First, thank you so much for all your sweet comments, encouragement, and suggestions over my pregnancy journey! It has been so fun to share updates every week, and I have connected with other moms or moms-to-be, which was one of my hopes in sharing this blog publicly!
We are ready to meet our baby girl. We're sad that she isn't here yet, but we wait with hope, knowing that she will be here soon.
My mom was past her due date with all three of us girls, so I fully expected to go a little over, especially since this is my first baby. What I didn't anticipate, though, is how long each day could feel as we wait and the emotions that would come and go with it. As ridiculous as it is, some days I think she is never coming. The past week has been filled with excitement, anxiety, eagerness, patience, frustration, waiting, and longing for our little girl to be here - soon and safely.
In one of our many conversations this weekend about the baby, Matt said that his love for her has grown in this time of waiting. It is truly amazing how deep our love is for this little girl whom we have yet to see, hold, and care for. I went back to this blog post that I sent to a friend going through the adoption process several months ago. Marci describes this longing desire saying, "I get a glimpse of the overwhelming love our Father has for us. We are the now and not yet children of our Father. Now adopted into his family. Not yet with him."
As far as logistics go - Since full-term is considered anywhere between 38 and 42 weeks, my midwife will allow us to delay induction until the 42 week mark. For that we are thankful. As I've mentioned before, Matt and I have been praying for a natural birth from the beginning, and induction of any sort is not what we would choose. Baby A passed a non-stress test yesterday, showing no signs of fetal distress (such an answered prayer!!). On Thursday afternoon, I'll go in for a biophysical profile ultrasound to make sure fluid levels look good, the placenta is functioning well, etc. My induction is scheduled for next Monday at 9pm if she isn't here before then.
Pray for me. Pray for us. Pray that we would stay focused on Jesus and not our immediate desire for our baby to come. That we would endure this period of waiting and respond with joy and not sadness or anxiousness. That the baby would come soon! That there would be no need for induction next week. And if there is, that I would not be afraid.
Thanks so much for joining us in this journey!
+, Lauren Aiken
We are eagerly praying for you guys and excited for what is to come! How awesome that the Lord uses this time of waiting to build you and teach you! I was supposed to be induced on St. Patrick's Day (2 weeks after my due date) but I came just in time the day before. We'll be praying she comes soon and that the entire process is easy, safe and healthy for everyone! Love you guys!!
ReplyDeleteI very very much understand how you are feeling. I went to 42 weeks exactly, and those two (really even three) weeks were the longest most trying weeks of my life. I was scheduled to have an induction (which I VERY much did not want) on Monday at 8 am, and I went into labor Sunday night at 8 pm. She could not have waited much longer. As you know, God's timing is always perfect. :)
ReplyDeleteI really feel as if God had to completely break me of what it was I WANTED and accept that no matter how she got here it wasn't about me or our experience on her getting here but that she was safe and in God's hands and control and not mine. When I got to that point, God blessed me with the desires of my heart and gave me that natural birth that I so badly desired. It was an EXTREMELY hard lesson to learn, but I am more patient and understanding mama because of it. :)
Good luck to you and Matt, and enjoy these precious days. They will imprint on yours and Matt's relationship as well as you and your little girls forever. :) Praying for you all...