Friday's a Good Day to Have a Baby

Sorry...I haven't updated in a while, but we really didn't have an update.  Until yesterday morning.  My mom and I were paroozing at Gymboree when my cell phone rang.  Our case worker and Brook were on the other end, informing us that the Doc scheduled her for a Friday morning induction.  She'll check in Thursday night for a cervix thinning drug that will hopefully aid the induction on Friday.  Her body is showing no signs of labor and Brook is more than ready to be done with being pregnant, so they agreed to induce.  Friday is her official due date, so things should be fine.  They're guessing the baby is between five and six pounds.  I can't fathom that...Tim's gonna be able to cup her in one hand.  I was thinking how small baby Landon was last week when I held him and this one's gonna be HALF his size.  Crazy.  Duder was already 3 weeks when we got him, so this whole new, newborn stuff is foreign to us. 

Tim and I plan on leaving Thursday afternoon and checking into our hotel that night.  If she goes quickly, we'd rather be there and not 6 sleepy hours from the hospital.  The manager at the hotel and I have bonded, so Ginny's hooking us up with a great deal on the best 2 bedroom suite in the house.  It's equipped with a full kitchen, so we'll be very comfortable while we're there.  We're packed and ready to go, minus small details like sanity and calmness.  Not feeling either of those at the moment.   

Details while we're in Wyoming....Brook is asking that we be in the waiting room during labor, along with her mom and two sisters.  We're told to expect a long day of delivery...poor Brook.  Our Wyoming Bethany case worker will be there will us with all the legal paperwork and Kolbi, our caseworker with the pregnancy center, will also be there.  She's been our mainstay of communication and Brook's right hand through all of this.  Brook wants to see the baby when she's born and spend some time with her and will then sign off on the paperwork.  We'll then have temporary legal custody and will be able to make medical decision for the baby.  We'll be given our own room with the baby once Brook has signed off and the baby is given the medical thumbs up.  Brook's mom and sisters are planning on coming to our room to see the baby and take photos with her, which we think is wonderful.  Having those photos will be awesome for the baby as she grows up.

Once we're discharged from the hospital, we'll head to the hotel and wait until we have legal permission to leave the state.  The Bethany worker will take the legals to Cheyenne, where the judge needs to sign off.  That office overnights the papers to the Colorado legal office.  Once they sign off, we'll be given verbal approval to head home.  This could take 2 days.  And it could take a week.  So, we're packed for a week to be safe.  And when I say packed, I mean packed.  We have a room full of supplies for this 5 pounder.   

Back at the homestead....my mom is here with Duder until Sunday.  Barbie and Maria will take over until Tuesday morning when Tim's mom arrives.  The day she leaves, my dad comes.  A week after Dad leaves, my dear Amy comes to do photos and hang.  My poor mom is missing out on seeing this baby, given the time frame, so she's going to come in early February to actually spend time with the teeny one.  Whewwwwww.  God bless family and God bless our little man as he's going to be one confused and overwhelmed dude for the next month.  

Ok...I think that summarizes the details.  I'm all about details.  My Tim handles all of this with swan like strides.  Elegantly and with grace and noteworthy calmness.  Me?  I'm handling all of this with abrupt, drunk-like strides.  Not even strides.  More like clumsy stumbles.  Not pretty friends.  But together, we'll figure this out.  And hopefully, when this little one is safe in our arms and driving home to Colorado, all the stumbles and knots in my stomach will evaporate away.  

One step at a time.  Tonight's step is laundry and a bath for our stinky dude.  I'll let you know how each step goes as we get closer.  Stay tuned.