Baby Update

Paul just left for Detroit this afternoon. He'll only be gone until tomorrow night, but it's still a little nerve wracking that I could potentially go into labor while he's away. Luckily I have good friends who are willing to help if an emergency arises!

I'm hoping that this pregnancy will be much like last time, that I won't go into labor until my due date. But I am already at 3 cm, 50% effaced...I'm scheduled for an induction a week from today (October 20th) during Paul's Mom's stay with us. My Mom will come soon after she leaves, so we'll be well taken care of! We're so excited for both of them to come! It was kind of weird to set my induction date up though, knowing that a week from today I won't be pregnant anymore. I'm not sure why, since I could just as likely go into labor on my own tomorrow.

I had a wonderful baby shower from my ward this past week, so I'll have a bunch of thank-you cards to write while Paul's gone. Since there's a difference in season between our two boys, I opted to have one. It's also fun to have a few new things that aren't filled with memories of baby Benjamin.

Benjamin has been really cute about the baby. He's been excited to see all the new clothes and things that we've taken out for his new brother. We signed him up for a "Tyke Hike" at the hospital where he listened to a story, learned how to hold a baby, saw the beds that the moms stay in, and looked at all the new babies in the nursery. He even got a certificate and a bucket with crayons and a little coloring book. He likes me to read the coloring book over and over to him. It talks about the changes that happen when a new baby comes, and helps the big brother/sister feel like an important part of the process. Benjamin picked out a present to give to his new brother. It's a blanket very similar to his beloved "Cuddles," so the baby can have his own. We've asked him if he likes several different names we have on our short list, and he has pretty strong opinions about all of them. He's chosen the name "Peter," and is very consistent in telling us (and even strangers) so. When I went to the doctor this morning and left him with Paul, he fully expected that I was going to go and get the baby out this time.

I think he'll be a good big brother, although I'm fully anticipating a rocky start (perhaps not until his Grandmas leave). I admit it's a little bittersweet for me too, that our relationship will never be quite the same. I just finished looking through the past year's worth of photos, trying to choose my favorite ones to print. It was so fun to look back and realize how much he's physically grown and how much his personality has developed. It's been a wonderful chapter in our lives, just the three of us. And before we know it, the next chapter will begin!