"In Waiting"

Here I am in waiting just a day before the official Sept. 10 due date of my sixth child, a baby girl, name to be determined at birth. The German phrase "in Erwartung" (in waiting) so accurately describes what it's really like for a woman to be expecting; it's so much about anticipating, and especially in the last weeks, it just feels like a lot of waiting, waiting, waiting...That's how I feel now. When will my body get over these deceiving little "braxton hicks" (sp?) and finally kick into high gear? When will this greatly anticipated and sometimes dreaded labor begin? When will I be over this humongo belly and feel light as a feather again? When will these little heals stop plowing me up in the ribs? What will our labor story be this time? Where will I and my husband be when the moment comes and when?
As I ponder what this next "labor story" will be, I want to reflect back on our past labor stories with our other children. As I think about how God provided each time for a safe, timely and meaningful delivery, I feel comforted that He will do it again, and that I need not worry.
I remember with our first child, S, I had only had the mini contractions with the rising and hardening of the belly a day or two before the birth. I was all prepared for a romantic labor experience and had a baby journal at my bedside to entry the first feeling of being in labor. At 6 in the morning, I was awoken slowly by what felt to be increasingly painful period cramps. When they became regular, about 7 minutes apart, I picked up the journal and started writing, but as soon as I had a few words down, I tossed the journal down and could only moan and groan on the bed. That morning I learned that romantic writing and labor didn't go hand in hand.
We were living in Switzerland at this time, in a little Swiss farming village outside of the capital, Bern. We couldn't afford a car, especially because of gas prices, so we just prayed we'd have a quick means of transportation, either by our landlord or neighbors or, if nothing else, a taxi. Luckily, the labor had begun early enough in the morning to catch our landlord just before he was about to head off for work in his car. We took his car and he took his motorcycle instead. (So glad it wasn't the other way around!) By the time we were on our way to the hospital, the contractions were only several minutes apart. Three hours later, we had a baby girl! The mid-wife had wanted me to wait a bit longer until I reached full dialation, but at some point my body had shifted into pushing mode and it was like a huge locomotive on automatic that I couldn't stop. Those were the days when my uterus was in fine, strong working order. Now I think my mid-wife in Texas (with my fourth child) was right when she said, "Honey, your uterus is just worn out!") With my last pregnancy and this one, it just seems it won't kick into gear.
Well, that's all for now. The labor stories will continue next time. Just stay in tune! Maybe before then, we'll have our newest labor story, but 'til then, it's waiting, waiting, waiting...