The final days...

37 weeks and still going strong!

Considering my inablility to post frequently, this is most likely the last word you'll hear from us before our lives completely change and the newest member of our family comes. Here's a few thoughts going through my head these days.

Things I am scared about or just not so much looking forward to:

- Figuring out breastfeeding

- Labor/Delivery

- Labor recovery

- Hearing any news that my baby is less than perfect

- Going into labor before getting my grades done

- Not getting that blasted changing table top shipped here in time

- Losing our couple independence

- No sleep

- What do I really know about being a mother?!

Things I am super excited for or looking forward to:

- Seeing my baby boy

- Seeing that he looks like his dad

- Hearing he's okay

- Sharing it all with Tyler and our family

- Dressing him in all the cute clothes

- Going for stroller walks

- Seeing Tyler be a daddy

- RUNNING and working out again!

- Knowing that I'm doing the most important thing I could be doing in my life, and all the things that I wasn't looking forward to or that I feel are hard will be worth it to raise a child

This really is the first time in my whole pregnancy that it's sinking it that we'll have an actual baby with all it's actual baby needs living with us from now on, and I don't know why that took so long to realize. Reading all the books, buying the stuff, having the baby showers, wearing maternity clothes, feeling him move; it all was so fun I think my mind put off thinking about the realities of baby-life. But even though I'm finally feeling a little anxious, which is fine, I'm still overwhelmingly grateful to be having this baby and to enter this new phase of our lives. Having the goal of raising children is the reason for everything; it's why I went into elementary education and became a teacher, it's mostly the reason I married Tyler :), it's why I am who I am. And if for some reason that wouldn't have been able to happen, I would have changed my plans. But I feel blessed to be so close to having this huge dream realized.

I just think it's funny how much I stick out when I sit down. I've set many a cereal bowls on that shelf these last few weeks.

Just another shot, from the front. Thank you cameraman Tyler.


ANYway, we do have more going on in our lives than baby. We planted a garden this week! We put in some tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, and peas. We have no idea if any of it will live to harvest, but we thought we'd try. Another exciting thing is that I only have 9 days of school left! Woohoo! And it's warming up a lot which is wonderful.

Tyler had fun playing in the dirt and getting wet :)

Getting the tomatoes in.

We have a great little backyard, and I love our view of the mountains.

This is the baby shower that a mom from my class threw for me during school, it was SO fun to have the kids play games and get to celebrate the baby. We had a great time!

We played a game where the kids had to guess how big around I was using yarn, we got some pretty long strings of yarn :)

Here's a goofy picture of me with the stroller that my faculty gave me (isn't it cute!)

Just another side view. I really do love being big; I can't believe how many people, including strangers, comment on it. I've been asked 3 different times if I'm having twins, and yesterday the lady at TJMaxx said "you're not going to have that baby right here, are you?". Haha! No doubt he'll be a pretty good sized baby though. At our last checkup, the doctor said she thinks he's about 7 lbs now, and I'm dilated to a 1 which still puts me around my due date of the 7th. It's fun to hear that things are progressing though :)

So wish us luck! I'm just keeping my fingers crossed he waits until school is out!