Trying not to be anxious....

Well like I said we are in the homestretch. Only 8 weeks till my due date, and I find myself feeling anxious about the next few weeks. I find with every braxton hicks contraction I am worried that I am going into labor. Here's my reason for concern:

- Ethan came at 35 weeks. I woke up in the night to my water breaking at 3:30 in the morning. He was born at 8:30 and was immediately taken to the NICU. He was 5#2 oz and needed help breathing. He came out blue and not pink. :-) There was never any reason found for why he came early or why my water broke. He spent 10 days in the NICU and weighed just under 5# when he came home.

- Sean came just fine. He came at 37 weeks. His labor and birth was fine, and he was able to come home with us. He was born at 10:30 in the morning and weighed 7#. I did find myself worried that they were going to make him stay at the hospital and not come home with us. But he was able to come home even though he was jaundiced and had to have light therapy at home for a few days. He was our little glow worm.

- Kaitlyn tried to come at 34 weeks. I had regular contractions one evening, and Jarod had to take me to the hospital. They gave me 2 shots in the arm to stop the contractions. Then I was on bedrest for 2 weeks and on restricted activity for another week. Thankfully she hung in there till 39 weeks and was perfectly healthy! She weighed 7# 14 oz. Her labor was hard but very quick. We got to the hospital at midnight and she was born at 3:3oam. I felt like we worked very hard to get her to term, and it was difficult to do with 2 other kids.

So I find that I'm aware of every ache and pain my body makes. Jarod is always conscience of how I'm feeling and if I'm having pains. We would love to have a full-term baby without any complications. We are comforted that the hospital we are delivering at has 2 levels of NICU. The first is for any baby born before 35 weeks and for those with more serious ailments. Each baby has a private room with a bed for the parents to stay all night with their baby. That is huge! We had to make back and forth trips to the hospital with Ethan and it was difficult to make it to every feeding. Then they have a 'special care' nursery right next to the nursery. It is for babies that need just a little help right after birth. The babies in here are put in there with the hope of being moved up to the regular nursery within a day. So it's comforting that there is a progression of levels of care and that Nathaniel would be well taken care of no matter when he arrives.

So I am taking my cares and concerns to God for we are told to not be anxious, but with prayer and petition to make our requests known to God. So I trust our little man to God's mighty hands and that I would have peace whenever this sweet baby comes! :-)