Houston, begin the countdown!

Well, I have been receiving a lot of calls and inquisitive e-mails the past few days and I regret to inform that I have yet to go into labor! Tim and I are literally taking each day as it comes and are as prepared as we can possibly be for the big moment... Tim's phone is charged and is on his person at all times (for those of you who know Tim, this is a huge accomplishment), the house is clean, the laundry is done, the bags are packed and the vehicles have gas!

As a reminder, my official due date is Monday, September 17th. I do have a prenatal appointment scheduled for that day, but hopefully I will begin labor before then!

My body definitely feels different - I have started swelling a little and have finally acquired the marks of motherhood (stretch marks) on my lower abdomen. Lucky for me, my stretch marks are very light and I am crossing my fingers they don't get worse in the coming days. I am having more frequent cervix pain. Last night, while laying not-so-gracefully in bed, I swear the baby hauled-up and socked me right in the cervix - I had to go to the bathroom to ensure that wasn't the start of my labor right there! He is getting so big that just getting off the couch becomes an athletic event! I am pretty sure that yesterday was my last day of swimming. I feel so tired and I think it is important to take it easy and rest as much as I can in the coming minutes, hours, or days (since it can be at any time) to ensure I am ready for game time! I can continue with the little nagging aches and pains, but it is all irrelevant as they will be well worth the prize!

My mental state is a whole other ball game right now. Anxious, excited, apprehensive, and scared are all adjectives that can describe my state of mind at present. The "waiting game" has been weighing heavily on my mind. Knowing that I can't travel far or plan things in advance create an angst that can't be described. I am excited to have our little Peanut here, but become scared when I begin to think of things that still could go wrong. Overall, I try very hard to not consider the negative aspects of labor and delivery - and mostly, I try not to worry about the baby (will he have any disorders, will he have the cord wrapped around his neck, etc.). I can't even tell how many times I have woke up in the middle of the night and jostled my belly just to get the little guy to start moving around (movement = good / still = bad). It is amazing that feelings can run so deeply for someone I have yet to meet! I have had to put my faith in God that everything will turn out how it is meant to be and that our little baby will be the most exciting thing that has happened to Tim and I! We both know our little Peanut will be the start of our greatest adventure together; and that he will help us shape and define who we are and give meaning as to why we are both meant to walk this planet. Woah, that was deep!

On to lighter things ....so anyone care to guess what date the little bugger is going to come, how heavy and how long he is going to be? Post your guess as a comment and lets see who is closest! (I have made some modifications so you shouldn't have to register any information to post a comment ....)

It is a very real possibility this post may be the last for a while! I will be very excited to share the news of our little one's arrival; however, being a new parent will take a lot of time and effort and I am not sure how realistic it would be for me to post shortly after Peanut's arrival! I encourage any and all to give us a call, stop by for a visit or send food after Peanut is here (just kidding about the food part .... kind of :)!

As always, thoughts and prayers would be greatly appreciated in the coming days! I hope this finds each of you doing well!

Love,

Jenn and Tim