A pregnant woman gets what a pregnant woman wants? Nola Anne's birth story part one

Nola Anne rushes for no man

And there I was, past my estimated due date. Again.

I've toed the natural childbirth party line. I know it is completely and utterly normal to go past one's due date. In fact its more close to normal than going before one's due date. What is normal anyway? Such a useless term sometimes.

But that doesn't mean its not hard.

Somehow I thought that this being the sixth human carried in my womb I might be more prone to get the show on the road. Alas no. My midwife said "actually, pregnancies tend to go longer in subsequent pregnancies, there is more elasticity in the uterine wall. Labor might be faster but you may go longer."  So I went home and cried about my old stretched out uterus. And waited.

I kept plenty busy. In the week our baby was due I went to: Patriotic Assembly for Maiya, Annie audition for Ella, PJ turned two (on my due date) and we celebrated, Annie Parent meeting, Kyle's birthday, and a campout for Ben.  And the week ended.

I prepared for what happened with PJ- three days past my due date I thought the following would occur: a bonafide emotional breakdown, a good long walk, then labor. I fell into the trap of thinking one labor would be similar to another labor. So I complained a little, savored a little, wrote this, walked the streets for a while, then went to bed expecting any minute now. Woke up still pregnant. That Sunday I went to church, still pregnant.

After church we drove to my favorite mall,  not for the shopping but because I wanted a watermelon drink from the food court and I liked the playground.  Rushed to the food court ready to get my beverage of choice for all the mall walking I was about to do. And that particular food vendor was gone. out of business. My stretched uterus was sad. But we soldiered on.

We walked the crap out of that mall. And I contracted regularly while looking at goods I had no money to buy and wouldn't if I did. Do people really dress their children in clothes from neiman marcus? pure silliness I say, even for family pictures.

The contractions got so good I thought: This. This is it. I'll walk the mall one more time then we go home to rest for the big show. I was really hoping my days of midwife appointments were almost through. Love my midwife, but was tired of peeing on a stick.

Little did I know I had TWO more midwife appointments to go.

and I still never got any fresh watermelon drink.

to be continued.