Update

Induction is set for Monday, December 10. Perhaps I won’t need it, but in the event that I do, the appointment is set. We’ll stay in touch.

December 3

Dan and I are in disbelief that it is December 3. Isn’t it all about expectations? We expected that we’d have a November baby, so naturally are a bit surprised that it is December and we’re still waiting. Shame on us, right?

The news is this: there’s been some encouraging developments that my body is getting closer. I’m dilated, and effaced, and will check in with the doctor tomorrow afternoon. At my last appointment the doctor said we’d begin discussing induction if I made it into December. Let’s discuss!

In the meantime, Avery is floating through her days as if she doesn’t really get what’s about to happen. We’ve been calling her “Miss Centerstage” lately. It will be interesting to see if we get another “Miss Centerstage.” Perhaps this baby will be “Miss Behind-the-Scenes.” Let’s hope!

Nope, she's not here yet!

In case you're wondering, we're still waiting. No baby yet--hopefully soon!

Don’t call us; we’ll call you!

Yep, you guessed it: no turkey baby. Sure would have been great though, right?

So, don’t be offended by my blog title. Call to ask if Avery and I want to play or have lunch, but don’t call to ask if I’ve had the baby. The answer will likely be a big re-sounding NO, and I’ll charge you two post-baby meals for asking. ;)

As of my last appointment the doctor declared my status as “no change.” We’re starting to feel a little saucy about this, hoping that she would of been here by now. But alas, we’ll wait patiently.

In the meantime, we had a terrific “Thanks-mas” with my family, although the next day Avery came down with a really nice cold. The cold, however, did not keep her from loving her favorite gift—a hot pink guitar. (Oh, God help us.) Sing me the blues, Ave!

To lighten things up a bit, check out our family "elf" dance--it is hysterical! http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9576261755

Anticipation

The anticipation is torturous. We’re entering Week 38, and are becoming more and more aware that Miss RJN is near. Yet, how near? Will labor begin in an hour, a day, a few weeks? So, we wait, and wait, and keep cleaning, and waiting, and sorting, and waiting.

Picture caption: Ave: "Me and my sis are torturing mommy, and loving it!"

For those of you that are wondering, my last doctor’s appointment went great. Everything is checking out, and although I’m not dilated yet, my cervix has began to efface (I know….too much information, right?) I go back on Wednesday, so it will be interesting to hear if there’s been any progress.

By the way, we’ll be trying out all the old-wives tales for labor induction, so if you have any you’d like to share, please do so. My whole family will be in town this week, so it would be an ultra convenient week to have a baby.

Til baby!

Week 37

Today marks the first day of week 37. Avery was a 38-weeker, so we’re hoping for the same luck with this baby. If the baby were to come this week, we’re at least feeling ready (as much as we can be). The house is not a construction zone anymore, we’ve managed to do quite a bit of cleaning, and the nursery is set (Avery calls the mobile "planets"). I’m even considering breaking a cardinal rule by setting up our Christmas decorations this week (tacky, right?). So, we wait, and we hate to wait, and are anxious about how this is all going to go down. This is a bit of a different experience since we have Avery to consider. We have some preliminary plans set for her, but how’s it all going to shake out?

In the meantime, we took Avery for her first dental appointment on Saturday (Dan got a cleaning too). Avery took a ride in the chair, got a new toothbrush, and allowed the hygienist to count her teeth (through a partially clenched jaw). Surprisingly, Avery already has her lower two-year molars. We thought we were still waiting for that glorious event. So instead of waiting on four teeth, we’re only waiting on two teeth. Avery hasn’t had a great teething run, so we describe the next round popping through as something to “look forward to.” The hygienist also remarked that Avery’s teeth looked great, so we’re relieved to hear that perhaps we’re doing an alright job taking care of her teeth.

Dan, on the other hand, didn’t get such great news. He’s got some cavities, and needs a crown. He’s not very happy about it—if you ask him, he’ll probably tell you all about it.

Hopefully we’ll have a baby post for you soon. Can’t believe that we’re this close—very, very surreal.

Avery taking a ride in the dental chair.














Scoping out the toothbrushes.














Avery admiring herself in the tooth-shaped mirror.

A Glimpse In

This is a tough topic to write about, but, alas, I’m still going to do, because I feel it is important to do so. So, take a pass on this one if you’re looking for a cute Avery story, or more pictures of Avery swinging or modeling her pink sunglasses. This one’s a heavy topic, so as Avery say’s “here we go!”

Today is my would-have-been due date of our second child. It is hard to write about; sort of like picking a scab, but, like I said, important to do so. Funny how this topic still rattles me. Some of you have been asking where we’re at with all of this, which has prompted me to comment on the miscarriage, and try to do so more eloquently than I can on the phone or in person.

