I can not believe I have 7 weeks and 2 days to go until my due date. It seems like yesterday we were taking the test and I still had a flat stomach! The time has definitely flown by. As I feel her squirm and and kick all around in my belly, I am constantly reminded that she is in there and each passing day is a day closer to meeting her. It is Christmas and I have two weeks off, which I will take full advantage of as far as getting things ready. The nursery is almost finished, the car seat and stroller are assembled, and blankets are washed. I will be washing the rest of her things, setting up the pack n play, and getting bags packed over the next few weeks. It may sound like I'm doing things a little early, but I've had too many friends go into labor early and not be ready. When things go down, I want to be able to grab my bags and go. Not that I'm anticipating an early delivery, but after my dr appt. last week, there's a possibility...
Stepping on the scale is always fun, but this time it was extra fun because I lost a pound in four weeks! How does that happen? Pregnant and lost weight? So, I was feeling pretty good before seeing the Dr. First, he checked the heartbeat which was strong. Then, he measured my belly....a few times. He looked at me and said rather bluntly....you're measuring big. I was 31w5d and my belly was measuring 34 weeks. How can this be??? I lost a pound. So, he told me to cut back on sugar and carbs and scheduled an ultrasound for Jan 4. Clearly, I was upset all the way home, but after doing some research and talking to my family, I was reassured that this is normal. On the bright side, we get another ultrasound and a peek at Charlee....hopefully we will see her better than last time when she had her hands over her face. I'm hoping that she measures right on track and everything is fine. If she does measure big, I'm not sure what that means for due date. We will have to wait and see. But cut back on sugar at Christmas??? Is this man crazy....who has that kind of will power?
I am 30 weeks and 4 days today. I can't believe I have less than 9 weeks to go. TJ and I have so much to be thankful for and I have been reminded of that several times over the last few weeks. Over Thanksgiving, we were in Missouri. TJ's family threw us a gift card/cash party while we were there. Everyone was so generous and giving. We were able to purchase all the baby furniture...crib, dresser, mattress and even some other items with all that was given to us. I have married into such an amazing family and I can't wait to bring Charlee back to Missouri to meet all of them.
And then there's the amazing family I came from...This past weekend, my sister, mom, and a few friends helped to put on our shower here. Everything was beautiful and Charlee got some great gifts. My grandma, aunts, and friends all came to celebrate our miracle. I was overcome with emotion during the shower a few times. As I was opening yet another gift from my mother-in-law, I began to cry and felt that I wasn't going to be able to stop. The reality of this really happening came over me. I was really sitting there opening gifts for my baby girl. Something I thought I may never do. And as I went to thank everyone at the end, I began to cry again. I couldn't even get the words out and I felt so foolish because there were things I wanted to say to the women in that room. I wanted to thank anyone and everyone who prayed for us over the last few years, who supported and encouraged us and hoped for us. Without them, I don't know if TJ and I would be where we are today. When I felt like giving up, it was the people in my life who helped give me the strength to continue, along with my faith in God's plan. Although, truthfully, my faith in God's plan wavered at times. I didn't understand it then and still don't, but I do believe God knew we were not ready yet to become parents. I also believe God will never give us more than we can handle. So, although I may not understand WHY we went through what we did, I wouldn't change a thing.
The crib is up in the nursery, along with all the bedding. It is SO pretty! We are waiting on the dresser to come in to complete the set. Her closet us bulging with clothes! Everything already looks so good in there, so I know the finished product will be perfect. I just did my first full load of receiving blankets and burp cloths....much easier to fold and put away than TJ's laundry!
It becomes more real everyday that this baby is on her way. I pray every night for a healthy little girl and a good delivery. I am definitely fearing the actual labor pain and just hope everything goes as "planned". I can't wait to see what she looks like and to finally hold her! Let the count down begin...
