Thirty-eight weeks.
It is almost a given that a family sitcom will reach its peak by Season 5 or 6, where in attempt to bring back ratings, someone has a baby. (Examples include Full House, Growing Pains, Family Ties, Step By Step, and even though it’s not a family show, The Office). There is often a way too familiar seen where the soon-to-be new mother’s water breaks during an inconvenient situation or random location and the soon-to-be new father clumsily rushes her to the hospital, only to continue being more dramatic than his laboring wife. And for added effect, he passes out from exhaustion while his wife happily holds their new baby.
actual footage
Will that bumbling husband be me? I sure hope not. Tomorrow morning we will do the final packing for D-Day: clothes, toiletries, snacks, Italian champagne, bottled water, gum, camera, cell phone charger, our birth plan, and the birthing ball. We’ll pack our bags into the car (I installed the car seat in it a few weeks ago) that we will drive to the hospital. We will be all set. It’s weird to pack for the birth of a child, yet it seems kinda like we’re going on a road trip to a state 8 hours away instead.
Since most of my expectations are based on laugh track infused sitcoms that first aired during the 1980’s or clips of worst case scenarios played out on birthing shows on networks that I only watch because my wife watches them, I’m sure the way I am playing out D-Day in my head is pretty far from reality. I have a feeling it will be in between the two extremes. I know it will be surreal. Soon, I will experience the event that neither words nor snapshots will be able to describe.
All pictures with the “JHP” logo were taken by Joe Hendricks Photography:
Blog- www.photojoeblog.com
Website- www.joehendricks.com
Family Friendly Daddy Blog 
I’m due in November as well. I’ve found that because some things we’re packing for the birth center need to be refrigerated, the pack isn’t actually packed but I’ve got thing all over the house. Call that a recipe for a mess, huh? Well, when my husband is home from his deployment, I hope we’ll have time to actually put the dang bag together. I’ve got tons of fresh produce in the fridge waiting to be cooked for frozen postpartum meals…maybe I’ll stick the cooler in the fridge then and won’t have to worry about it. Ahhh! Now I feel like I should get my bag packed this instant…hmm.
I have a question for you about installing your car seat. Call this new parent paranoia, maybe, but after you installed it did you think “oh god, what if I get into a car accident before the baby can even use it?!!”
I’m beginning to think this pregnant lady is very, very neurotic right now!
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Hi Jessie, thanks for reading. Yes, I am experiencing about of the over-thinking the car seat too. It’s so official once the car seat goes in the car. Sounds like you’re a pretty “natural” person like we are, with your fresh produce. At first, I assumed you were the Jessie Haynes I went to high school with. But that was her maiden name and I’m assuming you didn’t grow up in Fort Payne, AL 🙂
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Exciting! Yes, it will be surreal, and one of the best experiences of your life.
Love your pictures!
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Cool 🙂 Thanks Christi
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I’m excited for you and your wife! As a follower of your blog, I thought of the both of you when I saw this post and thought you might get a kick out of it: http://alifeinseason.com/2010/10/31/the-pumpkins/
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Thanks for following and thanks for sharing 🙂 It looks cool!
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