The Family *roll

I worked up until my due date, Tuesday. I had a “separation” meeting with my boss and handed over my pager and badge (you know, sort of like nurse cop). I am really quite sad to leave my job; it offered this fantastic combination of rewarding work and independence. I’ll miss my patients and co-workers. I’ll miss every day being different. And I’ll miss being part of the brain tumor program. I have written proof that I will be missed: one of the physicians (with whom I only rarely work) wrote in a card: “Emily, I will miss you and your good email messages”. Yup folks, that’s what I’ve been doing for the past 2 1/2 years: writing first-class email messages.

At first, I was worried that I would become bored waiting without the distraction of work and planned to work until the baby actually arrived. However, it’s been lovely being at home. I’ve paraded my giant self all over Lincoln Square and Lincoln Park and logged about 10 miles or so since Monday. It’s Spring in Chicago and there are lilacs and lilly of the valley everywhere so these walks are no great chore.

The marathon walks (as well as some of the other G- to R-rated activities) have paid off: I just came back from a midwife appointment and things are moving along nicely. Yes, I am overdue *but* the baby is very low, “locked in” to my pelvis and I’m ~75% effaced and dilated 2 cm. The nurse, upon feeling the baby’s shoulders proclaimed s/he would “shoot out of there”.  I, or rather, Birdie also had the charmingly named “non-stress test” to make sure s/he is still healthy despite his/her advancing fetal age. Birdie aced the test within 5 minutes (a clever, if apparently unhurried, child).

Last night, we also went out with friends from our childbirth prep class to indulge in the  induction technique of gorging self on spicy Indian food. We were quite a sight: three very pregnant, very due women and their husbands eating dosas (which look ridiculous as they are).

So we’ll keep you all posted. I’m certainly not too uncomfortable or tired of being pregnant but am so very excited to meet the baby. The midwife didn’t think there was much of a chance I would need to keep next Tuesday’s appointment so hopefully we’ll have news soon.