Well, things are progressing well with things in baby world, as far as we know.   The baby has been growing and growing and moving and moving! I remember reading  a few weeks ago in the baby books that after 34 weeks her movements would be “less pronounced”… they must not have met my child!  This baby moves and kicks and ROLLS alot!! Sometimes it will just about make you sick she’s bouncing so much in there.  Granted, it doesn’t help that I didn’t give up all my caffeine or that I like brownies, but still, dang!  :)  I enjoy it so much when she does get on a roll though.  This morning, I actually felt a new feeling.  HICCUPS!!  She had this really regular movement, always in the same place, like a kick that was really steady…. she’s never “steady,” she likes to keep me guessing… I was like, oh, oh hiccups!!  Very cute.

We’ve done the “oh my gosh, we’re pregnant”…. we’ve done the “Honey, I feel sick…”… we’ve done the “Did you feel that?”  …… we’ve even done the “Could you help me tie my shoes?”  Belly pats/rubs (from strangers even),  smiles and advice (solicited and unsolicited).  Who could forget the showers??? We have been SOOOOO EXTREMELY blessed with showers and more showers of wonderful gifts.  Even from my patients who have brought me handmade items and frozen meals for after the baby comes.

We also had the experience of childbirth education class today.   Robbie was worried about going b/c 1. it was an all day Saturday ordeal and 2. he just wasn’t enthused and felt like it was something we didn’t need.  By the end of the class though, I think he had learned a lot and felt like maybe some of it was worthwhile.  He continues to crack me up with his comments about the instruments that were passed around or the information on the videos we saw.

Now that I’m crossing the 36 week line (tomorrow), I think we’re both getting anxious about what is to come…. labor.  We have a lot of friends who have had babies and they all love to tell their stories about how they were doing pretty well and then things got pretty uncomfortable for a while. Then they got an epidural and slept for a while, then it was time to push that baby right on out….  some of course had c-sections after trying to push for a while or even elective c-sections depending on the situation.  Even in class today, it seemed as if most of the people there were just learning techniques to keep them comfortable until they could get their epidural.

But I can’t get an epidural.  Unfortunately, as a child, I had a form of spina bifida and had to have surgery on my spine.  After an anesthesia consult, I recently found out that the word epidural is not one I will be able to use in my birth story.  This is a little disheartening, but I know for a fact that for YEARS women have had babies naturally, even without IV pain meds. So, now, my goal is just to prepare my mind and body for cooperating for this natural process.  But you know what? I’m very hopeful.  I’m looking at a trial in my future, not unlike other trials I’ve had in the past and I didn’t face them with a “spirit of timidity”…. so why this one?

2 Timothy 1:7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

God is faithful. He will guide me through this just like everything else, if I’ll let him.  He has given us the power we neeed to overcome trials, the love to have grace in them and the self-discipline to have some sense of control.  I need to commit this one to memory so I can’t forget it when those really BIG contractions come!  So, please keep us in your prayers over this next month that I’ll be completely surrendered to His will and peaceful and comfortable knowing I have His power and strength.  Thanks for all your support!!  Hopefully I’ll be able to post again in a few weeks with a picture of “baby girl” and even her name!

from the church shower at 35 wks