I know I can’t pick the day I go into labor, but I can’t help thinking how special it would be if the baby is born on November, 22 - St. Cecilia’s Feast Day. I chose St. Cecilia as my confirmation Saint years ago, in part because my grandmother’s name is Cecilia and she inherited a gorgeous painting of the Saint that hung in her bedroom. I always felt drawn to the beauty of the painting and the holiness it depicted.
The baby’s due date, November 27, would also be an amazing day to be born because it is the first day of Advent! Obviously, it wouldn’t be the first day of Advent every year, but it would make a nice story to tell him/her that she arrive on the first day of Advent and I would think about it every year as Advent began. My mom always loves to tell me (and I love to hear) about how the day she brought me home from the hospital was the first day of spring.
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Obviously, the baby will come when he/she wants to, and I’m beginning to think that it’s going to be soon. The past few days I’ve been overwhelmingly tired and achy, perhaps it’s my body telling me to rest up for labor? Either that or maybe I’m getting the flu…
I have almost all the Christmas presents for my family, but have none for my husband’s family (other than for the kids – they are so easy and fun to shop for). I don’t know my in-laws well enough to pick really personal gifts for them and my husband has absolutely no ideas. I had really wanted to have all my Christmas shopping done before the baby got here, but I just can’t think of anything to get for them. Any ideas of nice, inexpensive gifts for the in-laws?
I have been worrying for a while about what to do for Thanksgiving. I didn’t want to go without making some kind of dinner if the baby isn’t here yet. If the baby did come early, we probably would be so absorbed with our new little one that we wouldn’t really notice missing out on dinner. But without knowing if we would have the baby yet, I wasn’t sure if I should be buying the necessary Thanksgiving meal foods or starting to prepare them early. Well, it turns out I didn’t need to worry after all. My husband’s advisor invited the grad students that would be staying in town (which turns out to be just my husband and one other guy) to her house for dinner! And an extra bonus… my husband is excited he’ll finally be able to meet her husband after four years – none of the current grad students have ever met him and were beginning to think he was imaginary.
Wednesday, it was 80 degrees here in Raleigh. Yesterday, the high was 50. This highly variable weather isn’t new to me because Colorado is even worse (it was all over the news a few weeks ago that it went from 80 degrees one day to 30 degrees and a blizzard the next day), but I never can get used to it.
I don’t have my bag packed yet for the birth center, any advice about what I should bring?
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Pack that bag girl!! Or you will be caught out (dh's aunt said this to me when I was 8 months and it scared me into doing it...I ended up 17 days overdue!!)
ReplyDeleteAside from the obvious stuff of clothes, towels etc, I highly recommend bendy straws...sounds random but I found them SO useful for drinking during labour and after as you just don't want to sit up/move position for a drink.
Prunes/dried apricots to scoff after the birth, helps the first bowel movements!! (sorry!)
Flip-flops to wear in the shower...don't know what your birth center is like but I ended up on slightly grotty ward with not the cleanest showers!
Lots of mini toiletries
Nipple cream (can you get Lansinoh in the US? It is MIRACLE cream, use it after every feed.)
Sorry...could go on for ages! Love exciting baby stuff. Good luck!
Also feel your pain on buying for in-laws! So hard! Thankfully this yr we're doing secret-santa style on both sides of our family so not too many people to think about. We're doing lots of home baking this year for friends and giving it in jars that we'll paint or boxes we'll decorate.
Oh, golly, you may have let loose a whirlwind of comments with that last question!
ReplyDeleteI would pack for sure a nice nightie (or pjs, but nighties are easier and you'll soon see why) and robe so that when people come to see the baby, you'll feel presentable.
Toothbrush.
I had my iPod in the birthing room. Will never give birth without it again.
Just a couple of ideas. . . still thinking about the in-laws gifts as well: sorry can't help you out there!
Hmmmm...as for the bag packing...books (just in case) and note cards for ppl to write notes for the baby. I can't help you with the rest, as my labor experience was distinctly NOT what it was supposed to be. :)
ReplyDeleteLots of socks!! After your water breaks, every time you get up and move around, you will probably have a trickle down your leg that will get caught by your sock. And cold, squishy socks are just gross. Bring a bunch and you can change them often. I am getting so excited for you!
ReplyDeleteprayers for a safe and happy birth! :) how exciting.
ReplyDeleteMANDI!!! IT WOULD BE SO AWESOME IF YOU HAD BABY ON 11/22/11!!!
