late, for a very important date

My babies are always late. Really late.

Although to tell you the truth, I bristle at that term.

See, I'm in the camp that believes that the baby will come when he or she is good and ready. And while there are legitimate medical reasons to induce labor, I believe that in most cases, the benefits to waiting outweigh any drawbacks. Happily, my midwife shares these beliefs. So we're cool.

So while I'm technically past my estimated/LMP estimated due date (EDD), I'm still three days from the date we settled on: February 1st.

Better to focus on February, anyway. Really.

The world seems to be fixated on due dates, and I tend to be no exception. There's something about the countdown, being able to put numbers to it. 10 weeks left. Then 4 weeks. Well, here we are at 3 days, and I find myself trying to ignore those numbers altogether. When it comes to childbirth, due dates have never been kind to me.

See, my first baby was born 11 days after his EDD. First time? Not too surprising.

Then my second son arrived at 5 days after his EDD. Great!

Naturally, I assumed that my third child would continue the earlier-each-time trend.

Silly me.

My darling Owen, the apple of my eye (until he hit the harrowing age of 1 1/2), was the latest of all. After a long and inexplicably emotional wait, he arrived a whopping 15 days after his EDD.

This time around, I'm trying to bide my time. There's a tricky balance to be found, though, because I want to be prepared. I'm that girl who likes to have all of her ducks in a row. I want to be caught up on things, have a nice supply of easy meals in the freezer. Have my hair recently trimmed, a store of extra toiletries. And I tend to be a person who thinks in terms of "last times."

This is my last haircut before Baby arrives.

This is the last time I'll trim Owen's fingernails before he's a big brother.

This is the last time I'll clean the bathroom before the birth. I'm certain they won't have time to muck it up too badly before I go into labor...

But that kind of thinking can drive a person a little batty. Trust me.

So, I'm attempting to be as ready as I can...but to go with the flow. To enjoy sleeping through the night while I can. To get a few more decorations up on the walls, a few more boxes of books unpacked. To relish quiet evenings spent alone with my husband. To plan a few more family activities that will be tricky to accomplish once Little Bit arrives.

All the same, I'm so very eager to meet my new little one. I'm dreaming of gazing at that tiny face, feeling baby's sweet breath on my cheek, getting to know one another on a whole new level.

So, while I firmly believe in patience...bring on the Babymoon!