Pending Birth

Often I have thought of physical pain and how it is a relief that it happens so quickly. One minute you are riding your bike and the next you are laying on the sidewalk with a gash on your forehead. One minute you are buckling your child into the vehicle and shutting the door, the next your thumb is black and blue and you feel faint. Of course initial pain may be fast, but enduring the pain and healing may take longer. I am glad we don't know all the ways we are going to hurt ourselves.
Labor is different. You know it will hurt. You know it will come. What if you had a week to think about slamming your shin with a sledgehammer. You knew you were going to do it, just not yet. Could I lift the sledgehammer?
God will not take me to birth and then abandon me. He will not lead me somewhere that He is not. Still I do not like pain. I am not fearful now. I am ready to be free. It seems the hardest time for me not to be fearful is when I am laying awake in bed at night.
I cannot quite believe that we might have a baby. I pulled some baby clothes out of a box and washed them. I hope we will use them.
For the record, I think it will be a girl born on September 6th (Labor Day) weighing 8lbs 3oz. Of course logically I should guess a boy born September 11 weighing 7lbs 10oz.
My husband guesses it will be a boy born September 15th weighing 7lbs 2oz.
My mom guesses it will be a girl born September 8th weighing 8lbs 1oz, and my sister guesses it will be a boy born September 10th weighing 7lbs 6oz.