The Adventures of the Johnson Clan: The last post before baby arrives!

I can’t even wrap my head around all that has taken place in the past two weeks, and at the same time, I can’t express how much waiting has occurred where I basically put life on hold, just sure this baby would be here... any day... any day now.

Since Adeline’s stay in the hospital, I had decided to keep her out of the gym daycare and stop going too many places. I was afraid that she might get sick again just before the baby came. This lack of morning routine and constant movement not only made time slow down and become extremely boring, but my contractions seemed to stop. And it seriously killed me each time I’d show up for my doctors apt to be told, “nope she isn’t ready, see you next time.”

In the end, after more exercise, walks, multiple membrane strippings, and everything else you can think of, nothing was helping baby girl to engage in my cervix and trigger labor. We are fairly confident that my body has tried a few times do go into labor, however my body produces SOOO much fluid (seriously, they are always surprised) that she has just continually bobbed around, unable to really stay in the ready position. Long story short, I have been contracting pretty consistently at 10 and 12 mins apart since yesterday evening, BUT even though they’ve grown more intense, they have yet to take off and grow closer. So tomorrow I am on standby for an induction. They could call at 7am... they could call at dinner time.... so here I am at almost midnight, just finished showering, shaving, doing my hair, and getting my hospital bag packed, now unable to sleep through the nausea, contractions, and anticipation.

Today was a wonderful way to wrap up this pregnancy though, thanks to friends and family. I went to the gym and ran into all the regular people who have been asking when I’m due and keep hoping they won’t see me the next day... but there I was. Unable to do my run and hills on the bike, I walked the treadmill and slowly bikes the flat ground, contracting all the while. I went out to a breakfast as a last hurrah with a couple of friends. I napped/timed contractions. But the part I loved the most was each special moment I was able to share with each of my children tonight. While Aaron snuggled Avery in my belly and told her how he no longer wanted her to come out because they could snuggle this way, Maddix sat with me through some rough contractions and grew worried. After he’d been tucked in he came back out in tears, terrified for my pain and possible death during delivery!! Poor kid, ha ha.

Addie will snuggle me always, but actually the moment I loved most with her was watching her and Travis walk hand in hand down the street to the boys’ bus stop. Travis just loves her, and she just loves him; it almost had me in tears watching how sweet they were.

And so that was my last day of being pregnant. Hopefully tomorrow will just be a last morning of being pregnant and WONT turn into yet another day....

And as for the last two weeks, we’ve been surviving Travis’s night shifts. We knocked out all the big to do’s before the baby could come. We’ve rejoiced time and time again over the warming of the weather!! We’ve gone to Minneapolis for our Costco run, and finally last Saturday Travis and the kids drove up to the airport to pick up Gma Lori!!! Yay, Gma is finally here! Meanwhile, I took some needed R&R to mentally perk up. I know we did more, but I just can’t think straight at this point anymore!

St. Patty's crew

Natalie Jones has seriously pulled me through
this pregnancy. She has been my "gym-ing buddy,"
as we call it.
Gym-ing: A recreational pass time one uses to keep
a space in one's schedule and social needs, rather than for actual
calorie burning.