The snow is here!

When I was pregnant with Isobel, I was due in February, and I was terrified that I would go into labor in the middle of a blizzard. Everyone to whom I confessed this fear was very encouraging. Two across-the-street neighbors, both experienced mothers and homebirth proponents, told me that if worse came to worst, they could help me deliver the baby. Scott just rolled his eyes at me and told me that he could get us through any kind of weather to the hospital just fine. And one of the teenagers I worked with at the time told me that the hospital could send a helicopter for me. When I asked where the helicopter was supposed to land in the Glen, she shrugged and said, "Oh, you can just shimmy up the rope ladder -- no problem." (SB, you know who you are!)

Despite these fears, as you know, Isobel was born in October. And though on that day it seemed as if the weather should be grim and drear, when we left the hospital without her, the sun was shining.

Caden was due in October, but born in September, and again, the weather was fantastic. No blizzards, no slippery roads, no whiteout conditions. Just lovely sunshine.

With this little one, I have been anxiously watching weather.com for the forecast for the last thirty days. And each time I saw that the temperature was not supposed to dip below 55 or so, I would breathe a sigh of relief.

But it seems as though my luck has run out.

The snow has come.

Don't get me wrong, I love the snow. Or, actually, I love being inside with a warm blanket, a cup of tea, and a book while it snows outside. But really, I don't mind it when it's cold. And to be completely honest, I'm no longer too worried about the possibility of delivering a baby at home during a blizzard. Do I want that to happen? No. Is it likely to happen? No. And I've spoken to the nurse practitioner at my OB's office about the ramifications for the baby due to my GBS if that were to happen. The answer is that, while it wouldn't be ideal, there's no guarantee that the baby would be infected. I would just need to tell the paramedics right away.

So, why am I so concerned about the weather then? Well, it's a very shallow reason, but it's my reason nonetheless.

I don't have appropriate clothing for the weather.

I have never been hugely pregnant when the weather has been cold, so I have very few warm maternity clothes. And when we learned that we shouldn't have any more biological children, I made the choice not to purchase any more maternity clothes. It just seemed silly to invest in something when I would only wear it for a few months. Also, since I was on bedrest, why bother? Who would see it anyway? Plus, with the weather being as nice as it has been, I didn't think I needed to buy any winter clothes.

But here I am, almost 38 weeks pregnant (!), with very little left to wear. And with my swollen feet, the only shoes that will fit are flip flops or my ever-so-attractive Crocs. I bought one more long-sleeved t-shirt yesterday, and I will likely wear it every day until delivery so I get my money's worth out of it. (Don't worry, I'll wash it in between.)

You all must have been praying really hard, because I'm still pregnant. It's absolutely incredible, and I am so thankful for every day I get to experience as a "normal" pregnant woman. I took Caden to the pediatrician on Monday, and I felt like a real mom again. My strength has been building up reasonably quickly so I can now wash an entire sink full of dishes without getting shaky. (Ahh ... the simple pleasures.) I've been loving this time with Caden. We've gone to the library for storytime and to the playground. And it's been great.

But now that the snow is here, I'm ready for this baby to come. I'm anxious to meet him/her and learn what his/her name is. I'm looking forward to the challenge of parenting two little ones. I'm looking forward to moving forward.

I'm ready. Bring it on.