34 Weeks!

Wow.  With each passing week I'm more amazed by how fast this journey has gone.  It's been an incredible experience.  I've been blessed with a fantastically easy pregnancy (so far, knock on wood) that actually keeps me looking forward to more pregnancies in the future.  We've had tiny bumps, for instance the big argument regarding whether or not we'd find out the sex, but we've gotten through it and we're both SO excited to meet our little man.  Every day I wonder who's nose he'll have, if he'll have curly hair, blonde hair, red hair... today I woke Andrew up with, "I wonder who's feet he'll have...."  He pointed out that they'll be giant no matter who's they are and he'll likely be a giant boy like the Fox boys tend to be.  This made me proud. :) 

I've decided I want to avoid being induced at all cost.  So far this is the only thing I care much about, aside from breastfeeding and an episiotomy (avoiding one, I should say).  I feel pretty strongly that he should be born whenever my body tells him to be, however I'm sure I'll be rethinking this when I'm a week overdue and totally miserable.  At the same time, I'm not one of these delusional ladies who will be making a specific birth plan and expecting it to go my way.  I'm delivering at a hospital because I the doctors and nurses to do whatever is best for my son and myself, and I won't put up much of a fight if they say they're doing something different from what I want.  What I want is a healthy baby and a healthy recovery.  Make it happen, doc! 

Dad-to-be is getting increasingly nervous.  Whether it's about the labor and delivery part or the being-a-dad part I'm not entirely sure, but he loves talking to Owen and feeling him move around.  Owen can be spazzing out and kicking and flipping around this way and that, and as soon as Andrew starts talking to him he's very still until Andrew stops talking.  It's adorable and I like to tell myself it's because he already knows his daddy, but who knows.  I'm eager to see Andrew holding our son in his arms, as I've been able to have him with me always this whole time.  It'll be neat to see him snuggling him, and I know he's going to be an amazing father.  I truly feel like I couldn't have picked a better guy to be my husband and baby-daddy. :)

Work is still going well.  I'm able to maneuver the stairs quite easily, although they get me a little short of breath sometimes.  I plan on working as long as I'm able to.  This isn't really a choice, as we have to be able to pay the bills!  But also, the longer I work before he gets here the more maternity leave I'll have with him.  I'd hate to stop working a few weeks before he's born and use up that time without him.  When I go back to work I will be working Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays only, and I'll be toting him around with me the first little bit while we get nursing nailed down.  Eventually I'll start leaving him, but I'm not ready to think about that part yet. :)  I must say, any woman in this day and age who can afford to stay home with her child/children full time needs to realize how much of a blessing that is.  My whole life I've wanted to be a full-time mommy, but that dream will have to be put on hold for the time being.  Maybe with the next one. :)

We have a lot to do in the next 6 or so weeks before Owen's arrival.  I have a doctor appointment tomorrow, at which I'll go ahead and fill out all of my paperwork.  It'll put my mind at ease to have that out of the way, then I won't have to think about it mid-contraction.  I have a baby shower coming up that I'm very excited about!  My dear friend Meagan already threw one for me at the end of January, and next is the church shower.  It makes me very emotional to think about all of the ladies who care about me and this adventure Andrew and I are beginning.  We're truly blessed to have so many people who want to be a part of it.  That same weekend is a big 80th birthday party for Andrew's grandmother, and hopefully a trip to the bowling alley.  I'm dying to see if my mad Wii bowling skills play out in real life!  I'm sure they won't.  Aside from these fun little outtings, we have a LOT of organizing and cleaning and prepping to do.  For instance, Owen's crib is still in a box in the living room.  We've had it for about a month now.  Hopefully we can get that assembled this weekend and get his little bedroom cleared out and organized.  We shall see!