Milestones

This has been a pregnancy of milestones for both myself and our family.  We've been able to enjoy this whole experience.  It's been what I would call 'nearly normal', which I never dreamed possible for us.  

For one, we spent the first half of the pregnancy waiting for the time looming in the near when I would inevitably go on bed rest.  We planned for it, thought about it, dreaded it, talked about it and it never came.  In the 6 years since my last pregnancy, the OB world decided that bed rest does more harm than good in most cases, so it's no longer the recommended route, even for people like me (which they don't necessarily test in the research, but still...).  After delivering two little ones who came far too soon, and then two pregnancies with bed rest and babies that still came sooner than they should have, I have doubted the soundness of this advice.  And yet, as things have progressed, with success I might add, I have felt more and more comfortable having a near normal life this go around.  Crazy!  I take my boys to school, do light cleaning (don't look too close), shop for groceries, do laundry, and cooked dinner.  I could do NONE of these things with my prior pregnancies...my life revolved around going to Doctor's appointments and...well, that's about it.  Every sacrifice has always been worth it, hands down.  When I think back on the times we thought we'd never have any children at all, the things we've done to get our little ones here are worth it, every time. And we were ready to do it again.

Secondly, pictures!  Corey thought it'd be fun to take some of those gradual pics of the pregnancy, you know, to look back on later.  So, every week to few weeks, we took some of me, and one day I'll look back and say, "Whoa! That's crazy!", which is what I say every day now as I look at that burgeoning belly of mine.  It's truly a fascinating transformation. Why did we never do this before?

Third, a baby shower before the baby is born.  Preposterous, I know.  To everyone else this is totally 'normal', but I'm always under house arrest and to be honest, I felt a little superstitious about it, which is ridiculous.  But, when some of my kind and generous friends offered to have one last Friday (on my 36 week marker!), I reluctantly accepted, thinking in the back of my mind that it'd likely never happen that day because there was just no way I'd make it that far.  And yet, I did!  It was an amazing baby shower.  I always feel so awkward when there's a party for me, even when it's a baby shower, but this was really so nice and fun.  I felt ridiculously loved and supported and it was just so, so nice.  I am blessed beyond measure to have so many amazing people in my life.  I am so thankful and touched by the generosity of so many people!

 Fourth, being 9 months pregnant.  What?!  How cool is that?  I am thrilled to have gotten to this point, a time I never thought I'd see.  Corey and I both figured that things could only get worse, since that seemed to be the pattern. But no, miracles happen and this is one of them in my life.  We didn't think we'd have the chance at 3 in this life, and when we suddenly did, which also seems miraculous, we were so used to expectations of stress, constant worrying, and trying to deal with the reality of a very early delivery with lots of issues that the thought of something halfway normal never even entered our minds.  What a surprise this has been.  The best kind of surprise.  The kind that reminds you of tender mercies of the Lord, and miracles and faith and hope.  This blessing is not lost on us and I am overcome with emotion just thinking about it.

And so, on this, the eve of 37 weeks , I am thankful.  Just so thankful for this experience, for this baby, for this life.  I see my belly in the mirror and stare in awe at the miracle that is hiding just inside.  The tight, round, stretched beyond possible skin is unbelievable and beautiful, and I can't help but stare in amazement at the wonder of life and how we somehow get the chance to see and experience this blessing.  While I am a little leery of the immediate next step (labor, delivery, oy), I am ecstatic, as are his Daddy and brothers, to meet this little boy who we must have really needed to be in our crazy family, because this whole journey has been a gift.

 36 weeks!