Baby Blessing: Weeks 31 & 32

If I had written this post a week ago, it would have had a very different tone to it.  Last week was rather difficult.  This week is, for some reason, much easier.  When will I ever learn that the hard times don't last forever but are usually swept away fairly quickly by new strength, new hope, new grace?

Last week, I might have written, "At least once a day, I have this thought: 'I can't believe I have eight more weeks until she's born.  How am I ever going to make it? This is so hard!'  And then I tell myself, 'One day at a time, Davene...one day at a time...'"

This week, I want to be sure to mention that I'm feeling especially grateful to be pregnant, and I'm back to the place of savoring each day and not wanting it to slip away too quickly.

Yes, pregnancy is a roller coaster!

Physically, I am still plagued occasionally by the problems I've mentioned before:  a little heartburn, extra fatigue, random hip and back pain, and an overall feeling of HUGENESS.  Sometimes when the back/hip pain flares up, I actually use my arms to help push myself up from a sitting position; and that really helps.  It does make me feel kind of old though when I have to use my arms to even get up out of a sitting position.  ;-)

Last week I had an appointment with Ann, one of my wonderful midwives.  If I had written this post shortly after the visit, I would have remembered more details; but here's what comes to my mind now...

~ my blood pressure was a tiny bit raised, so they did a protein check; but I haven't heard anything back about that, so I'm assuming that no news is good news

~ my weight was...well, I forget...but they weighed me  :)

~ the baby's heartbeat was...well, I forget...but she had one, and it might have been 143?  or it could have been almost any other number...but there was a heartbeat, and it was strong and steady

~ Ann estimated that the baby will not be as big as my last two pregnancies (Tobin was 8 pounds, 14 ounces; and Shav was one ounce bigger than that)...she guessed that Baby Girl might be in the mid-7 pound range

~ most excitingly, Ann *thought* that she felt the baby in the head-down position...of course, she couldn't say for sure, but she thought she was feeling a little baby bottom up by my navel...the one main concern during the past few months has been the baby's position since she was breech in our last two ultrasounds, so I was very encouraged to hear that Ann thought she was head-down...we'll have a quick ultrasound at 36 weeks to check for sure...it's entirely possible that even if Baby Girl was head-down at my last appointment, she could still turn and get in a different position, so it's still very much a wait-and-see situation...but I was glad for a ray of hope  :)

I keep forgetting to have Jeff or one of the boys take a picture of me, so the only photo I have for this post is this one...

I suppose it's entirely appropriate though, because that rocking chair is one of my favorite places these days.  As a matter of fact, if I could do anything I want in the next seven or so weeks, I would choose three activities: sleeping, eating, and sitting in this rocking chair to watch my children play and the world go by.

It just so happens that my real to-do list for before the baby is born is quite a bit longer than just those three items--imagine that!  But I can dream, can't I?  :)

And now, speaking of dreaming, I'm going to head to dreamland myself very soon.  But before I do, I want to pause to enjoy this little girl's hiccups for a little while.  The hands of time aren't reversing, and the countdown to her delivery is inevitably getting closer, and I want to savor these sweet moments of feeling her inside me...hiccups, pokes, jabs, somersaults, and all.  :)