Baby Update

I had another appointment yesterday that was the first of 3 internal exams. It's about as fun as it sounds but at least I found out the baby is head down, so that is good news! I am not dilated or effaced yet, which I learned has no bearing on when the baby will be born. Some women walk around for days and weeks dilating and others don't dilate at all until the day the baby is born! I also found out that my induction will be at 7:30am on the 23rd. My doctor told me I will be hooked up to an IV which will slowly release the pitosin and start mild contractions. Once my water breaks (or is broken for me) I will start to have intense contractions. At 4cm dilated I can have an epidural which I'm definitely doing as I did with Ethan!

Also, yesterday was my last day at work! I had told them I would try to make it until the 18th, but yesterday morning I got a migraine just as I got to work and it just hit me that it was getting to be too much with the drive downton and back everyday. And of course all of the other stressful things I have to deal with in a normal work day. Once I had made the decision, it felt like a huge weight had been lifted of my shoulders, knowing that I can enjoy the last few weeks (or days) of this pregnancy. I'm proud of myself for making it this far and am very grateful for having a healthy and uneventful pregnancy that allowed me to be able to work full-time for this long. As this pregnancy draws to a close, I can't help but think how different it was than with Ethan! I was so stressed out throughout my whole pregnancy with him, and I'm still anxious but I feel like I know hat to expect this time.

Random Pondering Thoughts...
So we went to Mark and Shan's today for an "opening day" party to watch the game and stuff. Eric and Lisa brought their 3 month old Caleb and everyone got to talking about marriage and kids. As everyone went around and said their opinions on the what they want to do and what is right, I got to thinking about how there really is no one right way. For instance, one to some people, it is important to have a lot of kids and create a family above all else. For others, it is about pursuing a career and having a nice home, etc... and not so much about having a child. It really made me realize that everyone has some aspect of their life that they haven't figured out yet. For instance, Josh and I have a great family life and marriage and another child on the way, yet we haven't conquered having a career or buying a home, etc...We just seem to slide by somehow in that way, even though it's something that is really important to us. On the other hand, there are other people who have their careers and money in order and have a house but can't seem to agree on children or have been trying to have a child and can't. It seems that there is always something out of reach for all of us that we care deeply about but haven't quite gotten there yet. As I listened to everyone debate about marriage and children and jobs, I really realized that there is no one right way. And no person is better over the other for what they have or do not have. Eventually, we'll all get there. Also, it is better to admit to yourself that maybe you don't want children and want to focus on other things rather than having a kid and THEN realizing you didn't want to be a parent! Some people want to have kids early and others would rather focus on careers while they are young and have kids later. I used to be adamant about having children early, but I don't really think one way is better over the other. And no matter which path in life is right for you, there will be the same amount of challenges either way. After all, it's usually when you think you've got it all figured at that things fall apart! Like Josh's mom always tells us, it may seem like things are difficult now, but enjoy the ride because it's when you think you have all that you want in terms of financial stability and a good job, etc... is when things get boring and monotonous. I guess I've had this on my mind because of our situation as I am about to have the baby and Josh is still looking for a job! I know it will be a challenge but I know we won't fail, and we've been through A LOT of difficult times so we know what we are in for! Although I he can get a "job" I REALLY hope this Kohler thing works out next week; keep you fingers crossed!
Whew! Ok that was a lot, but I have a lot on my mind these days!