One Week to Due Date

So, here I am at the end of my pregnancy, with what I presume will be no more than two weeks until J.R. and I meet our precious baby. Braxton-hicks contractions have become common, but not overly-abundant, in the last week. I finally finished packing my hospital bag over the weekend, with the exception of the items which I'll have to pack once I know that I am in labor. I am "nesting" some as well, but I have not felt any overwhelming urge to make our apartment appear spotless. My tummy has grown to rather large proportions, though I had not realized just how large until I took a good look at some of the tummy pictures that J.R. had taken of me last week. Other than knowing that I am at the end of my pregnancy so the baby will inevitably be here soon, I have not noticed any signs to make me believe that our baby is going to make his or her debut in the immediate future. I am sleeping relatively well and functioning normally for the most part, however, so it is alright with me if our baby waits a bit longer.

Saturday night/Sunday morning marked my first pregnancy dream (or at least the first one that I remembered in the morning, as I am rarely cognizant of my dreams when I wake). I was at the hospital and had the baby (a boy, in the dream), I do not even recall there being any conflict in this dream, just how happy and joyful J.R. and I were with our baby. Not particularly exciting news, but I think that noting my first (and potentially only) dream related to this pregnancy is worthwhile.

In the last days of my pregnancy, J.R. seems to be doing well. He feels a little unprepared to be a father, and he finds it hard to believe that he is going to be caring for his own flesh and blood in the near future, but he is excited as well. He talks to our baby at least a couple of times per day. I'll admit, I find the way that he'll bend over and speak, inches from my tummy, to the baby pretty cute. Both Faustina and J.R., independently of one another, have adopted this method of addressing the baby. Yes, J.R. has his concerns as a father-in-waiting (what new parent wouldn't?), but I know that he will step up to whatever challenges, trials, and the like that we will face, and that he will enjoy being a father, ultimately.

I feel that I am handling the end of my pregnancy well. As I mentioned already, any physical "ailments" that I am experiencing are manageable and not all that unpleasant. As far as being concerned about labor and delivery, I feel that I am facing only a normal (or perhaps lesser) amount of concern, mostly related to the impending "unknown" of birth and the incredible amount of pain that I have heard tell of. I have read books, practiced exercises, and tried to prepare myself for the birth of our baby, however, so I am comfortable with what I will be facing when the time comes. Like J.R., I feel a little unprepared to take on my new role as mother, but I believe that it must be a normal feeling. After all, God has entrusted parents with a serious duty. One thing that bothers me, unimportant as it is in the big scheme of things, is our lack of a formal nursery. We have the necessities (and more) required for a new baby, but with our future living situation unknown as of yet, the baby's dresser and changing table are in storage still (why move, and set them up twice?), and the only clothes that I have organized are the newborn and 0-3 month sizes. As I said, little things, but the nesting/mothering instinct in me would rather things be "picture perfect" before the baby arrives. That being said, I know that everything is going to work out fine, and that our baby will come home to a comfortable home, where he or she will be well-cared for and loved tremendously.