Under a Full Moon

The moon during our drive to the hospital

This past fall I had my tarot cards read by a co-worker (find her here). One of the first things she asked me was if I was pregnant. Knowing, but not announcing anything at that I point, I just laughed. She then stated, "Well you will be having another baby in the year". She is that good.

Months later, we had the ultrasound where we could have found out the gender of our baby. We decided not to, but I was still curious. At work that week I asked her what it was. Without hesitation, she said "It’s a boy, and I am very good".

Towards the end of the pregnancy anxiety of when Baby 2 was going to make his/her appearance was getting to me and my classroom staff. One of my co-workers went to find out what the expert had to say. She stated, "During the full moon". That afternoon I went home and told Wade. He looked up the lunar calendar and saw it was at its fullest on April 18th. Wade and I joked that the moon was going to pull the baby out of me.

April 18th was my first day of leave. On days of full moons weird things seem to happen. While Amelia and I enjoyed the afternoon sun drinking hot coco and the beach with the dog, my school was in lock down for over an hour (article here). I felt guilty for not being at work and hoped the moon was going to do its trick late that night. However, I felt too good.

Around 9:30pm, Wade and I were sitting and watching TV. I started to have some contractions, but I didn't think anything of it because I have had them off and on for over a week. But one turned to two, two to three, and so on. They kept getting worse and worse and within an hour I needed to go. Wade called Grandma and as soon as she arrived to be with Amelia we were gone.

We arrived at the hospital around 11:30pm. Given that it was the full moon, it was a busy place. As I tried to check in they had no room for me in triage. I had to wait in the waiting room while someone was being sent home and a room cleaned. Not fun. Once in triage I was admitted with one check. I was dilated and it was going fast. Within an hour, I was in the delivery room and was getting ready to push. I had to wait some for an epidural (horrid and I have no idea how people do it naturally) and nurses referred to my labor as "the fast and furious". Once I started pushing they kept saying it would be within minutes, however minutes turned to an hour and something wasn't right. Turned out baby was tied up and sunny side up like Amelia was. They had no choice but to get the forceps. Two pushes later, Baby was here.

The doctor called Wade over to cut his baby girl's cord. Wade looked at the doctor with confusion and asked him to look again. Wade was pretty sure what he was looking at wasn’t a girl. Low and behold, she was a he and Liam Daryl Koning joined us at 2:46am on April 19th; under a full moon.

And my co-worker, IS THAT GOOD!

7 lbs 8 oz and 20 in

Proud daddy and son

Meeting bis sister for the first time

Potty Entertainment

While I chug through my last week of work, Amelia has been spending time with friends and family.    Yesterday, while with grandma, she was caught on tape while using the potty.  She has already discovered that reading can help get things going! 

All of a sudden she insists on wearing underwear and being a big girl.  Perfect timing for baby number two to arrive.  It would be so nice and cheap to have just one in diapers.

I hit 39 weeks today.  This has resulted in me being 3cm for over two weeks.  I am going NUTS.  I wish I was clueless about any progress because I am looking into everything as "Is this it?" I am still technically early, so come next week this time you'll see me doing jumping jacks and eating spicy foods to really gets things moving.

What did I agree to?

Dear Baby,

I want to let you know that I am a planner. I love to add things into my calendar. I like predictability, routines, and schedules. I am a list person. The feeling I get when something is marked off or completed is euphoric.

But, something happens to me when I am pregnant. I still have a calendar, a schedule and lists; however I let some of the planning out of my hands. For example, not knowing your gender. I can rationalize this because whether you are boy or girl, you are the one I am supposed to have. I just get to wait a little longer to hear the doctor announce it upon your arrival to the world. Not knowing doesn’t change a thing. It is life’s biggest secret and well worth the wait. I also get some kicks out of how it drives people crazy.

Now to the purpose of this letter, a pre-apology. I am not sure why I agreed to it, but I did. I gave your father your naming rights, boy or girl. With your big sister he had it if she was a boy. In that case I knew the name(s) he had in mind. They weren’t bad. With you….I have NO idea.

This is what I have heard thus far: If you are a boy your name might be Guy, Mann, or Buddy. I have also heard Gustaf. If you are a girl, your two year old big sister gets the name. That means your name might be Baby, Dora, Snow White or some other Disney Princess. Your Grandfather Fred is no better; he wants Farrell (like a wild pig or cat).

I promise I won’t sign the birth certificate if it is really bad. I will also try to come up with a really cool nickname if needed.

I have high hopes your dad will pleasantly surprise me/us. Nevertheless, if something does happen, just listen and make the song by Jonny Cash, “A Boy Named Sue” your anthem. What doesn’t kill you will only make you stronger!

Love you forever,

Mom

37 Weeks

There is a doctor at my OBGYN office that may have a slight case of ADHD.  I actually think it is a good thing because he is always so excited when I see him and always likes to talk which makes the appointments pretty personal (he can lose focus on what he was saying and goes off topic a lot).   This is the same doctor that I wrote about here when pregnant with Amelia. 

Well, he has done it again...I left the appointment a little in "huh?" mood and thinking I better start taking this baby coming business seriously.   Similar to last week's appointment they checked my blood pressure, baby position and such.  This time around they went in for the big check to see how things are progressing "down there".  Well, low and behold, with 21 more days to go, I am already dilated to 3cm.  He then proceeds to say, like before with Amelia, "I might see you tonight, but I think within the week".   And like before, Wade is out of town (until Sat).  To make it even more exciting, my mom and sister leave tomorrow for NY City until the 5th.  

So, like before, I am using the power of The Secret (mind power) to make it at least through next week and into the next.

Send me good thoughts!

You know you are in your last month of pregnancy when.....

Super Koning by Joe

• A student innocently says that you walk like a penguin.
• Maternity clothes start to feel snug.
• It takes a whole weekend to clean your house because when you sit to take a break, it takes hours before you start again.
• You send your toddler to daycare in pajamas (however, they were cute).
• You are counting down the Mondays you have left of work (2).
• Sleeping at night...what's that?
• When you feel a sneeze coming on, you cross your legs as FAST as you can so you don't have to change pants.
• A student draws you as a super hero and they include the belly.
• Majority of the sounds coming out of your mouth are grunts instead of words.
• You go to get something out of the freezer and end up cleaning out the whole thing due to nesting.
• Walking though the halls at work, people look at you and mouth "wow".  Note to self, no more horizontal strips.

I have started my weekly check-ups!  Baby has dropped and the head is down.  Keeping my fingers (kind of) crossed that I make it to work on the 15th.  

Tub Time

After months of the hot tub being indisposed, Wade has finally got it fixed.   I still have a couple months before I am able to enjoy its relaxation ways, but Amelia took the opportunity of it still warming up and jumped in for a swim.   Ever since, she has asked to go swimming with Daddy every night!

Soul Sister

"This is my song!"   - Amelia