Day 256: Ready

They say a couple is never "ready" to have a baby, that you shouldn't delay starting your family until everything is just right, because you'll never get there. I understand what they mean, but we're ready. We're ready materially, psychologically, and physically.

Materially: we've got a ton of baby-related property, there's nothing left to acquire. We've got brand new, top of the line stuff, from crib to stroller to wardrobe. We've at least four things in the apartment that can serve as a bassinet. He's a wealthy baby indeed, and he isn't even here yet.

Psychologically: I think we're as ready as we can be. We know our lives will change in a huge way, even if we don't understand the detail of that statement.

And physically: according to our doctor yesterday, it looks like Mary is getting "ready", as well. Our doctor predicts Mary won't go terribly far past her due date; seemed very certain there would be no need to induce labor.

That was good news to us because we've been worried. Mary's feeling better than ever, at a time during pregnancy when she's supposed to be feeling worst of all, impatient for the kid to just get the hell out already. Instead, her hack pain has mostly gone away, and that was really the only unwelcome symptom she was feeling, other than the occasional kick under the ribs. ("Your baby is a kicker!"). If anything, she may even feel better pregnant than not... she's had maybe two or three headaches this whole time, when she used to have that many each week. We're still trying to figure out if that's related to something she's stopped taking (e.g. caffeine) or started taking (those crazy prenatal vitamins & other healthy foods), or just some kind of good chemical in her body from being pregnant. Whatever the cause, we're hoping its effects will extend past delivery.

She's still walking to work, no late-pregnancy waddle at all. She still climbs up and down the stairs to our third floor apartment several times a day, with no trouble and no complaint. She takes late evening walks in the December air with me and the dog nearly every night. She doesn't act "ready", but the doctor says otherwise. Looks like he's going to be here in time to have a positive impact on our 2007 taxes... might be the only time in our lives this kid actually saves us money!