To be honest, the loss still hurts, and I suspect it will for some time. But, it has gotten easier, and we’ve come to accept the loss as part of our story. We’re in a bittersweet spot right now: if we hadn’t lost our second, would we have anticipated this child that we’re currently expecting?

I’ve been reading “A Grace Disguised: How the Soul Grows through Loss” by Jerry Sittser. It is a powerful, thought-provoking read, and his writings relate to all persons who have experienced loss in any shape or form.

He writes, “The experience of loss does not have to be the defining moments of our lives. Instead, the defining moment can be our response to the loss. It is not what happens to us that matters so much as what happens in us.”

Sittser’s statement has been a terrific challenge for us. To not wallow in our loss, but to try our best to accept it, move beyond it, and be different because of it. By different I mean to better appreciate what we do have—especially as it relates to Avery and this next little girl. We feel challenged to be more “in the moment” and appreciate the ordinary and simple blessings of our day-to-day lives.

Still, we’re saddened. We do feel a void in our family. We do feel like someone is missing. I guess this is normal: to grieve and miss the child we’ve never met. So, on this would-be-date, it’s hard not to wonder about what might have been, while still anxiously anticipating what is still yet to come.

Week 24

We're in Week 24 and thought it was time that we document my progress. Sixteen weeks to go!

Pink or Blue

July 23 is finally here. We’ve been anxiously anticipating this day for weeks. Today we find out if the baby is healthy, and if he or she is a.…well…….he or she. Gratefully we’ve been so caught up in our day-to-day that we haven’t been dwelling on the baby. So in some ways we feel as though we’ve been waiting for months for this day, and in another sense, it is almost as if the day has crept up on us.

This past week has been a whirlwind. Dan was in Nebraska Tuesday through Thursday, and then was pretty much “out of town” Friday and Saturday with work-related events. Dan’s even declared that “things have been so busy, I think I’m going to blog about it!” Ha! We’ll have to see if this nay-sayer jumps on board!

Avery has been a little more spicy than usual. I don’t know if she has had too much mommy time lately or what, but she’s been “throwing down” (tantrums) quite a bit. Maybe another pesky tooth? Maybe bored? Maybe hungry? It is those moments that I feel that so much is still lost in translation. I wish the kid could say: “Mom, my mouth is killing me—dose me up!” “Mom, we’ve gotta do something else—I’m bored!” “Mom, stop! I’ve gotta eat!” She’s come so far in vocalizing her needs, but still has a way to go. Gratefully, Grammie and Papa saved my tush again, and took the Avery reigns last Tuesday thru Thursday (we needed a little more Pleasantville). Avery scoped out Bloomington’s Children’s Museum, and played in the water at State Farm Park—even exhibiting more and more bravery with her water wings.

As for today, we’ll just idly wait, and wonder if we’ll be announcing, “it’s a girl, it’s a boy.” Our intuition says girl. In the meantime, Dan’s home today, and I can’t think of a better way to kick off the week.

Til pink or blue.

Another beginning

It seems a bit strange to begin a blog by posting a picture of my uterus. And yet, that's exactly what I'm doing. Take a closer look and you'll see......you've guessed it...another baby Nelson. This picture was taken on May 11, approximately three weeks after I learned I was pregnant. We were expecting to see a six-week pregnancy, instead, learned that I was ten-weeks along. Obviously, we missed all the cues, and were shocked to see that I was much further along than we originally thought.

Seeing the baby in "live motion" --- limbs moving, and a gorgeous heart beating, was very emotional. To be honest, we walked into this appointment expecting the worst. We were pleasantly surprised, and felt (and feel) hopeful about our odds. For those of you that don't know, women who've had one miscarriage have an 80% chance of a subsequent pregnancy going full-term. After a heartbeat has been seen/heard, women have an 98% chance of the pregnancy going full-term. We're confident in our odds, and God's hand in this, but I'm sure you understand that we're guarded in our excitement. To date, I'm 13 weeks and 5 days. My appointments have continued to have gone well. So, we wait.



















As for Avery, she turns two on June 12. Avery continues to surprise us with her antics. She has a zest for life, and moves through her day as if her hair's on fire -- a very, very fitting way to describe her. Her little vocabulary continues to grow. She's identifying colors, and perfecting her animal noises (and nobody does an elephant noise like Dan!). Avery's happiest at the pool or the park, watching Sesame Street, or coloring. She's a trip, and we're crazy about her.

Well, thanks for reading; hopefully we'll be able to keep up our end of the deal.