The Calm Before the Storm

The past couple weeks I have been trying my very best to enjoy the calm before the storm.  Knowing that our whole world is about to get turned upside down can be extremely overwhelming, so I have developed a couple of different coping mechanisms.  One is to ignore it all.  While this isn’t a good long-term plan, it has helped me to stay a little bit sane by focusing on the here and now and trying not to worry about what lies ahead.  I have also found this to be a helpful coping mechanism for national politics the last couple months.  The other way I am keeping my cool is by trying to enjoy the everyday ordinary chaos of our “normal” life.  I am trying to be with the boys as much as possible, go to as many baseball games as I can and be here almost every night to put A.J. to bed.  Last year, and in 2014, I challenged myself to a picture-a-day project in hopes that I could capture and soak up those tiny fleeting moments.  The past couple weeks have had the same goal, except I haven’t picked up my camera very often. Well... maybe a few times.  

Since I posted last, I have been to Kansas City again and had multiple doctor visits in Tulsa as well.  The Kansas City visit was short and productive.  We met with the perinatologist, neonatologist, genetic counselor and social worker.  Everything with Matthew looked the same, which is good news.  He had been measuring very small, but has been catching up the last couple weeks.  As of today, he was in the 25^th percentile, which is about as big as any Szafranski boy has ever been.  We make skinny little babies with big heads, and Matthew appears to be following his brothers’ lead. 

We have been working hard to get all the logistics worked out- which is not an easy task.  We found a cute little furnished house to rent on Airbnb.  It will be perfect for us while we are there.  It is located half-way between my sister and the hospital- 10 minutes either direction.  Housing had been a major point of stress for J.P. and I both.  It is going to be a stressful and exhausting time, so it was important to both of us to have a place that felt a bit like home to come back to and recharge.  I will also have A.J. there with me until Matthew is born, so having a place he can run around and feel at home was important too. 

We have a scheduled induction date of May 8 if he hasn’t come on his own.  If that’s the case, he will get to share a birthday with his Uncle Will!  Until then, I will continue to see the doctor every week to make sure he keeps growing and that nothing changes.  The five week countdown is on. 

We have been truly overwhelmed with all of the love and support over the last month.  As I said to a friend yesterday, the phrase “It takes a village” has never been more true.  We appreciate all of the prayers, well wishes and offers of help. There are a few ways to help being organized, and I will pass those along in the future.  For now, just keep baby Matthew in your prayers.