Still Not A Grandmama

I know, I KNOW!

Well, Lily is still not "ripe" and yet, they want very badly to get her baby delivered. Forty-one weeks is the new deadline which is just absolutely ridiculous BUT her blood pressure is up and well, if it must be, it must be.

We went over to the hospital and they did a non-stress test on Owen and he is fine, fine, fine. Lovely and fine. And then Dr. Brickler came in. Dr. Brickler is the head of this midwife practice and he's retired at least twice (he's eighty-something) and yet, he seems to always be in the hospital wearing scrubs and I worship at his feet. He's delivered 30,000 babies, and that is not an exaggeration, just the truth. Here's a picture of him that I snagged with my phone from a picture in his office.


He examined Lily and said that they could and they would try an induction although he's not sure the odds are very good. And you know, if anyone but Dr. Brickler had said that, I would say, "What the hell do you know?" but when Dr. Brickler says something, I really do have to pay attention. I wasn't in the room when all of this was happening (they only let Jason back, darn them) but Lily told me all of this and she, too, was grateful that Dr. Brickler had been the one to talk to her because she trusts him too. The only person I would trust more is Ina May Gaskin and well, Ina May is not here and Dr. Brickler is. I don't know that this is a case of "the best will have to do," but it will certainly do for us at this point and in this place.

So tomorrow night at eight o'clock, they will give Lily a drug to help soften and ripen her uterus and then after 12 hours, if that has worked and labor has not begun, they will hook her up to pitocin.
And there you g0- everything we wanted to avoid but you know what? We're going to get our Owen and he and Lily are going to be safe and when all is said and done, that's the point, that's the miracle, that's the blessing, that's the joy.
So maybe Friday, Owen will be born. That's our Shayla's birthday and so a very good day to be born on.

So we are home and the candles are lit and we're all feeling, if not thrilled, then at least satisfied that there is a plan and we are grateful that Owen is spending such a cozy time in his mother's belly and that he is doing so well in there.

And I want to tell each and every one of you who are going through this with us from far away and from right next door- thank-you. The love you have showered on us is palpable and real and we feel it.

Damn. Another miracle.
Light your candles if you do that. Send a thought up to the moon. Let's all think about Owen inside his mama, smiling and being happy and soon to meet us all.