Part Two.

click here for Part One

After a quick ultrasound, the OB comes back in and we're told that it's time for us to head to the hospital. The baby has stopped growing, and at this point it's better for her to be out than to stay in. "IUGR" he says. "but you're 39 weeks along and the baby should be fine" he continues. But I don't hear that. I stopped listening at "IUGR" - and of course, I've read way too many blogs for my own good and all I can think about is those tiny micro preemies. And oh God, another NICU stay?!

20 weeks, 5 days

"How about tomorrow" I asked through tears. "I'm not ready. I just need a day to take it all in and prepare myself for this." My pleas seem silly now, but considering Carley was born almost 2 weeks (!) after my due date, I was one thousand percent positive that Emily would follow in her sister's footsteps. In my mind, there was no possible way that any child of mine would be on time (or early, even!) to anything, much less her birth! It's a fact of life I've come to accept and as hard as I try to leave the house 30 minutes early for something, I usually arrive a minute or two after I'm supposed to be there. I blame it on my Cuban genes, but that's a whole 'nother story.

30 weeks, 4 days

Throughout this whole ordeal, Nick was great. Supportive. Loving. Understanding. Calming. He's my rock. & knows exactly what to do and say when I lose my shit. and I'm pretty sure he walks around with a Bob Marley song playing in his head all the time, because he's seriously that cool and calm all.the.time. I have no idea how he does it.

"The hospital? Like, today?!" I ask.

"Will I still be able to VBAC?"

"How about tomorrow?"

The questions poured out of me three at a time and I barely gave my doctor any time to answer before coming up with the next set. Lucky for me, my OB agreed to schedule my induction bright and early the next morning. and I was still in the running for a VBAC.

38 weeks, 2 days

I’ll be honest, the idea of an induction scared me. Especially with all the horror stories out there, but I had a day to prepare and I began to come to terms with it. Besides, the prize at the end of all this was pretty high value. A baby. MY baby. (& a waddle-free walk) And I already knew how amazing that prize could be, thanks to this little heart stealer.

After the initial shock washed away, the excitement crept in. I slept a total of 30 minutes that night, contemplating the possibilities. Will she look like her sister? Will she have a head full of hair? Another blonde babe? Or maybe a brunette this time?

Part Three tomorrow.