D-Day Plus 1

So there we were yet again, Matt, Shane, and me sitting at lunch at Cazadores on Wednesday. We have all been in there 1000 times together, but it was a reference that made it sink in how long we have been friends. Tony, the owner, came by to say hello and shake our hands when he saw us sitting there. As he came up he said "the three friends in here again, I've been seeing you three in here for 20 years together". And he was almost right! I think we all started going in there regularly about the time I hit 20 or 21. So 17-18 years at least! I tell stories about some really fun times in my life by starting off with..."we started off at Cazadores, remember".

Anyway, Matt and I are sitting waiting on Shane and talking about work and the other current events in our lives, but seemingly avoiding the elephant in the room; 1 day to launch. Well one day to the scheduled launch date anyway. For those of you lost right now I am talking about the impending end of my life, uh I mean the birth of my first child. And then he hits me with the question...."You ready?"

I simply replied "ready for what". At this point he smiled and I gave a nervous laugh. And then I explained the following to him; I am scared numb! That is the only way I can describe it. I have not been able to concentrate on anything for the past two weeks. Twice in the last week I could not find the power cord to my laptop, and it was in the SAME compartment of my backpack that the computer was in. I have even forgotten Anna Grace's name a couple of times when people ask what we are naming the baby!

Sleep deprivation has already started. I know it is going to get worse, but how does a person function when your brain takes a leave of absence? Most of the time it does not matter; I mean daily life is pretty benign, but what happens when I blank out when a life is in the line? Or worse yet, what happens when my daughter's well being is possibly compromised? Can I claim I forgot where I lived when they find me hiding out in Ketchikan?

Speaking of Ketchikan, I think I have figured out a nickname for Anna Grace...

So Shane finally shows up to lunch and we talk about the fears I have and then it hits me... I am the test pilot. I can see the sadistic enjoyment in the eyes of my friends; they want to watch and laugh at the "fun" I am about to have. They both are very excited for me and I know that I can call on them at anytime, but I know they'll be watching and secretly reveling in any minor pain that I feel.

This is also to be the last "pregnancy" blog. The next one will be the "labor" blog. After that it will be the "how much hair have Emilee and Rob ripped out blog". And now, a final pregnancy update.

We are at 40 weeks and 1 day as of today. The baby should weigh about 27 pounds (according to Emilee) when she is born and will probably come out walking. Emilee estimates that she has actually been pregnant for about 18 months now and that we may even be gestating some larger mammal such as a sperm whale. We are also pretty sure that we will not be able to fit her into any of the newborn clothes that have been so generously gifted and passed down.

On a serious note, Emilee has "dropped" her mucous plug, but that is pretty much the only thing that has happened to show any kind of progression. Even her mom has commented that Emilee is the most boring pregnant person she has ever met. We are going to North Fulton on Sunday afternoon to have the induction process started, and have been told that we should be actual parents some time on Monday. I promise you guys that we will keep you informed!

Keep Smiling,

Rob