35 1/2 Weeks

This Friday I will be 36 weeks pregnant. Full term. I definitely feel that is an accomplishment!

I'm not so huge that I'm miserable yet. I definitely have moments where I feel full to the brim of baby. I have carried the baby somewhat "small" throughout the pregnancy. People are almost always surprised when I tell them how far along I am- which is nice. Overall, I have lost 18-20 pounds since I found out I was pregnant. I was up to -25 pounds a few weeks ago, but I gained a few back.

This past weekend we went on a "baby-moon". We took a roadtrip up to Missouri, and went to a marriage/family retreat and then visited friends in Kansas City. The travel time on each leg of the trip was extended quite a bit by me begging for a potty about every 30 minutes- and we were lucky and blessed that each time I really needed to stop there was a place to do so!

The retreat we went to was a Family Camp for Above Rubies- a wonderful pro-family, pro-life, Christian organization (www.aboverubies.org). I have been getting their magazine for about 3 or 4 years now, and I love it. I have met so many neat people and wonderful friends through their family camps and women's retreats, and I love getting a chance to hear Mr. and Mrs. Campbell speak.  The retreat this weekend was such a breath of fresh air for David and me. It felt like while we were there we could just forget about the stresses and just be together, and be encouraged.

And, of course, our time in KC was wonderful. It didn't last nearly long enough! We got to see some dear friends and have some great barbecue. The family we stayed with while we were there are particularly special to us. They have a little daughter with a genetic disorder, and their testimony and faith through parenting her, plus their church's wonderful website, articles, and statement of faith, are what brought me to a true, saving faith in Christ. They were also very significant in David's journey as well. Studying together after encountering such a different view of God and the gospel changed our marriage as well. We love to take advantage of every opportunity we get to visit them!

Now that we're back home, we are burrowing in for the last stretch of pregnancy and "nesting". I have a long list of things to do before the baby comes, plus a very important nap regimen to resume! I didn't get my nap yesterday- we were traveling all day long, and for whatever reason, laying my seat back in the car would kick off a series of painful Braxton-Hicks contractions after a few minutes. No rest for the weary that day! Instead, we listened to some interesting talks on CD by Doug Phillips (www.visionforum.com), specifically, the series on "Mysteries of the Ancient World". I escpecially loved the talk about the Incas- I found it very relevant to our current culture. But I am very glad to be home now, where I can just lay down and go to sleep without worrying about impending pain and doom, lol. One of my big things to get done now is to organize the baby's things and get his clothes and blankets washed. I have a ways to go in getting things set up like I want them! Plus it will soon be time to pack our hospital bag....