40 weeks and counting...

Today is the big day -- my due date.  

The day is nearly over and no sign of the arrival of this little guy anytime soon.  I don't mind so much ... especially since he seems to have moved off the nerve he has been sitting on for the past 3 weeks and I can walk without the crazy/intense pain that I'd been having.  What an incredible relief!  Of course, there is still plenty of regular pregnancy-related discomfort, but I feel a bit as if I have a new lease on life to be able to walk a few steps without having intense pain with every step.  Yay-hoo!

We've been trying to get out and do a few fun things with my Mom who arrived Thursday --

Here's a snap from today's outing to Woodstock, VT.  I'm definitely looking "ready" I think :)

Getting a mom hair cut @ 10 days to go

Several friends of mine have donated their hair in recent years and their actions inspired me to plan on donating mine next time I was thinking of doing anything drastic to my hair.  I kept thinking I would wait just one more year for it to get even longer, but in looking at pictures from the past couple years, I don't think my hair has really gotten any longer. 

So ... I figured now would be the best time to chop it off and send it in (especially since apparently my hair will fall out in clumpfuls after I deliver).

With only 10 days until my due date, today was the big day!

As my pregnancy winds down, I am working on developing thicker skin to the many comments people seem to think are helpful/encouraging.  I no longer tear up at the more insensitve ones, but can't help shaking my head in amazement.  After several months of these comments I wonder if I've ever said these things to a pregnant woman?? I certainly hope not!  For those curious souls out there, here are a few sample comments that I can attest really aren't necessary for a pregnant woman (or any woman) to be told:
- Wow, you're huge! It's unbelievable!
- You're really starting to waddle now.
- Looks like you're busting out of your clothes, time to get some bigger ones.

Being a person who often forgets to think before I speak, these comments have prompted some good self-reflection for me.  Perhaps, this will help me be more thoughtful in my own comments to people?

Addicted to french toast

I LOVE french toast -- anytime I get to go out to breakfast, I inevitably find myself ordering french toast. For some reason I just cannot change and it can be a little annoying since I do like trying new things.

Jason & I had a little outing last week to King Arthur Flour ... which was very fun

... and he bought me this (awesome) cookbook that I've had on my wishlist for a while.

Of course, what is the first thing I choose to cook up??  An amazing french toast coffee cake recipe.  And, WOW was it delicious.  Just that one recipe was worth the price of the book ... and there are 99 more recipes still to try!

This french toast combines a lot of things that I like

- you can make it the night before
- it uses "old" bread
- it combines the deliciousness of french toast, bread pudding and coffee cake.
YUM!

This is for real ...

We have a car seat in our car!

The reality that very soon we are going to have a person to put into this car seat  is definitely sinking in.

I'm also really starting to understand why toward the end of pregnancy women start saying they are READY.  Until the past few days, I have not understood this phenemenon -- my thinking being, why would I opt for a crying, pooping baby that needs constant care when I can just have my body take care of him from the inside?

On Monday, I started having serious pain when trying to walk.  I thought a good snowshoe hike might work the kinks out.  Turns out that didn't help.  I now basically have to hobble around because my right leg feels like it is going to give out on me with every step.  This is incredibly humbling.  At times I wonder if I need a cane?  I'd gotten pretty accustomed to the ever increasing amount of discomfort that comes with pregnancy, but I did not ever expect that I would literally dread the simple act of walking.

After three days of this, I can now say that I will be ready whenever this guy wants to arrive.