Due date

Today marks my due date, and proves wrong my doctor's prediction that I'd go early, and even my gut feeling that I'd be adding another September birthday to the family.

When a friend reached her due date, she announced she was treating the date like her birthday, as in she doesn't have to [insert chore] because it's her due date. Pretty much whatever she could get away with not doing, she wasn't doing. I have the same attitude, but I reached that point at 37 weeks. I'm sure that makes me come across as lazy or self-indulged, but the change in mind-set represents a big shift from what I'd been trying to do before, which was everything, without acknowledging that being pregnant with a full-term baby has its limits. Everything from chores to errands is more tiring when your body is working overtime and it's uncomfortable to move, and making dinner loses its appeal when nothing sounds appetizing and you can't do more than snack. So I finally gave myself permission to cut myself some slack.

Meanwhile, all there is to do is wait. I'm reasonably cool with that because I know everything is only going to get harder once the baby comes. However, the downsides of feeling like I'm in a holding pattern are that I find it difficult to make plans and I never know when I should be ready to go. I have a little circle of friends from my moms group who I feel comfortable making tentative plans with, which is a blessing, because they can cater to my energy level and Oliver gets some much-needed social time with other kids. At home I'm trying to stay on top of daily household chores. I'm find myself doing things like running a half-full dishwasher or washer because I'd prefer to have things as clean as possible when it's time to leave for the hospital....whenever that will be....