Less Than A Month/Four Weeks To Go!!

So it has been a long time since I have posted anything!! My apologies! To be honest I have been in complete survival mode the past month! Last week was my last week working and so now I feel like I am finally able to rest and prepare for Baby Girls arrival! My goal each day was to just get through the day! It made for the passing of time to be quite miserable! I do not miss having to bend over all the time. I do not miss having to push around a heavy brute barrel. I do not miss cleaning toilets or mopping or vacuuming. I definitely do not miss unloading 3-5 dishwashers a night! I do not miss doing 2-3 loads of laundry a week either...


I have really enjoyed taking this week to serve my husband by staying on top of laundry and meals! Especially since Andy came down with a pretty nasty flu/cold! So be praying for him as he fights this off and as I try to avoid this nasty sickness. We need to be at our best for when baby decides to come!! Anyways, it has been so nice to finally be able to spend time with  Andy again and really enjoy this time that we have together before the baby comes! He was hunting for the past two weeks (Thurs-Sun) and so I am glad that is behind us! It stressed me out to have him away as you really never know when I will go into labor. I highly doubt we will go early but thinking of him up in deer stand, 2 hours away, with not the best of phone service... really made me wonder what I would do if I did go early! So now he is on lock-down :-) 


So... how am I doing? Well I am hanging in there! I can definitely tell my body is preparing itself for what is ahead! My joints are not what they were two weeks ago... even to open a door can be painful sometimes... It is funny because as soon as I was done with work I have felt a lot more pressure in my lower abdomen and am having to go to the bathroom a lot more! So it will be interesting to hear at my next appointment whether I have dropped or not. I feel like I am doing a lot better emotionally now that I am done with work. We will see if that continues... but I just feel like I can finally relax and ENJOY being pregnant for the first time! I am not having to worry about whether I am overdoing it like I did when I was working.


Starting next Tuesday, I will begin to see my midwife every week! I have started to see a different midwife than I did most of my pregnancy and have been thrilled with this new one! She is very informative and I feel so very comfortable with her! Andy and I did not take any birthing classes so I sometimes felt so unprepared... but with my midwife, Angela, I feel so much more comfortable with the whole idea of labor and delivery! I am praying that all goes well and that the LORD will enable me to be able to do a water birth!! The waivers are signed and the tests have been done and I am set to go as far as that goes... but if I go too late or if for some reason something pops into the picture that could be risky... then I will not be able to go through with the water birth! I really hope to do this all natural! So a water birth would be a great way to alleviate some of the pain! I am getting excited to experience birth... I know it is going to be painful... the bible is very clear about that!


Genesis 3:16
To the woman he said,

   "I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;
    in pain you shall bring forth children.
Your desire shall be for your husband,
   and he shall rule over you."


But I know that the pain is what brings me closer and closer to meeting my daughter! 


I have been reading a book called "Your Best Birth" by Ricki Lake & Abby Epstein and have been learning a lot!! It just goes through what birthing entails and what my options are and also gives you the pros and cons to doctors vs midwives, c-sections, and overall just lays out the facts and puts you in a better place to really take back what birthing is all about! It talks about how America has really made child birthing to be looked at as a risky and medicalized business. Child birthing has become so driven by the fear of pain. This book is to remind people that birthing is an experience that should not be driven by pain and medical intervention but by the mother doing what her body is telling her to do. This book does not discourage people from the medical options! It is just reminding you that in most pregnancies you do not NEED it!


This is me at 34 weeks...

And me at 36 weeks!

I ask that you be praying for Andy and I in the weeks to come, as my body prepares to bring this little girl into this world. Be praying that if it is in the Lord's will, that I would be able to do a water birth but overall just for a smooth delivery! Most importantly, be praying for Andy as he will be my source of encouragement and supporter through the whole thing! I just praise the Lord that HE is the DELIVERER! He is the SUSTAINER through all of this! May I keep my eyes on HIM through it all!