No Baby Yet...

So Chad's and my prediction was wrong. It is now August 31st and we don't have a baby yet. Who knows...I could go into labor today and still have an August baby but we're not counting on it. The last week has been a roller coaster for both of us. Probably more so for me than Chad. I've tried as hard as I can to not fix my mind on having the baby. But it hasn't worked so well. I have woken up every morning hoping that "today will be the day!" and then ending up extremely disappointed every night when it isn't.

Sunday was the worst. Saturday night, I was feeling a lot of pressure in my pelvis (as I do most nights) and had a contraction or 2. And then between 4 and 6 in the morning I had 2 more contractions. And all through this I just felt nauseated pretty much constantly. All of that really got my hopes up that my contractions would become more frequent until I went into labor but the only other one I had that day was at about 1:30 in the afternoon. And I haven't had anything since then. Needless to say, it was very disappointing for me.

We did get some good news at our appointment yesterday. I am dilated to a 3! So progress is being made! We did talk about different options with our midwife because my mom found a really good deal on a ticket to come out this Saturday and stay until the 15th. My due date is next Monday so my mom was nervous about the baby being late and missing him altogether. The midwife talked about scheduling an inducement for next week and this and that. It was so tempting to go ahead with the inducement next week but I just didn't quite feel right about it. So I had to resign myself to more waiting. Which I wasn't happy about and had a little meltdown over.

But once I had that meltdown, I started feeling a lot better about things. I really started to humble myself and trust that he will come when he comes. And we will be so excited whenever that happens to be! And until then I am so excited to work on a blanket I have all planned out for him! I just need to remember that I will be able to shower him with kisses soon enough!

Our Happenings

Life has been pretty busy. Lots of coming and going. Chad has been working hard. Last Friday, his work put on a luau for the residents and the community. Chad worked almost 12 hours that day. Needless to say, he was pretty exhausted by the time he got home. I was able to join him at the luau for a little bit and eat dinner with him. I love visiting him at work. It's so fun to talk to the residents. There are a few that I've gotten pretty close to that I love seeing every time I go. It's just so fun.

Chad is also just starting his new calling as Cub Scout Master...of 3 wards! He is still very nervous about his ability to do the job but I know he will be great. He was never that into Scouts when he was young so he'll be learning lots along with the boys.

Saturday was another big day. My lovely sister and sister-in-law threw me a baby shower on Saturday. It ended up being very small, just me, my sister, 3 sisters-in-law and my mother-in-law but it was so fun! It was very relaxed. We just sat around a chatted for few hours, mostly about babies. I loved it. It was fun to hear their stories and it's gotten me even more excited for the challenges and joys of motherhood. Thanks, all you galls, for making it so fun! And thank you for the lovely gifts!

Later on Saturday, Chad and I went to a tri-stake dance festival put on by the youth of the Church. The youth of our stake and 2 others have been working hard all summer to put this together. They've had practices almost every week and it was so amazing to see all their hard work pay off. They all did a wonderful job! Even though they were doing fun dances like Hoedown Throwdown, Napoleon Dynamite and Thriller, I was almost brought to tears several times as I was watching. The youth of the Church have such a special Spirit about them. Our Heavenly Father really watches out for them and I know He was very pleased with their hard work and performance. What a wonderful way to do missionary work through dance! I just love the Youth Program. I am so proud of all who performed!

We are now down to less than 2 weeks on our countdown for the baby! Chad and I have just been anxiously waiting for the day he decides to grace us with his presence. We found out at our appointment yesterday that I am dilated to about a 2. So we are making progress! No sign of any real contraction yet. I did wake up Sunday feeling very nauseated. I kept getting waves of nauseousness mixed with a little bit of cramps. I'm guessing those might have been contractions but they didn't turn into anything. So we'll just have to wait and see how it all turns out within the next 2 or 3 weeks.

That's it for now! We'll try to keep the blog updated but things will be getting pretty hectic here soon. Hope everyone has a good week!

Just a Coincidence?

We're down to less than 4 weeks until our baby's due date. So, of course, Chad and I have been talking a lot about the upcoming birth of our baby boy. The due date is September 6th, Labor Day. As the time has been drawing closer, whenever I or others have talked about having the baby in September, I seem to have this voice that automatically tells me, "You're going to have an August baby." I kind of shrug it off but I still have this crazy feeling that he will come in August. And I don't really know why.

I was explaining all of this to Chad last night and this is the conversation that ensued:

Chad: "So, when do you think the baby will come?"

