Full Term (Full Heart)

This morning Dekker and I are getting ready to head out to have a fun-filled fall morning with our friends.  I told Dekker about it over breakfast and since then he has been asking for Max and Quinn.  Oh how I love our friends, and their mama's.  I love doing life with them so, so much. 

Today is Friday, October 28th.  Today I am 37 weeks, 2 days.  I posted something on facebook last week about being 37 weeks and frankly that was a stretch.  I really do forget and get kinda messed up, especially with all the weekly appointments, which are never on exactly the day I "turn"-- which is Wednesdays.  So this Wednesday I woke up and said to Dave "I'm full term today!"  I celebrated with a leg cramp, night sweats, unquenchable thirst, 3 hours of sleep broken up by five potty breaks, heart-burn, sweating through all my shirts in the armpit, hip pain, restless legs, sore feet, swollen hands, roller coaster emotions/hormones/tears, and diarrhea.  In all seriousness, we have a family friend in the Women's Hospital trying to hold off labor at 26 weeks, so I don't take this Full Term stuff lightly, even if it is uncomfortable.

Here is how I really celebrated reaching Full Term: I hugged my sweet baby boy a little tighter and a little longer.  He won't be my baby much longer and that about makes me burst into tears. (Oh Hormones!)  I enjoy him so very much.  I love how much he likes to read.  I will let him stall naptime and bedtime for a good "five more books" any afternoon or night.  He knows it, too.  I tell him "pick out three books" and he'll pick out two, then load his arms up with as many more as he can hold for number "three."  We laugh and sing songs and brush teeth and talk about nose burgers and toots (oh boy, it's already starting), and at night we review our days and pray for the people we spent time with, the people on our hearts (like our friends Tim and Mindy-- is there anything you can do to help??), and our family, friends and baby brother.  I try to cherish my days at home.  I try not to be a crab, not to be house-bound.  We get out and go and do-- to our friends, the mall, the park, the store-- even though all I feel like doing is laying on the couch and turning on Elmo and eating dairy before the MSPI diet hits full circuit!!  He is too sweet. He has learned to say "I love you" which is ah-mazing, and has started to announce that he wants to "dance" and that he "misses" certain people, at random.  He told the post man he loves him Wednesday, which was awkward, but still totally adorable.  He plays with the dog and sits at the table like a big boy and independently plays with toys and can pull a stool up to the sink and wash his own hands.  His rare temper-tantrums are because he loves playing outside so much (thank you God for this great weather) and just hates coming in!  If we turn off the TV, or radio, or leave the park-- we say "bye bye Elmo" or whatever and walk away like it's no big deal.  He says please and thank you and thanks, Mom.  We are so, so lucky to have him-- thanks for letting me brag!

I also celebrated being Full Term by putting the stuff that has been piling up in the corner for the hospital into an actual half-packed bag.  And I am still decorating, slowly, the nursery.  And last weekend we did a few projects in the garage that includes the FINAL touch in Dekker's room.  I can't wait to get it up on the wall so I can take fancy pictures and show you all.  Maybe this weekend :)  You will love it, if you haven't already lost interest.

Tonight, we are celebrating late pregnancy with our "Friday Night Friends."  Steve and Suzanne and Campbell are coming over with dinner (seriously, the sign of a bestie!) and we plan to put our kids to bed (because we have a crib for Campbell or a pack n play) and watch baseball and play cards.

If you are wondering about my job, I am still loving it!  I have next week left before my maternity leave starts.  Next week I have a guest speaker and lecture on Tuesday, and final presentations in both classes Thursday.  I really would love to make it through the week-- but I know that whatever timing God chooses for this baby is perfect.  Actually, I would love to go into labor at like 6PM on Thursday.  :)  If only we could order it up like that!  This week I crossed some important things off my list, which I am thrilled about.  I hate leaving things "hanging", and I think I would hate even more sitting in a hospital bed thinking about the fact that I never got that Field Supervisor the Internship Agreement for one of my students.  Seriously!

Have I mentioned how much I love my OB.  I hear horror stories about OB's, and my doctor is NOTHING like that.  She is laid back and relaxed and believes that our bodies know what to do and how to do it and that she has the privilege to "peak in on nature" from time to time.  She's funny, and a half-marathon runner which about makes me want to punch her skinny self these days.  Ha!

Here's to being "Full Term" with a full heart!
On the journey,
Mae

P.S. In case you're wondering, my water broke with Dekker at 37 weeks, 6 days.