Birth day minus two

I'm counting down the month before Isaac's first birthday by posting something about his birth each Wednesday. Here's the third installment:

I had estimated my due date with Isaac as being Sunday, September 11, 2005. (The doctors had estimated September 7, but I figured: what do they know?) Everyone kept telling me that first babies were often born later than their due dates, so most people thought there was a good chance I'd have at least until the 18th. My gut feeling was that the baby would be a little early, but I felt like it was okay that lot of loose ends were still being tied up in early September:

Thursday, September 1 was my last day of work. Instead of just going out on a brief maternity leave, I was leaving my beloved job of ten years -- head children's librarian -- forever. Sadly, there were many projects I would be unable to complete, but I wanted to preserve my legacy by leaving clear guidelines for my successor, so I wrote a 15-page document detailing my goals and philosophies of service. Plus I wanted to completely organize and clean my filing cabinets and desk. I was tired, so I took a few half-days toward the end, but I worked until 7:30 p.m. on my very last day.

Friday, September 2 at 9:00 p.m. was when the contractors reached a stopping point on our house and began a two-week hiatus. Yes, our house was being remodeled -- while we lived in it. The remodel, a total rebuild of the family room and entryway, had been going on for four months by then. They had given up hope of finishing the job before the baby was born, and instead just rushed to be out of the interior of the house before his arrival. My home was not a cozy nest; half the kitchen, including the refrigerator, had been relocated to the living room, and nearly everything was coated in drywall dust. (At least I liked the workers and didn't mind them seeing my huge pregnant belly in a plaid bathrobe every morning as I made my tea and toast.)

The weekend of Saturday, September 3 and Sunday, September 4 was when we started seriously getting ready for baby. We looked around at the piles of baby goods and laundry and old newspapers and dirt and wondered where to begin. We'd been living in a smaller space due to the constraints of the remodel, and there was an incredible amount of clutter. We started with the most important things first. Craig set up the co-sleeper. I washed all the baby clothes and blankets. Craig took the tools and construction supplies out of the guest bedroom so my mother would have a place to sleep when she stayed with us after the baby's birth. I swept down the cobwebs behind the washer and dryer, then got down on my hands and knees and scrubbed all the spots off the laundry room floor. Craig shopped for food appropriate for a laboring woman. I organized the wrapping paper.

I hadn't quite believed it when our childbirth education teacher talked about the nesting instinct as a sign of impending labor. (She had cleaned the oven with a toothbrush prior to one of her deliveries.) At any rate, I was sure it wouldn't apply to me. I had been so tired throughout pregnancy I couldn't imagine wanting to clean or organize anything. Plus, things had been so chaotic around our house due to the remodel that we hadn't had any incentive to make things nice. However, there was no denying the evidence: I had organized ten years worth of files for a job I was leaving. I had cleaned behind the washer. And I had organized the wrapping paper, right down to the bows.

I called the doula and warned her of my irrational cleaning jag, and she seemed to laugh it off. My due date was still pretty far in the future, after all. However, after the birth she told me that after my call she had gone ahead and packed her labor bag. Here's a question for you: why didn't I pack my labor bag then? And wouldn't it have made more sense to pack the bag rather than clean the laundry room?

Monday, September 5, just after midnight, was when my contractions started. (It was Labor Day. Really!)

Tuesday, September 6, just after midnight, was when Isaac was born.