Day 8 – That’s a Wrap!
Well y'all, though I personally voted for Henry to come early and on his own, he has other plans. I kind of get the feeling that if I weren't being induced tomorrow, he would go past his due date for sure. Maybe that's a sign of his personality and what's to come. I think he will be laid back and perhaps more mellow like me. Ruth came on her own time, and in her own way, which suits her personality. She is such a character.
Speaking of miss Ruth, today was her last day as an only child and the last day to live life in the normal that she has come to know. There will be an entirely new normal starting tomorrow. It was a very hard day for me, for a variety of reasons. I wanted our last day as a family of three to be perfect. Every time I have a "perfect" plan, it never seems to goes that way. I know God is trying to tell me I'm not in control and things don't have to be my version of perfect. But nonetheless, I do it to myself and I hate that because I still haven't learned that lesson.
We took Ruth to church this morning and I assume she had a wonderful time as she always does. When we picked her up, she was smiling and ready to roll. The plan was really to come home and take naps before we headed to the park on the afternoon and out for ice cream. Ruth had a great nap. I had too much to do for a nap. So many people at church this morning told me to relax today, take a nap, and enjoy this last day. I was failing pretty miserably. I can say that I finally got my thank you notes finished and in the mail. That's a major win! I know they're later than I ever hoped they would be, but I want the record to state that they made it in the mailbox before Henry was born!
There were many tears shed throughout the day. I wish I could give great reasons as to why, but all I can say is today was just harder than I ever imagined. It's almost as though I was seeing things in a different way through a different lens. When Ruth was putting food in Mack's bowl earlier, as I often let her do, she spilled some. She began to cry and was so upset with the fact that food was everywhere and she couldn't do it on her own. We immediately helped her clean it all up, but I was even more upset than her because she was such a big girl in that moment. She just wanted to help, and was upset with herself when it didn't work out. How did she grow up so quickly?
After Ruth woke up from her nap, we went ahead with our plan for the park and ice cream. All went well. She's never had an ice cream cone, so that was quite cute to watch. We went through about fifty napkins, and not just on our account as overbearing parents. Every time any bit of ice cream would get on her face or hands, she'd immediately ask for a napkin to wipe it off. She is definitely my mini me. I was the exact same way as a child. When we returned to the house, we let her indulge in a few episodes of Daniel Tiger, after all it is her favorite show right now.
We sat down with her to eat dinner and had probably the best half hour of the day. She is such a hoot when she wants to be. She's feisty, mischievous, and absolutely hilarious without really trying too hard. I had a smile on my face the entire time as she ate her peas one by one with her fork, gave devilish looks and threw her head back in laughter, and talked continuously with her sweet, tiny voice.
No one can really prepare you for how much guilt you'll likely feel in the moments leading up to the expansion of a family. It's a big deal. Even though things will fall into place and it will make so much sense once that new member joins the family, there's still bound to be some sadness as you mourn the passing of what once was.
I know she had a good day today, even if she didn't quite realize why so much crying took place. And she surely doesn't realize what tomorrow will bring. But we still enjoyed a few special moments with her today. I'm going to focus on the fact that we were fortunate enough to know when Henry is coming so we could plan a day devoted to our Ruth.