Forty Weeks...

Today is my due date and there is no sign of baby; I haven't even had a proper contraction yet. My lazy cervix has stayed at 2 cm dilated and 50% effaced for the past three weeks. Of course, Ton Ton is stressed out -- the way he gets when we have a plane to catch and I'm still doing laundry a few hours before takeoff. He seems to believe that calling every hour, on the hour, to inquire about the state of my uterus, will send me into labor. That technique may work to get me to run errands, but it's not working on Belly!

I too am anxious to meet our baby, but figure that I can use a few more nights of limited sleep before they turn into nights of no sleep at all. Plus, I really want to go see "Away we go"...I got priorities people!

Last time I went to the doctor, he told me that I will be induced on July 8 if the baby hasn't come by then. 41 weeks and 2 days. I do not want to be induced, it is not part of my plan/pipe dream! I saw the Business of Being Born, and Ricki Lake said that all those extra interventions are bad for baby. I am supposed to go into labor naturally and have the kid without any drugs. I even considered doing it at home in a birthing pool, but I care too much about my hardwood floors.

Why I choose to believe in Ricki Lake instead of personal experience is beyond me. In the past few months, three of my friends have had their births induced and they have nothing but good things to say about their experiences (and their epidurals!). They all had beautiful, healthy babies that are thriving. The film also implies that mothers who have c-sections don't bond well with their kids. Well, my brother and I were both born via cesarean section, and I can assure you that Big E had no trouble bonding with us. We are actually still trying to completely cut off the umbilical cord.

Despite all of that, I'd still like this baby to come when he or she is good and ready and not thanks to Pitocin. But I've also decided that if Belly needs to be induced out of me, I will just take it as a compliment to my uterus. Maybe there's a whirlpool tub and a plasma TV in there!

Flexibility -- it's what being a parent is all about, right?

Other plans/pipe dreams that may fall by the wayside: breastfeeding for a year and cloth diapers!

Pregnancy cliffnotes: A brief look at the past 9 months.

I have officially been pregnant for 38 weeks. Before I cease to house another human in my body, let's take a look back at the most memorable moments of this journey...

First Trimester, in which I peed on the stick
This is me on October 11, 2008. I had climbed on stage to sing with Los Enanitos Verdes. I didn't know it at the time, but Belly was there too...most likely splashing around a pool of Heineken. A couple of weeks later, on my birthday, I peed on three different sticks and EVERYTHING changed. My initial reaction was to google hysterical pregnancy and talk myself into it. In other words, I convinced myself that I had convinced myself I was pregnant. Then, we heard the kid's heartbeat and it became real. While Ton Ton, Big E, Uli, Ani, Mamacita, and everyone else around me did back flips, I was a big ball of hormones who couldn't stomach any animal products. It was not the best of times.
Most valuable lesson learned: How to cry on cue, and use it to my advantage.

Second Trimester, in which the bump made its debut
By week 16, my aversion to animal products had faded and I was putting away industrial sized plates of food, specially ice cream. However, I must insist that my rapid weight gain (9 lbs in 4 weeks!) was due to an abnormally heavy baby and placenta. It was also around this time that we saw Belly on the ultrasound. We took Big E and Mamacita and they tried to bribe the nurse into telling them the sex, but she didn't budge. I spent the next few weeks obsessing over the blurry ultrasound pictures, convinced that I saw a bird-like claw where the baby's foot was supposed to be. Doctor B. assured me that the kid is not part pigeon.
Most valuable lesson learned: How to maximize size and exposure of the bump to skip ahead in line.

Third Trimester, in which I acquired my own gravitational pull
Despite no longer being able to tie my shoes, this has by far been the best part of pregnancy. Ton Ton and I took a fabulously relaxing trip to Cancún (no, we didn't catch swine flu!) that consisted of lying on the beach for hours, eating, taking naps, and eating some more. When we returned, it was shower time! And we didn't have just one, but three fantastical showers thrown by our amazing friends, families, and co-workers. They all featured our two favorite things: food (lots and lots of it!) and free stuff! We cannot thank everyone enough. So...this is Ton Ton, Belly, and me hanging out at home last Saturday night. I'm taking a brief hiatus from singing back-up for major international artists, but having just as much fun!
Most valuable lesson learned: How to go to the bathroom several times a night without opening my eyes.

Like father, like Belly

I had my 37 week appointment yesterday. At this point, Dr. B is checking my cervix every time I go in. I will spare you the details. I will say that he emerged from his expedition with some interesting news: I am 2 cm dilated and 50% effaced! Upon seeing the look of complete and utter shock on my face, Dr. B asked, "What did you think? That the kid would come a week after your due date?" Actually, YES! That is exactly what I thought. I played July 5 in our baby pool. I was sure I would have a slacker, procrastinating baby...just like mommy. A baby that thrived under pressure, one that executed a perfect delivery right before it was time to induce; after all, I wrote my best papers in college the nights (and mornings) before they were due.

I had failed to factor in Ton Ton's genes.

Now, 2 cm and 50% effaced doesn't mean this kid is coming right away. I could walk around like this for weeks...but things are definitely progressing. And, if Belly is anything like Ton Ton, he or she will be here early or on time. How did I not realize this before? Ton Ton! Who believes in being fashionably punctual, and starts packing for trips three weeks in advance!

I wonder what other traits the baby might get from dad. Will I have a mini-Ton crawling around our home, telling me I can't leave my shoes in the living room? Lighting vanilla scented candles? Talking to our house plants? I guess I could live with that...just please, dear God, don't let Belly inherit his chicken legs!