38 Weeks

It seems like forever since I have last posted, but unfortunately as I have been forced to "slow down" nearing the end of this pregnancy, life doesn't.  Currently I am feeling exhausted as to be expected, and only experiencing minor contractions once and a while, or a few clumped together some nights. It is definitely getting harder and harder to get up in the morning and get to work. I was just telling Shane that I now feel as exhausted as I did at the end of the day after my first period of the day-which is scary-but causes me to have to rely on God's strength and grace all the more.

The baby is still active and sometimes I wonder if she is trying to escape. At this point I am really okay with that : ) Shane and I are very anxious to meet and hold our little girl and Shane has done a great job with last minute preparations. In the past few days he installed the car seat, put together the baby swing, and will soon put together a book shelf for the nursery as well. Unfortunately, he also spent some of this afternoon spraying our apartment for bugs! I had just mentioned this morning that we would need to spray soon due to the warm weather-and low and behold we came home from the grocery store and I spotted a big ole Georgia Roach in the laundry room. (Not one of our favorite things about living down here).  Needless to say, it was inevitable, but it is never fun! Shane ran out to Target and returned equipped with Raid to ward off any other intruders.

So, our bags our packed, our freezer is packed, and my belly is packed, and I think we are ready : )

In the past few weeks we also took an all day birth class that helped prepare us for what to expect from the first labor contractions all the way to postpartum recovery. Our instructor was a Doula, and she taught us a lot of helpful strategies to cope with pain, including ways Shane can help during the labor process. We found it helpful and hopefully can remember some of the techniques in the heat of the moment!

Below is a project I have been wanting to tackle. It wasn't major, but just one of those things you never seem to have time to get around to do. I've been wanting to do a series of pictures in our hallway of our first time seeing each other on our wedding day to exchange letters.

I love this moment, because we were supposed to do it under the big tree in our yard, but due to the huge storm the morning of our wedding (and the still wet grass), our photographer chose the porch as an alternative at the last minute.

I love not only the memories of the moment captured in these photos, but that the spot on the porch where they were taken has history to it, as it was the exact spot the previous winter (lit up with Christmas lights in the snowy cold) that Shane proposed : )

 I was so frustrated when my pictures came in the mail to find that out of the three- 2 were doubles of each other!! So, low and behold, I had to place another order! I wanted badly to blame the photo company, but couldn't find evidence in my receipt and know full well that the closer I get to labor, the more I am losing my mind!!!

In all reality, my next post will probably consist of me announcing the addition of one more little person to this couple and we can't wait : ) 

-M.W.