Ready, Set, Don't Come Yet

As of today, I think I can say that we are ready for Mr. Wiggles.  My hospital bag is assembled, the baby clothes and bedding are prepped, and Sam has squeezed three carseats into the rear of the Outback. This last feat required two attempts and a lot of shoving and finessing, though less beer and swearing than past such events due to his by-now master status.  The seats are wedged in there so tightly that they actually overlap, but the doors close (!); as we each leaned into the car through the front doors, heads together, and peered into the back, Sam said abashedly, "Man, that's a lot of people."

I think that somehow having all of the "stuff" together is a way of addressing the feeling that there are so many unknowns about the logistics of his arrival. Though I'm not as worried about the actual labor itself, scenarios I've been planning for include the following:

• if AC is at school, we need to call someone with a carseat (who that lucky duck is will depend on the day) and remember to call the school to give them that person's name
• if I'm at school myself, I should not drive to the hospital in case the labor suddenly gets hard and fast as both of mine have done in the past, so I need to call Sam
• if I'm home alone with the girls, I put them both in Gillian's crib with the iPads, unlock the front door, and call Sam and/or 911.  

It sounds crazy, I know--it probably is crazy--but Dr. B has warned me that I might have a super fast labor (like 30 minutes fast), and since I'm teaching through the birth, our schedule for every day is different and will require a different plan.  I'm weirdly excited by the challenge of it, and all of this makes me kind of want to just have him already, though I know that every day he holds off is not only very important for him, but also one day we don't have to juggle a brand newborn and my classes.

In spite of the material preparations, I'm not actually expecting this little one to make his appearance quite yet.  The girls were both born at 38 weeks and a few days, and I've just completed 36 weeks.  But I've had the thought that maybe he will be earlier because boys tend to be bigger, so maybe he'll be crowded and want out--better to be prepared.  When Sam got back from a 3-day work trip yesterday, he commented, "Wow--when I left, you were pregnant, but now you're . . . well, it's clearly the last month."  Again due to his master status, he caught himself before using any words as indelibly regrettable as huge, enormous, whale-like.