the end is near!

In less than 3 weeks we will have a new sweet baby to love on around here and I cannot wait!  What a sweet blessing and we are all really excited and ready for this girly to get here!  Drew asked me what she would look like and I told him that I wasn't sure but that she might look just like he and Susanna.  He said "no, Susanna has long hair".  I explained that when she was born she did not have long hair but that she had dark hair just like he did when he was born.  I told him he was such a beautiful baby and he said "yeah, and now I'm awesome because I have a cool Plants vs. Zombies shirt".  Can't argue with that!

I feel like I haven't documented as much this time around as I did with Drew and Susanna, which I guess is typical the more kids you have...time is much more limited.  Overall, this was a harder pregnancy for me.  I showed sooner and my clothes didn't fit a LONG time ago, I was achier much earlier this time and all the wonderful "symptoms" one feels toward the last few weeks of pregnancy hit me around 6 months.  I've been contracting for weeks, she dropped 6 weeks ago and has been wearing on my tailbone, and I've had the pregnancy waddle for quite some time.  I know no one really wants to hear the complaints so I won't go into more detail but just be warned, the more pregnancies you have, the harder it is on your body!  I feel like people have downplayed it because I don't look as uncomfortable as I am and honestly, my feelings have been hurt a little from people just blowing it off as 3rd kid issues, reminding me that I did this to myself!  This is definitely what I wanted, another little baby, but that doesn't mean it has been a breeze.  And is it just me, or do moms of more than 2 kids get sympathy looks from strangers?  People have either been excited for us or look at us pitifully, as if we are completely crazy for wanting more.  I feel like people either tell me things like "yeah, with my 3rd..." or "y'all are done after this right?"

I have definitely had to learn patience and I have also learned that no pregnancy or delivery will be the same.  My experiences with Drew and Susanna were very different from each other and this one has been different than both of theirs.  Currently I am dilated to 2 cm, she is in position (actually very low) and so I could potentially go into labor at any time.  With both the other kids I wasn't 2 cm unless I was in active labor.  I still don't feel like I'll really know when the time comes, I guess I will, but I can't expect it to be similar to what I've experienced before because it very well might not be.

Nevertheless, I am counting our blessings, I am in no way taking for granted the fact that we are having this little girl.  I love that my family is growing, I love that my kids will have another sibling (and hopefully this won't be our last), and I love that Heavenly Father has entrusted us with this 3rd opportunity.  I can't wait to post pictures of our sweet baby.  We DO have a name, that's another first for us because we didn't name the other 2 until we signed their birth certificates.  It is strange to already have something to call her ;) but I won't reveal it until it is 100% official!  If you ask my kids, they'll tell you though!

pictures by Jane Huddleston