ReplyDeleteI bet you will!! It's a total God thing ;-)
My anniversary is 11/22 AND G's birthday is 2/22/11. All three of us (me, my husband, and G) are TUESDAY babies, so clearly your baby should be too!
Obviously, you will be having the baby Tuesday. I'll be expecting some sort of notification on the facebook.
Also, having my bag "packed" was one of the things on my to-do list for months that never really got done until I was in labor. Many things I used up until it was time to go, and I also wasn't sure what I would "want" to bring... don't sweat it!
Hi! I just stopped by from Conversion Diary. I just wanted to say that a) Christmas shopping for in-laws is difficult! I don't have any brilliant ideas, but I hope some of your readers do! b) Get your bags packed! Especially if you think baby might be coming soon. My son (13 months) came 2 weeks before his due date, and it was a bit crazy trying to get my husband to pack the bags while in labor (we had just moved, so he didn't know where a lot of things were). c) Good luck, and God bless!
ReplyDeleteChristmas gifts for the in-laws, how about coffee or tea. I usually buy something from Mystic Monks. Or a grandparent frame with your baby's picture in it. Hope you baby comes soon. peace
ReplyDelete4- My husband is the same way. I made him call last night and start hinting around about what people would like for Christmas. Fortunately, I've already gotten the little ones their stuff,they're just so fun.
ReplyDelete6- We've had the same kind of weather. Two days ago it was 35 and tomorrow it's supposed to by 70. It's been crazy!
Good luck with the baby! He/she will come at the perfect time although I hope the 22nd works out, that would be really cool. I'll be praying for you guys.
November 27th is also the feast of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, so your baby could be blessed with that as its birthday! God Bless you on your upcoming delivery!
ReplyDeleteHow exciting!! My son was born on Nov.22 5 years ago this Tuesday :) His due date was the 28th and he was my first born so you never know!!! Will be keeping you in my prayers what an exiting time! I see you will be cloth diapering that is so awesome. I'm clothdiapering my 3rd and love it,wish I would have started earlier :) Congratulations and blessings again!!!
ReplyDeleteElia@http://conservamome.blogspot.com/
Get you rest!! You need it! :) I got up one morning when I was 9 months pregnant, ate breakfast, and then went back to bed for 2 hours before my doctor's appt because I felt exhausted even after a full night's sleep. I ended up being induced that day, labored through the night and gave birth the following morning, so I was VERY glad I had the nap!
ReplyDeleteI have a very hard time with in-law gifts. Thankfully, most of my husband's family members have Amazon wish lists, and I use those a lot. His dad doesn't, though, and I have a really hard time with guy gifts. A lot of times we give fun food gifts to people we just can't think of anything for. They seem to like them, especially if it's something local to your area (for example, we've given wine from a nearby winery, chocolate made locally, etc.).
First Sunday of Advent would be an awesome birthday! Right at the beginning of the liturgical year!
I had a friend that was due end of Nov/Beg of Dec and they just had a quiet thanksgiving at home. We've made thanksgiving for 3 for YEARS. We would go visit family for Christmas and it was never a big deal. But that is awesome that you don't have to do anything and got invited somewhere.
ReplyDeleteSounds like your not alone with crazy weather. We've had crazy weather also hot/cold I'm used to it but I agree it's something I've never gotten used to in all these years.
I agree an 11/22/11 bday would be fun. I always tell my mom she waited 12 hours too long because my sisters bday is 8/9/88. There was a big todo that on 11/11/11 this doctor had a ton of c-sections scheduled bc they wanted the 11/11/11 bday. An advent bday would be fun they would never have been alive during the old missal!
Hi Mandi!
ReplyDeleteJust checking in. I've been meaning to comment on your blog for a while now. I keep checking in to see if you've had your baby yet. I'm so excited for you! Your little one will be here any day now. And I know it's agonizing to wait for the baby to make his or her arrival and I'm sure this is not comforting, but he/she will be here soon enough and then everything pre-baby will be a blur.
God bless!
Haha. That's my due date too! I'm sitting here thinking I should get to bed and get some rest!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your little one. :)
Hi! I love your preggo picture, it is just so gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteStopping by from: http://modest-mama.blogspot.com
Thanks so much for all your kind words and suggestions! I especially appreciate the suggestion to bring lots of socks - I wouldn't have thought of it and didn't read that anywhere else! It's so nice to have a lot of experienced mamas online to help me out (can you tell I'm a little nervous?).
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to update you all when the baby is here, although I have a feeling it still may be a week or two!