The baby waiting game (A list of things)

Hello everyone!

Well, with my due date having come and gone, we are deep in the throes of the baby waiting game around here. At first it was all excitement and jitters with words like "dilated" and "effacement" getting tossed around (and in pregnant world, those words are very important near the end). Also, there was the buying of the last few things we needed like a crib and a baby monitor. All good things! All things that mean the baby is coming!

In the meantime, several of my lovely friends are having their babies and my envy tries to take over, not only of getting to see the baby but of their (at long last) baby-free bellies...because seriously guys, sleeping whilst pregnant is truly a battle of its own design.

So, Toby and I have been desperately trying to fill our days with some sort of activities to take our minds off of how badly we want to see our sweet little guy. It's not easy, and many of our nights have been spent waiting to see if my ever increasing contractions will last or not (they haven't) and thus we stay up until 3 or 4 am. I guess it's newborn practice. However, no matter how often I get down, I always try to remember that this baby's arrival is totally up to God and that no matter when he comes, he'll be right on time. Toby reminds me of this at least twice a day because I'm totally emo about it most times. Anyhow, here are some of the ways we have been spending our days.

1. Watching lots of soccer. Thank God for the World Cup. It has kept us truly entertained. Also, this picture is not actually of us watching soccer, but we did right before The Sixties on CNN came on, haha.

2. Reading Neil Gaiman's fantastic novel, Neverwhere. I have spoken of my love for this author before, and every book I discover by him never fails to disappoint. I figure, I better finish it before I have a little darling needing all my intention.

3. Taking hospital tours! Ok, well just one hospital tour. Toby obviously didn't know I was taking a picture, but his face was too priceless...he looks all business, ready for fatherhood. The hospital we are going to is very nice with a lovely staff, beautiful rooms and just a very comforting atmosphere. Which honestly, for a hospital hater, I did not expect that. Taking the tour really settled my nerves and I highly recommend it to any future mamas.

4. Having due date lunch dates. The day I went to the doctor this week was actually on my due date and she said I wasn't really far enough to be in labor yet (cue words like "dilated" and "effacement"). So, that was the last thing I wanted to hear and I got pretty down. Toby then suggested a date day filled with thrifting and Chick Fil A. It was just what we both needed! On the way in to Chick Fil A, a man in his car called out to us and said "Hey, y'all got a blessing on the way! May your child be healthy and strong!" I nearly started crying. It was so unexpected but he was so sincere. God knew I needed the pick me up, too.

5. Just being together. This one is probably the most important thing we've done. We have always loved our time together, as bebebirds. No matter what we are doing, we always have a good time. We are in our last few days of it just being the two of us! It's bittersweet, but it's crazy how ready your heart becomes to let the little one creep in and take over too. We are SO ready to be parents, but as a friend of mine once said of her husband, "I love my kids, but my husband is like the Scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz. He was there first and he's the one that will always take the most of Dorothy's heart." I like that. My scarecrow :)

So we are still waiting, but not for long! I can't wait until our little man is here!

~B~

This moment (reflections)

I am sitting here in a coffee shop that I love and, not that today is any different than any other day, but I am so oddly thankful and aware of this moment. There are a heck of a lot of changes going on and about to go on in my life, so I guess I get this hyper awareness every once in a while that reminds me, "you'll never be in this exact place again."

I realize that that may sound a little depressing, but I assure you, it's not how I mean it. I'll explain.

When I say, "I'll never be in this exact place again" I mean that I will never sit on this leather couch in the upstairs part of this coffee shop, pregnant with my first son, and writing thank you cards for my first baby shower ever. I will never drink this same cup of (decaffeinated) coffee while waiting for my wifi to connect. I will never be answering these exact text messages from an old dear friend at 10:30 am. I am thankful for these little things, these little moments, because they are mine and are so unique to this day. Maybe it's the pregnancy hormones, or maybe I am just really getting a glimpse of the way life flutters in and around and through us. Sometime soon after this moment (soon meaning in a few weeks) I will have a sweet little boy that I get to take care of and he will no longer be resting in my belly. I will have a diaper bag and wet wipes and pacifiers and all of the standard mom paraphernalia. I won't be the girl in the coffee shop with no kid. And that is more than ok...because it is a whole new chapter.

I guess what I'm saying is that I am realizing the fact that the days of just me and my husband are rapidly coming to a close...and that I am actually ready for it. There are parts of me that could just sail into the sunset with my man and never have a care in the world. However, there are other, bigger parts of me that know the goodness that is in store that can only come in the form of my child joining this great adventure. Besides, who said sailing into the sunset couldn't be for us all?

Well, it is. That's the plan. We will sail on into whatever storm or horizon all together. We have no need to look back, unless it's on the good times, and we have no need to fear the future, because it's in God's hands. So then we have this glorious present, filled with the peace that honest hearts bring and the excitement that new life promises. I don't think anyone could ask for a greater adventure.

So onward we go and the wind is with us.


~B~

My very first (almost) Mother's Day

I realize that Mother's Day was not exactly yesterday, but we've been a bit busy 'round here with baby things, graduation things and all sorts of things, so please forgive my absence!

Usually Mother's Day is a great time it remember all the mothers around me that have helped to shape me into who I am. It was still a day all about those incredible women,  but for the first time I got to participate in the festivities as a new (or almost new) mama. It was kind of not real in some ways. I have moments of feeling like I will be pregnant forever and then moments of clarity where I realize that this bundle of joy will be here in little over a month. Well, Mother's Day was definitely a moment of clarity.

My first Mother's Day card ever!

We had a Mother's Day weekend of sorts. We grilled burgers, made kale salad, washed baby clothes and put them in his drawer, set up the baby bed, bought a car seat and other baby goods, and laughed until we hurt. Every violent kick to my ribs tat this little squirt gave me was proof of motherhood to me and even though it hurt sometimes, I loved every minute. Oh and if any of you have seen (and loved) the movie Twister, we made steak and eggs on Sunday morning and quoted the movie the whole time. "You slaughter your own cows? Meg, nice."

Also let me just add that newborn shirts are probably the cutest thing to fold ever in the world. That is one load of laundry that was so much fun to do!

To all of my blogger mother friends, I hope your day was full of fun and made you feel super appreciated! I know I appreciate all the wisdom you give on your blogs!

Much love,

~B~

Also, for any of my friends who are almost-moms like me, here are some great posts to check out from the lovely Lauren Hartmann. Bam, bam and bam. Seriously, if you have not discovered this amazing lady, do it now. She's super raw and real and just as nice as she seems!