18 Years Ago: May 9th--Due date!

Blogspot, May 9, 2015

When I confirmed that I was pregnant early in September 1996 (and I can't say "found out" because we were "trying"), the "first day of your last period" became an all-important data point. Sheila Kitzinger's Pregnancy Day By Day (which I have found in a 2001 edition as a used title on Amazon) provides a chart that pairs the start of your last menstrual cycle with a date exactly 40 weeks later. My pairing was August 2 and May 9. "Remember this date is only a guide," she says, "since babies are usually born between 37 and 42 weeks." The day I had a positive pregnancy test was the day before my Granny died at the age of 96. I didn't get to tell her, but I instinctively connect her lovely soul with Simon's.

Kitzinger's advice about the inexactitude of the due date, along with with other information such as both my mother and sister had given birth "late", convinced me to focus my energies on not expecting my baby to arrive on this date rather than gearing myself up for the event. Un-raised expectations cannot be dashed. I remember being cautious in my assumptions throughout this time. I don't want to use pain medications during birth (but if I can't bear it, I'll consider options). My baby is clearly a boy based on ultrasound (but what if this baby is actually a girl?). My baby appears to be healthy and so am I (but what if the pre-natal testing was wrong, what if we have a difficult situation ahead?). And so on. What I don't see in my notes is anxiety of this sort: what if I can't handle the birth, what if I can't be a good mother? All in all, I believe I was calmly awaiting whatever would come.

May 9, 1997 Due Date! (a Friday): "155 lbs; 40 laps" All I can say about that is you go, girl.

Elderberry-apple Schorle
and Rhubarb Schorle

May 9, 2015 (a Saturday): In breezy spring weather, I biked with Miriam from Flein into Heilbronn. We rode across the fields (grassy early wheat and rye, emerging potato plants and maybe some sugar beets) and down a big hill into Sontheim. From there we joined the path along the Neckar River and rode all the way to town. (Markus uses this route to bike to and from work every day. It's about 6 kilometers one way.) We had lunch at a pleasant restaurant called Pier 58 that serves Flammkuchen (Alsatian pizza). Next we hit Stein und Duftparadies (stone and scent paradise--needs no further description). In general, the area along the Neckar downtown has spiffed up considerably since we arrived five years ago (although the stone and crystal place has been there longer than that).

We ran a bunch of other errands, trying not to step on toes in the crowds at the unnamed international festival in the pedestrian zone. Back home, I took some photos in the garden and set myself up for blogging on the back terrace. The real benefit of writing in daylight hours will be getting to bed earlier than I've managed for the last several nights. I love the serial writing (it's also kicking my butt).

(Almost) ready to bloom: peony, clematis, rose.

Ants, doing whatever they love to do on peony buds.