Baby Update and Starving for Food

I was just reading a few posts back and realized I never posted an update about the hospital situation. I've talked with my midwife and some nurses at the birthing center and was able to do a phone orientation with one of the birthing center nurses last Saturday. We must have chatted for 45 minutes or so as she gave me the rundown of their policies and procedures. Before the phone call I was incredibly anxious about the whole thing. After the phone call I was just excited to be able to birth there and thrilled at their philosophy of birth. I think that our birth there will be very much like the way it was with Adeline in Beverly (almost 2 whole years ago!!). I've filled out all my paperwork which they told me I could just bring with me when I'm in labor and contacted a pediatrician who will come by and discharge Pink Floyd since our pediatrician doesn't visit the hospital. Once again, everything is taken care of, now we're waiting.

Actually, I take that back. Some of you may know that my friend Johanna was going to come be my doula for this birth. She is now pregnant - yay! - but also battles hyperemesis in her pregnancies as I do - boo! So she called a couple of weeks ago to inform me of the joyous news of her pregnancy but to also say that she was not going to be able to come up and be my doula. So the last 10 days or so I've been contacting doulas in the area hoping to find one who was available so last minute. After quite a few emails and lots of no's, it looks like we've found someone who will be good for us and has a reasonable fee (doulas are really expensive here!). I spoke with her on the phone for about 25 minutes today and we'll meet in person on Monday (unless we call her before then to let her know we're in labor ;-). So that's one more load off of my mind. I guess once we meet her then everything will be ready. Although Murphy's Law would indicate that I should have nothing ready - cell phones and camera batteries not charged, no suitcase, nothing but dirty clothes, etc... - and then she would come. But God's "law" indicates that she will come at the perfect time for her and that all will be well, no matter how inconvenient it might seem to me at the time. I guess I'll stick with God on this one.

Finally, Adeline and I find ourselves home alone tonight - "no daddy" as Adeline says. "Daddy at work." (Where's Papa? "at work" Where's Rob? "at school" - so cute :). Anyway, Alan is participating in 30 Hour Famine with his mid- and senior-highers tonight and tomorrow. They have been fasting since after lunch today (12:30pm), are sleeping in cardboard boxes on the church lawn tonight, and then participating in work projects for church members for donations to their cause all day tomorrow before they break fast with a Mexican feast at 6:30pm. It's really an amazing cause and you can find out some incredibly startling statistics on world hunger at the 30 Hour Famine website. Please pray for Alan and his youth groups as they "starve for food" and serve the community tomorrow. And if you'd like to help them meet their goal of saving 10 children this year from the brink of death due to hunger-related issues, click here.