Week 38

Today marks week 38 of our pregnancy. For those of you who don't know, week 38 is the beginning of a 2-4 week window in which conditions for birth are optimal. In other words, we could be parents any day now. The moment of truth is nearly upon us.

What does that all mean?

One thing it means is that I won't be blogging as much. Even the past few weeks have kept me so busy that the posts on this blog have slowed. Of course, my blogging has been spread thin between I can't sing it strong enough and several reviews I've written for the as-of-yet-converted ComoMusic.com. (There are three record reviews and a show review waiting to see the light of day.) The crazy thing is that I'm planning a new blog for the kid as well. I think I need my own URL.

Another part of my life that will change is the time I have to go out. I've been out on the town and at shows way more often in the past several months than I've been in years. It's like my own rumspringa, the time in Amish adolescence when teens leave home to drink, do drugs, and have sex before returning to their families and a simple life of solitude and none of those sinful light bulbs. This period has not been nearly as wild for me as Amish teens gone wild, but I've been packing in the fun before the birth. Last Saturday's Evangelicals show will probably my last in a while. (It was reviewed and photographed here.) There will be no Oxford Collapse for me this fall or monthly beer tastings. A new kind of fun is ahead of me.

I'm not complaining, though. A friend of ours has taken an oath not to complain. Her goal is to go 21 straight days without a complaint. The best she's done so far is two. Either way, the idea of consciously not complaining is a good one. I'm looking at my impending parenthood as a change in my life. It's not the end of my life. So, there's no complaining here.

Besides the acknowledgement of the change we're facing, I have to wonder if we're ready. R's read 15-20 different books on pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting. I've read part of maybe three books, not counting my current reading material: Alternadad by Neal Pollack. So, I'm a little behind in that department.

The nursery is done. Besides the pics of the mural I posted on here a couple of months back, the crib is fully constructed; the once red dresser has been stripped of paint and refinished; enough 0-3 month outfits are clean and folded for maybe the entire three month period; and the car seat bases are installed in both cars. We're still in the process of cleaning some clutter and prepping the rest of the house, but the place is pretty ready for a baby.

So, to summarize, my lifestyle is slowing, we're very knowledgeable (or at least R is), and the environment is baby-ready. Now all we have left is the waiting.

And waiting is not a fun thing to look forward to. R placed an absorbent pad on the bed last night in preparation for the great water break. She hasn't started to nest. (Lord, help me when she does.) I'm creating a list of all the phone numbers she will need to reach me while I'm on the road for my job. In between all this, we wait.

So, week 38 mostly means that parenthood is upon you, but you still have some time to wait for it. When the magical day comes, you'll be the first to know. Some restrictions have been placed on what I can post here, but I'll keep you all as informed as allowed. Don't expect gory details or a video of the birth (although, I bet that would give me a huge bounce in my visitor numbers). Instead, I'll let you all know when it starts, give some updates, and provide the vitals (weight, name, sex).

In the meantime, you'll wait with me. Welcome to week 38!

My hope is to lose who I am just because