Prego Pics - as requested

36 weeks - at home & in need of some make up!
37 weeks at my church baby shower in Cove

Freedom

Thank you so much for all of your sweet notes and phone calls this past week while I was homebound. The week went much more quickly and easily than I would have thought. I saw my midwife yesterday and she released me to resume normal activity and have this baby whenever he's ready to come! I immediatley felt like I'd been energized with my new freedom.
Matt and I are hosting an open house today for people here in Cove who either helped to get us here or have welcomed us with open arms. So, we came home from DFW yesterday with quite an agenda to get ready for the party. We worked very hard last night and still have a few things to do this morning but I'm really looking forward to it. I plan on taking a couple of pictures & I'll post them soon.
For now, here are a couple of current nursery pics. There are still a few things we need & want before I'd say it's ready, but it's getting closer!

San Antonio Baby Shower

House Rest

I wrote last week about my midwife recommending that I cut back and take it easy to ease the strong contractions that I was experiencing. After about a week of diligently resting in the afternoons when I got home from work, the contractions were still coming on strong in the evenings, even if I was just sitting around the house. So as of Thursday I am on what we're calling "house rest." I am not restricted to the bed but I am restricted to the house until next weekend. After next weekend I am free to resume normal activity. For now I am allowed to sit and surf the Internet, watch TV or scrapbook but I shouldn't stand for lengths of time or get up and down too frequently. I am also supposed to try to drink a gallon of water everyday; Friday & yesterday I think I only hit about 100 oz.
We are pretty unclear about my due date, but according to our math & the ultrasound, I should be about 35 weeks along right now. I need to make it to 36 to deliver outside the hospital & I would really like to make it to 37 just to be sure that Connor is fully developed and won't have digestion issues or otherwise. I laid in bed most of the day Thursday consumed with worry and fears and making list upon list of all that needs to be done before this baby arrives, but by the end of the day the Lord really comforted me. He assured me that I can't see inside my womb and I don't know the development of my baby but He can and He does. I don't need to worry because He goes before me and He has promised to uphold me. I am learning to rest in those promises and trust His timing. After all, when He is ready, I will go into labor and we will have a baby.
I am truly so excited and the anticipation is growing by the hour I think. I've started packing the things we want with us at the birth center for when he arrives and trying to list the things we still need and all the questions I have for my midwife. We see her again Friday. I'll keep you up to date with the latest news.

Week 33 & 34

I am 34 weeks pregnant now & feeling it more all the time. The closer we get the slower time seems to creep. I can't wait to hold my baby boy for the first time. Let me catch you up on what's been going on lately. Last weekend we were showered with gifts in San Antonio & I had a really great time. I love getting to go home and see so many people that I love. The shower was great fun & we came home loaded down with "stuff." We actually borrowed my grandparent's truck because our crib arrived the week prior and we needed a way to get it back to Cove with us. So, during the shower Matt picked up the crib and we made it home, unloaded it and assembled it all in one night. It was a lot, but we love it.
I've been having some abnormal contractions lately (too frequent, too strong, etc.) so I've been talking with my midwife pretty frequently and she wants me to take it a little easier for the next couple of weeks. For now that means I'm going to cut back on work hours, run minimal errands and naps are mandatory when I have to be on my feet that evening. It sounds nice but really I just feel somewhat lazy and like I'm being a wimp. I don't like that aspect. Anyway, Matt has been so great about helping with dinners, laundry, dishes, etc. He is so encouraging and helpful and I know that I am so blessed to have such a great husband!
We also started our childbirth classes this weekend, which exciting. We are taking the classes with a midwife in Killeen who we may consider using for future births. I guess this is sort of her interview! Anyway, I enjoyed it very much and am excited to go back next week.
Saturday night we went to see the movie Fireproof at the local theater. Our church reserved a showing of it and sold tickets. We had a really good turn out and in spite of my skepticism, I really enjoyed the movie. Sure there was some cheese, but all in all the acting wasn't bad, the script was good and it made us talk about and evaluate our marriage. Anytime we talk about our relationship, I love it. I feel like we are growing and communicating and those are very important to me.
I have pictures from the San Antonio shower & the updated nursery with furniture, but I haven't uploaded them from my camera yet, so stay tuned. Thanks for reading, until next time...