Aidyn's story....So far

There has been a request that I update on baby things (birth and beyond) so I'll just post them on here.

 This could very well be my last pregnancy and it's been weird so far. I didn't really expect to get pregnant in the first place,at least not so soon. I had to take fertility drugs to get pregnant with Noah and Karissa so when we started thinking about another baby this time, we figured it would take a least a year of trying first. Oh how wrong we were! I was in shock when I found out, not upset, just surprised. Jeff was very happy, he had called half the village to share the news before the day was over. The boys seemed happy but not as thrilled as they were with Karissa. It took 2 years of praying before we got pregnant with Rissa and the boys were praying for her every day. So this time, it was just different. They weren't thinking about another baby yet. 

 I remember the beginning of this pregnancy being very uneventful. I was barely sick, I didn't really even feel like it was real. I made an appointment with Dr. Baxter in Selmer to have an ultrasound just so I could be sure I really was having a baby. There he was, a cute little bean jumping around inside me. I loved him of course, but from the start this baby was less my insistence and more God's design. I'm not sure if that makes sense. I didn't try or even long for this baby the way I did for the others, but here he is none the less. Right from the start I knew this was His baby, God must have something special in mind for him. 

 So the pregnancy went on, uneventfully. Then in August after coming home from a 2 week family vacation we got the news that my midwife was moving to California. I say "news", but it was more like a slap in the face or a kick in the gut (not from the baby). I felt betrayed, like the village and God could just care less about me. Here I was, in a pregnancy I was barely ready for and now I was being faced with having to deliver in a hospital (which I despise) or shelling out $3500 for a local midwife (which we couldn't afford). I cried for so long. I think that was one of the lowest points of my life. I thought Rushie could just deliver the baby, Ariel said she could do it and I thought it was a great idea. Then a month or so later, the village birth people made a decision saying that there was not going to be any unassisted home births (births not having a licensed midwife). But Ammah had decided to keep her certification active for another 2 years, but she was not comfortable doing water births. So now we had some choices to make. I was really against a hospital birth, I very much wanted a water birth (once you do water, there's no going back), and we were dead broke. If I went with Ammah, I'd have to give up the tub, and stay in the village for a month. If I went with a hospital birth... well there isn't enough time in the day to explain all the reasons I have for hating that option. If I hired a local midwife, where would I get the money?  Jeff had to make this decision, and that was the most terrifying thing of all. How could he possibly know what I need or why I want certain things. To him a hospital birth seems very logical because it's free. Well, after much prayer and talking we figured a plan for hiring a midwife here in Memphis, and yes, Jeff made the call.  My parents fronted us the money and the midwife I found cut her fee since I was so far into my pregnancy. We were both thrilled to finally have a safe plan that everyone agrees on. 

  I love my midwife! She is sweet and grandmotherly and very encouraging. We are very blessed to have found her. And the best part....no food diaries or lectures on how I need to take my herbs! I am not a born and bred village girl so I've never been fully convinced of the herb thing and food diaries (to me) are a joke because I end up making up half of it anyway. I always forget to keep track and then forget what I ate.... anyway enough rabbit trailing. Love you Ari!
   So here we are, it's 9 days until d-day and I'm feeling depressingly well. The baby was posterior for a long time but I think he is not quite so posterior right now. Karissa's birthday is tomorrow so that would be a great time to have him. Noah and Jeff share a birthday, it keeps things simple in my ever deteriorating brain. Anyway, I'll keep you updated and post pictures when there are pictures to post.