Laina: "I keep thinking about 2 weeks early. That puts the date at...(walks over to calender and checks the date)...the 23rd of August, or there about.

"Why? When do you see the baby coming?"

Chad: (points out the 21st through the 25th of August) "I was thinking the exact same time period. Christy (his boss) keeps telling me that the baby can't come on the 20th because that's when the luau is at work and she really needs my help. My reaction has always been that the baby won't come then but it will be right after that."

We then proceeded to talk about how crazy it is that we are always on the same wavelength like that. That's exactly how we picked out our wedding date. We're really excited to see when the baby will decide to come now. We are not counting on him to come when we feel he will at all, but it will be fun if he does! Knowing us, because of this whole situation, he will be a week or so late. :)

We are very excited and anxious to meet our little guy!

P.S. If anyone has any guesses as to when our boy will enter the world, please comment! It will be fun to see who is closest!

Some Thoughts on my Mind....

1. Dogs. Chad and I have been talking a lot lately about how much we would love to have a dog. But, we don't have the money for vet bills and things like that and we don't have a lot of room. And we have a baby on the way. A baby is going to be a HUGE adjustment and I don't know if adding a dog to that would be a good idea. So for now, we will keep talking about how much we want one and prepare for the day when we can make it happen. That isn't as easy as it sounds when you see a poster for a free Australian Shepherd. An Australian Shepherd would be perfect for us....

2. Childbirth. Yesterday marked 4 weeks left of my pregnancy. We've officially entered the "waiting game" stage. Who knows if the baby will wait the whole 4 weeks. He might come early, or he might decide to be stubborn and wait more than 4 weeks. Either way, I've started preparing myself for the experience that is childbirth. A huge part of that preparation is for the goal I set to go natural. You read right. I am determined to birth my baby without an epidural. My mom did it. Women do it everyday. Yet, people I have told around here make it seem like it's impossible. They give me a raised eyebrow of disbelief and a fairly discouraging "good luck." It has become rather irritating but every time I get it I become that much more determined to do it. I know I don't know what it's like but like I said, women do it everyday so I know it can be done. I know I have the strength to do it and I'm so grateful for a husband that supports my decision 100%. I am excited for this upcoming adventure!

3. Chad's Job. I am so grateful that Chad has a job he loves. And that his new position as supervisor came at just the right time. He was getting to the point of giving up a job he loved to find one that pays more money. Now, he has the best of both worlds! I love visiting him at work and watching him with the residents. They all love him and he sure loves them. And he has learned so much as supervisor. It has been so fun watching him fill that role, even if it is a little inconvenient at times. He is a wonderful provider and I am so grateful for that.

4. Chad Andrew Phelps. I have such a wonderful husband. He is so humble and so willing to correct his mistakes and take criticism. He is always asking how he can do things better both at work and at home. What an example that is. He is so caring and gentle with me. He is always willing to do anything and everything for me. Including letting me be my stubborn, independent self when he would much rather do it for me. :) He is honest. Completely honest. Something that means the world to me. I witnessed how dishonesty can tear a family apart and it is such a relief that I don't have to worry about that in my own family. And he has a simple, strong testimony of the Gospel. Something that rejuvenates my testimony everyday.

5. The Mission I Didn't Serve. Last night, Chad spoke at Family Home Evening held at the retirement center he works at. He was asked to talk about his mission. I love hearing about Chad's mission. I love the way his face lights up when he talks about it. I am so grateful that he was able to have that amazing experience. But I must confess that I am jealous of it, too. I have always wanted to serve a mission. I wanted my mom to be able to send one of her children out on a mission. I always wanted the opportunity to have the Spirit constantly with me like only missionaries have. And to share the wonderful message of the Gospel with the people of whatever region I would serve in. And to see the wonderful miracle of a life changed by the Gospel. But, alas, that route was not meant for me. At least not at this stage in my life. Later on, when my children are all grown and Chad and I are old and grey, we will serve a wonderful mission together. :)

6. My Alternate Mission. As the laptop sits on my tummy, being kicked and bumped by the tiny life inside of me, I can't help but look forward to the other mission the Lord has in store for me. A mission that is bigger, more far-reaching and nerve wracking than the one I gave up. He has given me the solemn and joyful responsibility to be a mother to this spirit and other spirits to come of His. Instead of being a missionary, I will raise up missionaries. I will raise sons and daughters of God. I will teach them the Gospel, how to be good citizens, how to treat others with love and respect, the concept of consequences for their actions, and the list goes on and on. A pretty heavy responsibility that I hope I can live up to. What a crazy and exciting journey it will be. I can't wait. :)