or who had hospital experiences with your babies who came to you through adoption. This is all completely new to us!
I'll update again when we have news! Or if I'm bored in the middle of the night.
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Thanks to everyone for their kind words to us and easy/good thoughts for Sydney. It means so much to us.
special shout out to zhl: SO glad to see you here! I tried to email you earlier today but my iPad did not allow it. Bad iPad! I wanna see pics of YOUR boy! It's been too long since our last playdate.
I hope to wake up to good news in the morning. :-) Wishing you a peaceful and beautiful evening. I hope she progresses ok. Slow progression makes me nervous as well, but I know is typical with inductions. Thinking about you. So excited for you...
All this lawyer stuff makes my head spin. I bet you could write a book. ;)
Posted by: Lois | Friday, 16 September 2011 at 21:34
such an intense time. crazy security too!
glad they are complying with her wishes though.
continuing to wish you all well as baby boy inches closer to birth...
Posted by: luna | Saturday, 17 September 2011 at 01:09
On edge! Hope things go smoothly from here.
Bea
Posted by: Bea | Saturday, 17 September 2011 at 07:35
Security guard? Secret codes? Never heard of it around here, and I remember feeling uneasy in the maternity ward. Anyone could just walk in and out - and pose as a nurse ... (or that's how it felt).
Really hoping Sydney doesn't have to suffer too much. And that everything goes well once baby boy is there!
Posted by: Lut C. | Saturday, 17 September 2011 at 08:51
Waiting right here along with you all. Thanks for the update and I hope it all goes smoothly for Sydney!
Posted by: Summer | Saturday, 17 September 2011 at 09:29
Hoping that the little one has finally arrived. Yes, I'm familiar with all the security measures. We have to "badge" in and out of most every where. But if it's safer for families all is good.
Posted by: Michell | Saturday, 17 September 2011 at 09:42