Reasons to be Patient

Well, here I am a week from my due date, reminding myself to be patient. I am so excited to meet our new little guy and to not be a "big mama" anymore that I am getting a little antsy. Especially since, according to my Dr. I could have the baby at any time, and when I do actually go into labor it will be very quick because I'm already halfway there.

So, here are some good reasons for me to be patient and let the little guy show up when he wants to.

Reason #1: Sickness Andrew got a cold this week and he has been feeling miserable with a fever, runny nose, and a cough. I took this picture of him a few minutes ago. Rick and the other children are at church. As soon as they were gone, Andrew walked over to the couch, lay down, and fell asleep. It has been nearly 2 hours and he is still there, resting.

I know what it is like to bring a newborn home to sick kids. When we brought Makayla home from the hospital, Emily had a nasty cold. When Andrew came home from the hospital, all of the kids were sick with runny noses, coughs, and fevers. The babies never got sick, but it was stressful. How do you tell the excited siblings to stay away from their new baby?--They have been waiting months to meet him just like we have.

Maybe after a week, everybody will be well and we won't have this worry.

Reason #2: Construction

When we moved here, our family room area looked like this:

We did a ton of work to the house in our first months here and it was exhausting:

One project that we decided to save for a later time was the fireplace. We have been wanting to put in a built-in entertainment center and remove the unsightly gray tile and bench around the fireplace. We found a contractor that we really like. Because he is so good, you have to get on his schedule months in advance. We were hoping the project would be complete by the time the baby arrived. This is what our family room looks like today:

The fireplace has been removed so that they can install the shelving. The thing under the blanket to the left is the fireplace. The carpenters put a slab of sheet rock (or something) in front of the hole so the kids wouldn't get in there. The shelving is being built in the shop and is scheduled to be installed on the 28th and 29th (I am due on the 31st).

I don't really want to share my first few days home with a newborn with a group of carpenters in and out of the house with all their noise and chaos.

Reason #3: Projects

It's not like I don't have any number of things I could be doing to stay busy. Here is one example:

Filing. I just don't love it. I haven't filed since May when Ricky was sick with Lyme Disease. There are many reasons why I don't want to do it. For one thing, the file cabinet is nearly full, so in order for me to file, I have to clean out the old stuff. That is a full day project in itself. Besides that, who wants to sit in front of the file cabinet shredding and organizing when I could be taking a nap instead?

Besides filing, there are any number of projects I could complete which would be much more difficult with a newborn and four other children clamouring for my attention: cleaning the light fixtures and heating vents, organizing the thousands of pictures I don't have in albums, organizing and winterizing the garden room, and other equally undesireable projects. Besides the big projects that rarely get done, there are always bathrooms to be cleaned, floors to be mopped, dishes to be loaded and unloaded, laundry to be washed and folded, etc. It's not like I am sitting on the couch counting down every minute until I will have baby chores to help fill my time . . . well, OK, maybe I am sitting on the couch more often than I should, but I have a good excuse, right?

Reason #4: My SisterThe above picture of me and my sis is from about 15 years ago. We are waiting at the airport parking lot for the shuttle to arrive. I believe we are on our way to my cousin's wedding.

If I were to go into labor this very moment, I would have to call friends in the area to come take care of the kids (including a sick Andrew). Somebody would probably have to stay here over night and get them to school in the morning. Andrew would need somebody to take care of him all day. I know there are several people who are willing to do this, but I just hate asking people to do these things.

My sister, Cathy, has graciously offered to come visit and help take care of the kids when I have the baby. She arrives on Friday, the 29th, and I am so excited to see her and her youngest child, David. Her husband is being very sweet to take care of their older two girls while she is here taking care of me and the kids. Andrew is thrilled that Aunt Cathy is coming and bringing a friend for him to play with.

For me, I am excited just to see her. We don't get to visit each other very often, so it is a treat when we are together. Even if I won't be at my best when she is here, I am so glad for the visit.

See how much more simple it would be if I could be patient until she is here? Although, I would miss spending time with her while I was at the hospital, the kids wouldn't be so uprooted from their routines.

Reason #5: Practice

Obviously, I need a little more practice being patient. Like most of our other children who didn't arrive on time, our youngest son is already teaching me about flexibility and humility. As much as I'd like to think so, I am not always the one in charge. I'm sure my patience will continue to be tested as he grows into a young man, and I guess I am grateful for that because how else would I learn?

Besides . . . we still have yet to decide on a name.