The 16th has come and gone...

To those who know me well, they knew that I was really hoping for baby girl to come on the 16th. There were several reasons for this:

1. 16 is my lucky number (I was born on the 16th). It just sounded like a good day.
2. This would be four days early. A safe amount of earliness. I don't think that any nine-month-pregnant lady would disagree that safe early is preferable over on time or late. It's like winning the baby lottery.
3. This would have made her come while Sean is on Spring Break, which would have just been so convenient. And children are supposed to be convenient, right?

Well, I promised her a car on her 16th birthday and everything but.. she's a no show. I mean, sure, who knows if I could follow through on that, but she couldn't have known that right? So in the words of Sean, she's already a disappointment to us.

... Okay, I feel heartless even just typing that as a joke. We don't mean it baby girl! If anything, we are blaming ourselves-- I mean, she is our child, so of course she's going to be late. (If she's more like her mother, she'll be 1-2 days late... if she's more like her father, she's going a good week over...  haha, he never reads these but when he does he's going to be so mad! So for when you do read this, Sean, I'm talking about dating Sean; you've improved greatly over these last few years... love you!)

So now that the 16th has gone, we are mentally preparing ourselves for the 27th. One week past my due date, when they would induce me, if it comes to that. I don't think it will, because it looks like everything's working fine and progressing, but... who knows. I was having all of these early labor signs a couple days ago that convinced me I was going to go early (the book said that "when ___ happens, usually labor follows within 24 hours"!) but, I've found that I apparently fall into the latter part of the sentence that I sort of conveniently skimmed over ("... though it could be another one to two weeks.")

Anyway, this whole ticking time bomb thing is quite the experience, such a mind game. It's like an unpredictable Christmas, only like Sean said-- "I've never had to wait this long for a present!"  I just have to keep telling myself that our little present has got to come out eventually, right???

Okay, well here's some pictures now.

 

This is a fun game I play in the mirror. It's called Front View...

Side view! This is at 36 1/2 weeks. Also, note the cute coat Sean picked out for me at Christmas all on his own. It's great because it's not maternity but totally works.

 

 Without the coat, for the full effect. I probably should have cropped these pictures.. meh.

 

Me and my basketball.

Some leftovers from the Baby Shower brunch the sweet ladies in my ward threw for me. And holy cow, those ladies can cook! This picture does not do this food justice. It was amazing.

The cake from my team on my last day of work before maternity leave. Also, very sweet. (I need to get the photos off of my work laptop still from the baby shower they threw me, but spoiler alert-- there was a dinosaur pinata. It was awesome. Now that I think about it, I don't think I've documented baby girl's nickname of "baby dinosaur"-- I will have to get to that later.)

This is at just about 39 weeks. Not the most flattering picture of me, but the face truly captures the disappointment and frustration and level of discomfort I am now feeling.

 

 Today, March 16th, 39 weeks and 3 days. The D-day that wasn't meant to be. The juxtaposition is a subtle hint that perhaps she would be more comfortable in her car seat?

Well, that's all for now. Here's hoping the next time I write it will be a post filled with photos of a cute healthy baby girl! In the mean time, I'm off to go do some more lunges and eat some more spicy food, pineapple and balsamic vinegar... (I know they're old wives tales, but it can't hurt right?)