“Exercise in active surrender”
Posted: July 4th, 2010 | Author: Marissa K. | Filed under: | Tags: Dim Sum, Pregnancy | 2 Comments »Those are the best words that I’ve received in terms of labor advice. And damn if it’s not true!
@nkaiser and I have been on baby alert for over two weeks now, and it’s been the longest two weeks of our lives. Dim Sum still hasn’t shown up, but there’s been three false alarms, including one trip to the hospital. I have to admit, I’ve been a bit… defeated these past few days. Folks have called, texted and emailed, and in my melancholy state, I’ve let them go unanswered. Sorry, friends. I’m just a little withdrawn, a little tired, and a lot frustrated. Please don’t stop checking in, but please don’t take offense if I don’t answer you right away.
Some, in an effort to comfort me, remind me that I’m not due until July 11. While that’s true, our doctor put us on high alert beginning June 18 saying, “Get that car seat in the car, make sure your pediatrician is lined up, and BE READY.” That was the fateful day I was diagnosed as being 3 cm dilated 3 weeks early. Not that my doc was lying or did the wrong thing… it could have happened any day. But the fact that it’s now July 4 (oh yeah, Happy Independence Day!) means that Nate and I have been waiting with baited breath for a LONG. TIME. We’ve gone to bed at night saying, “Maybe tonight is the night!” and we’ve woken up saying, “I wonder if today is the day?”
As each day draws out, things get more and more frustrating.
Exercise in active surrender. But it’s awfully hard to get two type-A personalities to surrender.
So here’s our new coping mechanism: Get out of the house as often as possible. Go to a coffee shop, visit a bar, eat out, take Galt to the dog park. Distract, distract, distract. A big shout out goes to our friends, Eric and Alli, who kidnapped me at 11 p.m. the other night and took me to a movie. That was awesome. Tonight, we’ll head off to a BBQ at Marina and Damon’s house. More distraction. More awesome.
Until Dim Sum decides to come, exercise in active surrender.
Totally great advice!! Speaking from the experience of having gone a whole week late, I was going mentally insane. Fortunately, with my parents in town and “working from home” that whole time, I had time to go out and enjoy the city with them. We went out for dinner practically every night, watched movies, etc… Keep your mind occupied with tons of fun things to do. Hang in there!!
Change is scary. Dim Sum just needs a little more alone time before making the big debut. Enjoy this special time; print EVERY ONE of these hysterical stories for a scrap book; and remember that, just like no sending dim sum FOOD back after tasting it, there’s no sending baby dimmy back either. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy, take pictures, take videos, and glow like the great K-padres you are!