Pregnancy Pondering

I am really starting to get excited for this little baby. The midwife gave us our birth kit at our 36 week appointment on Monday and it got me SO excited. For those not familiar with home birth a "birth kit" is a tote full of some of the supplies that we will need during labor like: the birth pool, waterproof liners, towels, maxi pads, chucks pads (is that how you spell it?), a pump to blow up the pool, the hose to fill up the pool, baby care supplies, an umbilical cord clamp and other various first aid supplies. The midwife brings LOTS more supplies when she comes, including things like oxygen, pitocin (only for hemorrhaging) and suturing supplies, but the birth kit has all the basic things. It was exciting to take it home because now I know that I have everything I need to give birth ready and waiting in the closet. Well, really all I need is myself, something to cut the cord and a blanket to wrap her in, but it is nice to have things to make it more comfortable and not so messy ;)

As excited as I am getting I still don't want this little girl to come yet, she is only 36 weeks and I know that every day she stays in the womb the stronger, healthier and smarter she will be. Besides a part of me is REALLY going to miss feeling her on the inside of me. While there are things I don't enjoy about being pregnant (ie. sneezing and coughing) I really love the sensation of having another person move and shift inside of me. There isn't anything else like it in the world and it is such an amazing feeling to know that there is a complete human life, that I created, moving and living inside of me. It leaves me awestruck-- and sometimes a little weirded out to tell you the truth :) I've found that even when I'm not pregnant I can't help but stare at pregnant women (discreetly...) and marvel at the knowledge that she is feeling precious little kicks, rotations, pushes and hiccups and that she has a complete little person inside of her. What an incredible miracle. So even thought I will openly admit that I am starting to get VERY hot, VERY uncomfortable and YEARN to have a non-pregnant body I will really miss not being able to feel her move inside of me. My goal for the next month is to to allow myself to really enjoy those sensations and be content to let this little girl wiggle around inside of me for a bit longer.

And just because this post needs a picture... here is the sweetest picture of Asher taken at the swimming pool this week. He is quite the daring swimmer... and yes... I did wear a swimming suit being 8 months pregnant. In fact, I've decided that 8 months pregnant is the best time to wear a swimming suit because you don't have to worry about "sucking it all in", it is kind of nice.