Getting Close

Thursday marked my 35th week of pregnancy, and boy am I ready for her to come out! My utter lack of mobility and energy annoys the crap out of me, and after nearly a year of being pregnant I've forgotten almost what it feels like to not be pregnant. Makes me wonder how the mom from 19 Kids and Counting can keep popping out kids! Bill has been an awesome partner throughout from putting on and tying my shoes for me to reading to my stomach, I really have grown to love and admire him more over these last several months.

All-in-all we're ready for our daughter's arrival. Sure we don't have a completely decorated and assembled nursery, but I keep reminding myself that all that is more for the parents than the baby anyway. For the first 2-3 months we plan to have Ava in our room sleeping in the newborn sleeper that's a part of her pack n play. After that she'll move into her own room and sleep in her crib.

As for life right now my days are spent going to work and doctor's appointments. I have weekly fetal non-stress tests (NST) in addition to physical therapy. I didn't know the pelvic bone was actually two bones, and lo and behold my sweet unborn daughter had rendered the right side immobile resulting in horrible pain. Luckily that got corrected in just a couple of visits, and since then I go to PT so I can walk in the acquaciser. It's an underwater treadmill that allows me to walk without the weight from the pregnancy and my joints love it. I especially love feeling the circulation in my legs and seeing the swelling reduce dramatically in my feet and ankles. It's especially recommended for mom's with gestational diabetes since as many of you know diabetes affects circulation. Anyway, it's great and I've been incredibly grateful for it and my physical therapist.

It's my feeling the dogs can tell something is up, and they regularly walk over to Ava's closet to smell her clothes hanging in it. My mom of course worries with two 80 and 90 lb (respectively) dogs that she's going to wound up hurt or worse by them. We aren't worried though; like with any change a family welcomes, everyone has to adjust and kind of get re-trained. Our Labrador Reese has amazed us with her maternal side and when around small children and babies she hesitates to even lick them let alone jump or get too excited. Our Boxer Jovi on the other hand is a tornado of love and I think it'll take him a while longer to understand acceptable behavior around her. I've always described him as a 2-year-old with ants in his pants. He knows he's supposed to sit and be calm, but the wiggles overtake him and eventually we turn to laughing at his seemingly uncontrollable excitement. He'll get it though.

Well, I think I've rambled on long enough here. What I've written is the product of yesterday's motivation paired with this morning's groggy, haven't had my coffee yet, am I really awake state-of-mind. All our love!