You Know You're Overdue If...

• You feel something wet slide down your leg, and for a split second you freak out, thinking your water broke, only to realize it was just a bit of condensation dripping off your quart glass of red raspberry leaf iced tea.

• Your husband calls you from work and upon answering he asks why you're huffing and puffing and short on breath. You admit it took all the strength you could muster just to get off the couch and pick up the phone.

 • Nothing fits you any more, not even your maternity clothes. Thankfully crop tops are fashionable because there is no way this belly is staying covered.

• Painting your toe nails is equivalent to a 20 minute HIIT workout.

• Bathroom breaks are mandatory every 30 minutes. No exceptions.

• Your mom, mother-in-law, sister, and great aunt call/text you daily to ask if you think today is d-day (delivery day).

• Friends, acquaintances, and even total strangers suggest things to try that are sure to induce labor: Eat Mexican food! Go for a walk. Drink a gallon of hot sauce. Jumping jacks. Have you tried squatting? Take castor oil. Try anything but castor oil! Drive on a bumpy road. "Snuggle" with your mister more. Pineapple.

• You drop your car keys when you're at a gas station, and before you even have the chance to bend down and pick them up the sales clerk has already rushed around the counter, bent down to pick them up off the floor, and is hold his hand out to you, keys in palm. You smile gratefully and think to yourself, "Now that is a good, good man."

• Within hours one person tells you that you're huge and the next person is shocked that you're overdue because, "Darling, you're just a peanut!"

• People are surprised to see you at any public event because they thought surely you'd be home pushing.

• And finally, anytime your phone vibrates alerting you to an incoming text you just want to forget about it because you know it'll be someone telling you the suspense of waiting for this child is just too much for them to handle. "Oh, you're tired of waiting for me to go into labor? Can I do anything to make it easier on you?"


If you've ever experienced going longer than 40 weeks during a pregnancy, I'm sure you have a couple of things to add to this list too. Why not tell me about it in the comments below?

Carson-isms

Friday afternoon Herm asked if I had planned out what we would have for supper yet; I hadn't. He then suggested that we go on a family date to Kindred Fare, a new farm-to-table style restaurant we had heard only rave reviews about. While we are eagerly anticipating the arrival of our little one we've been trying to make the most of this period of waiting by doing fun little outings, things won't be as easy once the child does arrive, whenever we get the chance. I quickly agreed to that idea. As we were heading out the door Carson insisted on wearing his "Arnge Shoes" -- orange flipflops that fail to stay on even though they have an elastic band that stretches around the backs of his feet. Just minutes after being seated at our table the flipflops were kicked off. I let him go barefoot the rest of the meal, but when we stopped at Walmart on our way back home he had to put the flipflops back on. Running across the parking lot to the Lawn + Garden entrance, Carson lost the one for his right foot. That didn't stop him though, so I picked it up and off we went, with one shoe on and one shoe off. A sales clerk stopped him shortly after we entered the store, asking where his shoe was. Without even missing a beat, he looked directly at her and said, "I have a flat tire. I need a tow truck!" She and I both burst out laughing, and she told him that she used to drive a tow truck. Suddenly she became a hero in his eyes, and now, whenever he loses a shoe he tells me his tire is flat.


One night as I was tucking Carson into bed his little tummy rumbled slightly, and I asked him what was up. "Oh mommy," he replied, "It's just the baby kicking."


Ever since we found out that I was pregnant, Herm and I have both been very verbal with Carson, explaining to him that there is a baby growing in my belly and that he is now a big brother. I've taken him along to almost every appointment with my midwife, and together we listen to steady rhythm of the heartbeat. I press his hands against my stomach so he can feel the kicks, and I have tried to point out other babies, both of friends and of strangers, hoping that he will be able to grasp what is happening, and that this will make the transition from being an only child to having a sibling much easier. He seems to understand what is going on, and is so excited to meet the baby. Over the past several weeks there has been a lot of talk about the baby finally arriving, and I think he might have been catching on a little bit more than I realized, for one day after supper as I was cleaning up the kitchen and working on putting away the dishes he sat on a chair in the dining room chatting with me. Mid conversation he told me that the baby should be coming soon because my water broke!
I think perhaps he is learning too much about all of this while eavesdropping on adult conversations. And no -- just for the record my water is still very much intact.

Serving the Eviction Notice + What I'm Currently Up to Until the Tenant Complies

Photos taken by Katelyn Weaver

I am in week 39 of my pregnancy, and while I am not overdue yet, it sort of feels like it simply because Carson was born 10 days early - a marker I've already passed. This whole "due date" stuff can drive one crazy, and I know it's just a date, one that most babies don't actually arrive on, so I keep telling myself that May is the birth month and there is no date on the calendar I should become too set on. Babies arrive when they are ready, as my mom reminded me just this morning. In the mean time, I have been trying to stay busy just to keep myself occupied.

Here are a few of the things I've been currently up to...

Reading: Ah, so many books! Carson has been pulling out a few of his favorites - We're Going on a Bear Hunt, Thomas the Tank Engine, and anything Richard Scary - again and again and again. But I've also had time to read a few titles just for me too. Several that I would recommend are: Love Does by Bob Goff, People Over Profit by Dale Partridge, and if you want something completely out of the ordinary, A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. (This book does contain strong language.)

Loving: Kombucha, which my mom has been generously supplying for me. She brews her own and flavors it with things like grape juice, fresh raspberries, and ginger. Since a nice glass of wine isn't an option right now, this stuff has been hitting the spot when I want a drink with a bit of pizzazz to it. I've been drinking red raspberry leaf tea by the quart for the past several months (it's great for pregnancy), and now that I have kombucha I like to mix the two for a deliciously refreshing afternoon treat.

Dreaming: About having this baby. Yup, my thoughts, both day and night, are literally consumed by this child. Last night the baby came when I was at the house of an acquaintance of mine. Thank goodness my midwife was somehow there too. :)

Wishing: That the baby would arrive.

This is turning into such a boring post. My apologies. 

Thinking About: I could say "All things baby!", but since this post is already consumed by that, I will instead mention the project - #100DaysOfCarsonAndMia - my sister, Kate, is working on over on Instagram. I've been thinking about that and just how fun it is. If you haven't already, visit her account, hit follow, and enjoy seeing the sketches she shares daily of Carson and his puppy, Mia. 

Listening: To many, many podcasts, as usual. I've been walking 1-2 miles on the treadmill every day, and have been cleaning all the nooks and crannies of my house, as well as mowing the lawn and doing yard work - anything to stay busy and active in the period of waiting... and podcast have been keeping me company.

A few that I've recently started listening to are: Coffee + Crumbs and At Home - both are about mothering, and so far share perspectives that I love. 

What have you been currently up to? (And from personal experience, does Castor Oil really work?)