Trophy Baby

4.4.11
Dr. Mack is back and even though I was scheduled to come in this morning he still seemed surprised to see me. Well, he was either surprised to see me or maybe it was my entourage that threw him off. At the last appointment with a different doctor I got the impression that as soon as my doctor saw me he would send me directly to Labor and Delivery to be induced so I brought my whole delivery crew: Husband, Mother and Doula. The nurse weighed me and Dr. Mack looked at me and my belly and paced back and forth in the hallway saying, “six days overdue… six days overdue.” We all piled into the room and Doc started off with confirming my delivery date and then repeated a few more times that I am 6 days overdue. He said he was glad to be here for the delivery but that she’s pretty big and he would’ve been ok with her coming last week because of her size. He proceeded to do the ultrasound and pointed out that my placenta looked aged as he showed me the white lines on the screen. He also checked to make sure there was enough amniotic fluid and because she’s so big there were only pockets of it, like air bubbles trapped behind her knees and her neck. His estimate of her weight is 9-10lbs and the ultrasound confirmed that. Kyle’s response was, “so if she was a fish she’d be a trophy?” To which my doctor replied, “she’d definitely be a keeper, you wouldn’t throw this one back!”
My girlfriend asked me yesterday if I had taken the tags off my newborn clothes and I told her that of course I took the tags off, I didn’t know that I was giving birth to a toddler! At this point I think the baby will only get to wear each newborn outfit once and that’s if I put them all on her in the same day. I wonder if there are newborn diaper extenders so I can use at least some of the 240 that I had fedexed in time for her due date... last week.
My dad is flying out today because, yet again, we thought the baby would be here by now. He was supposed to take a test this morning before he got on the plane but it has been postponed for 2 weeks. I was telling someone that at least he would have plenty of time to study while he was waiting for the baby and she pointed out that he could study for and pass the Bar Exam while he was waiting for me to have a baby!
Our waiting may be almost over because tonight the induction process begins. The first step is a gel that goes on my cervix to help it ripen. Great, I will have an aged placenta and a ripened cervix. If that works then tomorrow morning they will start me on Pitocin to help me dilate and start the contractions. I have never looked forward to pain and discomfort with such enthusiasm. As the doctor was explaining this morning why I should be induced I actually cut him short and told him my bag was packed and I was ready to go. One way or another we are having a baby by Wednesday!