We've made it!

It's hard to believe it was 10 weeks ago that I was put on bedrest.  I prayed and I prayed that we would make it to at least 35 weeks, and here we are...prayers answered.  I can't even explain how much more at ease I am now.  No more extra hormones, no more modified activity, and no more worrying about Baby Girl coming too early.  We still need her to bake for at least 2 more weeks, but I guess she could come any day.  I still think all of these precautions might have been unnecessary and I'll deliver on time.  Complaints:  My hips are killing me, especially in the middle of the night and in the morning....poor Andrew.  Oh, and I never thought my hands could be so swollen! 

It's going to be hard to wait another 5 weeks.  Not just because of the discomforts, but because I am soooooooooooooooo excited to meet this little girl.   I don't think I've ever heard anyone describe me as patient before.  We are all ready for baby girl's arrival.  In fact, the only things left to do are to clean the bottles (just in case I need them sooner than later), make my labor playlist, and print out my focal points.  I'm going to use some pictures of Hawaii and a few of my favorite bible verses.  I'm not at all afraid of going naturally and I don't understand why people keep asking me this....it's a natural process that God made my body to do.  I know it's going to be extremely painful, but it's pain with a purpose.  Block the pain, and you block the body's natural feedback mechanisms and interventions usually only lead to more interventions.  Hundreds of thousands of women do it around the world everyday...without medication.  I am, however, going into this knowing that I might need some help.  If I end up laboring for a long time, or if I take forever to progress and need to be induced, then I might opt for some sort of assistance.  I've heard pitocin-induced labors are torturous, and I'm not doing this "prove" anything.  I really just think this is the best way to bring my daughter into this world.


And now for some fun pregnancy progression pictures!


7 weeks.  little bump, I guess?  I miss my abs.  sigh





15 weeks - yea, you pretty much can't tell under clothes.



20 weeks - this was the beer gut look that I had at our wedding ;)





22 weeks - still had to do a bare belly look to really see it.



27 weeks - ba-bam! no more hiding it.





33 weeks - haaauuuge.