A Prayer

AS the birth of our baby approaches, a million thoughts course through my mind—a thousand feelings through my veins…Who will he look like? Will all 10 fingers and all 10 toes be there—ready for my kisses? Will I know how to care for this child? Will I be able to leave him at daycare to return to the hub-bub of work? (Lord, give me strength to do so, because I don't want to!)

I am so thankful for every breath God gives me—knowing I breathe for my baby, that my body nourishes him-carries him-protects him. It’s a privilege. Motherhood is already more than I could have imagined. I visualize God cocooning a space in my heart meant just for our son. A place of pure acceptance of and unending devotion to, our son. A place that’s big enough for the joys and hurts of being a parent. A place where we can trial and error, ask for forgiveness, cry sometimes, ache sometimes. A place large enough to hold the fragrance of laughter and feelings of buoyancy. A place I can run to for strength.

Lord, mold us into the parents You’ve ever intended us to be. May our hearts be pliable in Your knowing hands. May we give You our doubts, fears, worries, burdens, disappointments, and, always, our dreams. Thank You for entrusting us with the gift of life. I can only guess that this impending, wonderful change will solidify (if not, burn) in our hearts the depth of Your love for us—will bring deeper meaning and power to Father and Son. Shepherd and Sheep.

May we know Your voice.

36 Weeks-Women are really pregnant for TEN months? I thought I was done!

YOUR baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day (!). He now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. He's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered his body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected his skin during his nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, which will form the contents of his first bowel movement (the nurses will take care of that, right??).

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.)
(please don't get too comfy, Baby!)

Developments:
~Have I mentioned I feel HUGE?
~Breastfeeding class concluded; we learned some good stuff
~Nursery pics won't be posted until my family sees the room!
~Feels like someone's wringing out my bladder--similar to a dishrag being rung out (but I'm still smiling!)

35 Weeks

YOUR baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

Developments:

~Splurged on a 70-minute Motherhood Massage at Healing Waters. This was my first massage ever (I WILL be going again--it was wonderful--everything from the cucumber-flavored water to the cozy robe to the elegant music/setting to the massage itself). My body felt so good and detoxified afterward. My back was definitely thanking me!
~Still working on last touches in the nursery; hope to have pics posted before Baby arrives!

About Baby

WE learned some new things about Baby today--he has lots of hair, and he's not breech! Imagine my dismay when after mashing on my tummy like the pioneers kneaded bread dough, my doctor said she thought our baby was breech--her exact words to my reaction were: "you look like a deer in headlights." 

I don't care what I looked like--my mind was whirling! On this journey I've strived to go with the flow, roll with the punches, be flexible, if you will. But nothing could have prepped me for the terror that flooded my body knowing things could have been a little "off" with the baby. Praise the Lord we were able to snag a sono this afternoon; I was so relieved to know he's in the right position, perfectly content to be hugged by my womb until "D-day". And whilst I continue to maintain that I will be flexible/roll with the punches (and literal kicks), etc, etc, it can be tough.

And about the hair part--the tech could see lots of hair on his head; I kinda thought it still looked like blurry images, but, I trust her...I think his hair will be dark like his papa's.

5 & 1/2 more weeks! Thanks for journeying with us.

This is his face--he's looking at you and the right side is covered by a shadow.

A foot--can't wait to get those toes!

Wondering About You, Baby!

We're longing to see our sweet baby's face, and we know he'll look like us, but just to what extent, we're anxious to know! I'm borrowing this idea from my friend Amy, who posted baby pics of she and her husband prior to their son Cooper's birth (who is a darling blend of the two of them, by the way).

So, whom do you think Baby Harris will look like?

The above is my absolute all-time favorite picture of Shawn!

His shirt reads, "Shawn" so no one will mistake him for someone else (an impossibility, in my opinion)

Yes, it's a bit grainy, but the grin says it all!

My cheeks never went away!

In need of a Kleenex! Cute bow, though.