Expect the Unexpected

There are 2 pieces of advice about becoming parents for the first time that I've taken to be the best. The first: expect the unexpected. The second: be as spontaneous as possible, because planning takes too much time and effort.

Trying to keep my mind open about all the unexpected things possible, I have to admit that I wasn't expecting to get sentenced to moderate bed rest until the baby is born. My boss once asked me, "When do you think you'll begin your leave from work?" My reply was, "When my water breaks."

Needless to say that won't be the case. Having experienced some symptoms of possible early labor last weekend, Robbie and I went to the hospital upon our doctor's advice to make sure everything was okay. Thankfully I wasn't experiencing contractions (and haven't since). But I was a teeny bit dialated. So the attending doctor put me on bed rest all this past week until my next regular doc appointment, which was yesterday.

My hope was that my doctor would give me the green light to at least go back to work. But we found out that I am about 1 centimeter dialated, so she would like me to stay on moderate bed rest until the baby is born. Yuck. We weren't planning on me leaving work at least until the end of November, possibly the first week of December. (but that might have been pushing it!)

So having said all that, I'm really looking at all the positives to outweigh the negatives.

1) I work in a school. Maybe God is protecting me from getting exposed to H1N1.
2) I now have TONS of "me time" before the baby is born. TONS of it.
3) Moderate bed rest doesn't mean I can't leave the bed...I just get to walk to the couch. :)
4) I get to relax. A lot.
5) I can enjoy catching up/starting various activities and projects. See #2.
6) I don't have to wear uncomfortable maternity pants all day. Sweatpants do just fine at home.
7) I have more time to blog.

8) MOST important of all--Maverick is doing wonderful, and if it takes bed rest to keep him that way, then that's what needs to happen, no doubt about it!

I'm trying not to think of it as bed rest anymore. It's a mini-vacation. Minus the travel size shampoo and beach. :)