Sure, I've been MIA for a while, but I'll address that later. Today I want to discuss due dates. What exactly IS a due date? What does it all mean? I will answer that in 3 time frames. Shall we? Yes! Let's...
Newly knocked up:
Oh my goodness, how exciting?! You find out you're pregnant!!! Doctors confirm and calculate your due date. In my case, they had to calculate 2x. They first thought I was further along than I was, so the first was Dec 7th... You know, the day that will live in infamy? Pearl Harbor Day. Incidentally, my grandfather was AT Pearl Harbor that day. Clearly he made it out, thus my ability to blog. ;) The second due date, after my first ultrasound, became January 13th, which is indeed tomorrow - and a friday the 13th. Why not?! You don't really "FEEL" pregnant, so the due date is sort of a badge of "proof" that you are, indeed, knocked up. A date that seems forever away and almost unattainable, but something to provide hope and a finish line.
Mid to late knocked up:
Are we there yet? It's taking FOREVER!!! Of course, there are still a zillion things to do and finally you have some energy to do them...kinda... The due date becomes a deadline. As the months count down and your girth ramps up, you realize how very real it all is. By now you feel the little bugger kicking the crap out of you and putting demands on your food intake, bathroom needs and nearly ever other facet of your life and she isn't even OUT yet. Though there is so much excitement as you look ahead, there's also a bit of fear. If she controls so much now, what is she going to be like once she's here?! Doesn't matter now, does it?! It's done and it's ON! And so you sail ever closer to that iceberg hoping you stay afloat and you've got enough time to get all that you need to do, done. Deeeeep breath. Take a lot of them. You're going to need them.
Game time:
You're going to the doctor ALL the time now, it seems. You have never been so excited to see a pee cup in your life until this stage when you show up for your appointment. Your only fear is overflowing it. That's not fun for anyone involved... Fetal monitors, ultrasounds, personal violations to check for possible dilation, attempts to speed the process along, etc... Week after week, something invasive and sometimes unwelcome. I'm thankful that my folks know to do first, explain later and apologize during. Especially the super unpleasant things. Due date? Tomorrow. What does that mean? Freakin' nothing. At all. Its at this stage you realize that the "due date" is a rough generalization, an average, that really has very little bearing. What you saw as a finish line, was merely a "good luck, you'll probably go later...sorry". Seems first births take a bit longer. The 40 weeks that you're told are how long a pregnancy takes...it's an average between the shortest average and the longest average. What you thought was a finish line...it's not. I'm constantly being told that I can't be pregnant forever, but I'm not sure Moira accepts that information. She is a touch on the stubborn side... I'm blaming her father for that. HA!!!
Well, if nothing happens between now and my appointment on Monday, I believe we'll be inducing. So FINALLY an end in sight. Watch her wait til the last possible moment to start something... Precious little heifer of mine.
