Ok, this is starting to suck a little

There's no doubt about it - I've been pretty darn lucky through this pregnancy. I never had true morning sickness, the aches and pains have been manageable, the acid reflux has been minimal, and I haven't had any swelling in my hands or feet. So don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for all that.

But this week we seem to have entered a new stage of minor discomforts and sleeplessness. My low back keeps getting kinks in it, I sometimes feel a persistent achey pain across my lower abdomen - not cramps exactly, but something like that - and I now require exactly seven pillows - one of them being a six-foot body pillow - arranged *just so* in order to steal a few hours of sleep.

Last night was actually a pretty good night. But earlier this week we hit a rough patch and I got almost no sleep for two nights in a row. I found out real quick it doesn't take much sleep deprivation at all to turn me into a real cranky b*tch. My midwife says she thinks it's the body's way of preparing you for the sleeplessness you'll endure after the baby comes. I have this dreadful suspicion she's 100% right.

This week I finished yet another book - this one on the Bradley Method of childbirth. Like it's not enough to take a 12 week class on the subject; I had to check out every book at the library too. I've lost count of how many books I've read in preparation for Roan's arrival. Everything from curing colic to managing labor pains to breastfeeding to general baby care. But this week I think I've finally decided it's time for the madness to stop. I've taken in enough information. From this point forward I think it's important for both me and Arwen to trust our own judgement and just do the best we can. I want to have a sense of confidence when she comes into the world, and not find myself running to my books every time she cries.