Today was just your average Wednesday. I spent much of it in a labor and delivery room at the hospital. That's one place I've NEVER spent much time before in my life.
No, Sydney didn't go into labor. Her doc wanted to do a stress test to make sure there wouldn't be any unforseen problems on Friday and Sydney could safely be induced.
So Sydney, her mom and I went to the hospital. They gave us the super big delivery room and we hung out while monitors were recording all that was going on with baby boy.
Sydney passed her test with flying colors. The nurse proclaimed her blood pressure as "beautiful". Baby boy is all set to arrive on Friday.
What an incredibly surreal day!
The hospital will likely give the mister, me and Tall Girl our very own room. Normally our consultant advises against doing that but if there's a room available, we'll take it. It might be nice for us to have a bit of space to call our own there. We've only got one car and we have no idea how long an induction might take. The mister and I are still trying to work out a plan that will have at least one of us at the hospital while the other tries to give Tall Girl some park time/play time/nap time. Suggestions???
I'm getting really excited about this baby boy and how the events over the next few days might unfold. I'm also feeling terribly bittersweet about Tall Girl. It's been such an awesome couple of years and she's sooooo much fun and I love spending time with her...just with her and just with the three of us. I know she'll be an awesome big sister but also feel incredibly wistful at not having the kind of time together we've had.
Tall Girl is also processing a lot. So far we've been reading lots of books with her about babies and such and our party line to her is "Sydney is having a baby and we're going to help her take care of it for a while." Other people have told her she's becoming a big sister but we have steered clear of that. We want to make sure this baby is the baby that makes her a big sister before getting into that part of it.
Over the last couple of weeks we packed up a lot of her baby clothes and her baby car seat. Oh and bottles! Lots and lots of bottles. She clearly remembers all of it (or not so clearly but definitely remembers). She wants to use all the baby things but we tell her "no you're too big for that now, that's for the new baby."
At a local festival on Sunday we were picking out some new presents for Tall Girl and for the new baby. We'd found a onesie for the baby in a lovely shade of forest green, with a pine tree and a full moon painted on it. We were trying to match a hat and bamboo socks from another vendor. The nice lady said "are you getting a new baby soon?" Tall Girl said "Yes! Sydney is having a baby boy. We're going to take care of him. Baby is in Sydney's tummy now but we'll see him soon."
Today she knew I was at the hospital with Sydney. When she met us later she kept saying "hear baby's heartbeat again?" She is understanding so very much of this. I love her so incredibly much, my fierce, beautiful, sunny, sensitive girl. I'm sure I will love this new baby, too, but in a different way.
Wow. It's really close. Thinking of you all, hoping all goes well.
Posted by: Anne | Thursday, 15 September 2011 at 08:16
As fascinating as it was to see motherhood unfold the first time, after thinking it might never happen, this second time around is just as fascinating but in very different ways. There is so much less time to ponder the changes re: impact on the existing family (fascinating from an only child perspective), the wistful feelings about losing one-on-one time with baby the first, etc. I'm about a year and half into subsequent child and I'm finally getting my brain around accepting how I split my time as natural instead of worrying about short-changing someone. It's very cool and I wish you all get here smoothly very soon!
Posted by: Sue | Thursday, 15 September 2011 at 11:21
It's wonderful that TallGirl is so enthusiastic about baby boy.
Sounds like a great big sister in the bud.
Posted by: Lut C. | Thursday, 15 September 2011 at 12:07
Totally agree with Sue!
I hope everything goes well with Sydney. Thinking of you guys often.
Posted by: Mamaliciousdc | Thursday, 15 September 2011 at 13:37
Hope Friday goes ok and that the induction doesn't take too long. As far as staying at the hospital can one person be dropped off and the other parent leave occasionally with the car to take Tall Girl to the park etc? I hope it all works out great there too. That's pretty cool they let you stay. We have let an adoptive parent stay but in the same room with bio mom and it was only one person allowed to stay.
Posted by: Michell | Thursday, 15 September 2011 at 16:30
I actually felt the same wistful feeling, knowing that Jaye would no longer be The Baby anymore.
wish I saw this earlier so I could make recommendations about tall girl. but truth is, she will tire out any way you try to do this.
wishing you all well!
Posted by: luna | Saturday, 17 September 2011 at 01:07