Anxiously Engaged

Yesterday marked the first day that Miriam could come without causing too much extra and undue stress.

For starters, Andrew got our passports back from AUC who had to expedite them from the mugama with our new visas. We turned in our passports quite a while ago—before the swine flu closure and before eid and before our visas expired. They expired the last day in September and we haven’t heard a peep from the visa office at AUC so Andrew went to nag them.

We finally got them back, which is great because we can now prove that we’re here legally. That’s never a bad thing, especially when you have to do paperwork for a newborn baby.

Grandma (Andrew’s mom) also arrived yesterday, so that means that we no longer have to worry about what we’ll do with Rachel when I go into labour. We had packed an overnight bag for her so that we could grab it just in case we had to drop her off somewhere but we unpacked that on Sunday morning since it was clear that we wouldn’t have to use it anymore.

I had a doctor’s appointment last night and I’m hoping it was our last one. The whole troupe accompanied me to the office: Andrew, Rachel and Grandma. Grandma and Rachel sat in the lobby while I had an ultrasound to check the baby’s position and growth.

“She’s already engaged in your pelvis,” the ultrasound lady told me.

I probably could have told her that without the ultrasound…there’s something oddly obvious about having a human head wedged in your pelvis that is hard to miss.

Then she started measuring things: femurs and abdominal cavities and the head circumference. She hemmed and hawed for a while and then started investigating all the organs.

“The lungs are fully mature,” she said, “She’s moving her diaphragm so she’ll be ready to breath when she comes out. Her stomach is full, her bladder is full…that’s all good…”

She went on to say that everything was perfect and the baby could come anytime now. But then she went back and measured everything again.

“What due date did Dr. Tarek give you?” she asked.

“October 27th,” I said.

“Are you sure?” she asked.

“Yes, why?”

“I’m just very confused, that’s all.”

She left it at that and walked out to write up her report. When we got it we saw that she had moved our estimated due date to November 3rd. She thinks the baby is too small, but Dr. Tarek doesn’t seem concerned. He thinks she’ll be average, like Rachel.

Perhaps I should have mentioned to her that when I was pregnant with Rachel I suddenly gained three pounds the last week I was pregnant and I’m quite sure it all went to Rachel because I don’t think that I got any bigger…maybe it will happen again this time.

I don’t really think it’s a big deal that Miriam is measuring small by one week since all her organs are functioning properly and as far as I’m concerned she is welcome to join us at anytime. (Hear that, baby Miriam—anytime…the sooner the better).

We took Grandma to the hospital this morning so that she would know how to find it, just in case she ever wants to go there. She doesn’t—it’s a hot walk to the metro, and then a long and hot ride on the metro, and then a hot walk to the hospital (and it’s crowded and dirty and trafficky)—but at least she knows how to get there.

When we got home we ate lunch, sent Andrew off to school, and all settled in for naptime. Rachel and Grandma slept for over two hours. I? Did not.

I woke up with strong contractions after about a half hour. They came every seven minutes for three hours. And then they stopped. Next time I think they should just keep going until they push Miriam out. That would be nice. I’m tired of being anxiously engaged. I want this baby out!