"Tomorrow...Tomorrow..."

"...she'll be here, tomorrow. She's only a day away." (Hopefully that reference to the musical Annie didn't leave any of you wondering, "What?")

What's funny is that I've had this blog title started and saved for the last few days, but had to chuckle this morning when I saw Libby's text message to me saying the exact same thing. The sister bond is pretty amazing, but sometimes I get a little scared at the similarity of our thought patterns!

Every time someone has asked me today, "When are you due?" and I've replied with "She'll be here tomorrow morning" I've had to stop and shake my head for a minute. Although it's been an unintended consequence of the choice to have a repeat c-section, I've been so blessed by knowing exactly when this little one was going to come and greet the world. It's allowed me to anticipate her birth fully and really get excited without the feeling that I've always described as the "ticking time bomb" factor that I experienced the first time around with Joshua. Despite our other reasonings and rationale for choosing the surgery, this has been a real perk.

I still find it so hard to believe that in less than 24 hours we'll have her in our arms and have the answers to the questions that are probably completely familiar to everyone who has ever been a mom or thought about being one. Who will she look like? Will she have hair? (That's been a big one for me for some reason.) How big is she? What kind of personality will she have? What will it feel like to hear that first cry again? What's it going to be like to watch Joshua grow into his big brother role? How's it going to feel to hold a little baby again? What's the first thing Joshua will say to his sister?

I have so many hopes and dreams for our little girl, and I've been praying fervently for her health and safety over the past 39 weeks, but with much more frequency in the last few weeks. I can't wait to talk to her and get to know her and tell her all about the things that we're going to do together as a family. (And I'd better stop there before I find myself weeping into my keyboard.) Suffice it to say that I joyfully anticipate the miracle of being a witness to God's most perfect plan for the world in the birth of a new, perfect life and consider it such a blessing from Him that we get to experience this again.

The bags are packed at our house with just a few last minute additions to be made in the wee hours of tomorrow morning before we leave for the hospital. I've already registered at the hospital and had my labs drawn, so according to Dr. Miller, it shouldn't take long for them to get me ready and he'll be waiting bright and early to get this birthday party started. I'm heading home to spend some special time with Joshua this afternoon, do some laundry and get a few last minute things in order. My nesting instinct has kicked into overdrive. I've described myself as "an old lady just before a snow storm" in my hoarding and planning tailspin. Let's just say that if I wasn't able to get to the store for a week (or twelve), we'd likely survive on Greenbriar Drive. Certainly no shortage of toilet paper, paper towels, or snacks for Joshua.

Jason has contact information for everyone and will certainly be getting at least a text message out to all those who have expressed any kind of interest in knowing what's going on as soon as he can. Once surgery is over, I'll be in recovery for a little bit while he spends some time with the baby in the nursery. He'll give her her first bath, be with her for a lot of her testing/shots, and then spend the majority of the time rocking with her in the rocking chair until I can feel my legs again and get to come upstairs again. We expect to be home on Saturday morning, God willing, and will be able to post some more pictures, etc. at that point. Visitors will most certainly be welcome at our house, so don't hesitate to call if you'd like to swing by (as long as no one is sick or has been in the presence of anyone who has been sick.....sorry if that sounded neurotic, but Emily will appreciate my throwing that in there!).

Thanks to everyone for your prayers, encouragement, answers to my questions and support throughout the past 10 months. We can't wait to share our daughter with you all.