The Due Date that is.
In medical parlence today was "The Day", but as the statisticians have (correctly) forecast, there was only ever about a 5% chance of it actually occuring within this 24 hour block. There was still a greater chance today than any other day (if you dont stratify it for age, fitness, or number of previous births that is), it's just that the birthing bell curve is pretty damn wide - from 37 to 42 weeks.
The 40 week mark was celebrated with the end of work (for now) for AB, and a trip to the shared-care doc (AB gets excited when he goes, cos her name is remarkably similar to "Jennifer Anniston"...), who was somewhat surprised to see us there, but happy none-the-less that everyone was looking so well. Still, Mistress P's belly was prodded probed, poked and generally felt up. The diagnosis?
Still a normal sized bub with a normal bub heart rate (140 bpm), head down and 3/5 of the way into the pelvis and, best of all, no longer posterior (i.e., Rufous' spine against Mistress P's spine) but rather swivelled at least part way round and nearing the far superior (read: easier to get out) anterior position, all set for ejection. Mum-to-be was also declared to be in tip top shape with a equally normal and relaxed systolic blood pressure of 120.
Normal. Cant get much better than that.
The subsequent wander about the city afterwards was arguably worth the price of admission(/parking fee) alone. At the Bodyshop, where Mistress P dropped in to check out some fragrances, a shop assistant took one look at "the belly", ceased her chat with a Big Issue seller, and leapt in P's direction.
Miss Bodyshop: "Wow... that looks AMAZING! When are you due?"
P: "Errr.... today."
Miss Bodyshop: "WHHHAAT!! You're incredible, AND you're walking....{yadda yadda yadda}"
Err.. yes, walking. This enthusiasm soon spread to the 2 other shop assistants and a fellow customer, all of whom wished Mistress P luck and good fortune as she fought her way out the door and away from all the adulation. Just picture a Schapelle Corby pre-trial media scrum...
This scene was repeated in slightly different form at a bike store that AB wandered into to get some new jockey wheels. Only this time, after asking the question and subsequently being told "Actually, it's due today" the young-gun shopkeep just stood there, frozen, stared at the belly and went..."WOW!"
Several times... trancelike.
AB assured him all was ok and that as he had polished wood floors nothing would stain if she popped. He just said:
"WOW!"; again.
AB was so taken with these reactions that he tried to talk Mistress P into a trip to Southland just so they could repeat the scene over and over. Mistress P had in fact visited the mythical Fountain Lakes the day before and wasnt all that keen on going back, having been run outta town after enquiring about a Chinese back massage.
"When u doo?" asked the nice Chinese massage man.
"Tomorrow..." was the reply.
"NO MASSAGE FOR YOU!" {Picture the soup Nazi scene from Sienfeld.}
"Well how about just a quick neck and shoulder rub??"
...he ran off to check with a collegue...
"NO MASSAGE FOR YOU!"
Cant argue with that. And we guess it's mildly reassuring that they had some medical standards. (Or did they just have white shagpile flooring?)
So instead of Fountain Lakes they went to Elwood beach for some bright sunshine and a relaxing walk along the foreshore.
"Isnt that the Elwood Sailing Club webcam up there???" said AB, pointing on high.
{"Oh no... " thought Mistress P, thinking back to the weekend when AB had her starring on the big screen in Fed Square (see top pic).}
AB hurriedly grabbed the mobile, rang an unsuspecting workmate, and soon had Mistress P starring on the computer monitors of their poor salt-mine-slaving colleagues (see bottom pic... thanks Ms B!) - and said workmate unable to make a full sentence without resorting to giggling.
The day ended with a chat with neighbour Wendy, a bit of tooling about with work emails, some pondering of BAS statements, and a nice little afternoon granny nap. (For AB also.)
Oh well...maybe tomorrow.
(Chance: 4.8%)
NB: The conditional probability (i.e., if you have made it this far then whats the liklihood of popping tomorrow?) would surely be at least double the 5%... (lies, damn lies, and statistics...) Print this post
1 comment:
Dear Andie & Pandie, thought I'd add a comment as other's seem too shy or whatever! At times like this I know why this never had any appeal for me whatsoever. Phew. As you have no choice now, very good luck,it will all be over soon.
Andrew you're clucking just as your dad did over you at about the same time. A surprise to me at the time, as you know Rod was not generally Clucky. Love Julie
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