All Quiet on the Western Front

Nope, we still haven't had the baby. Today is our official due date. Not that Miss Roan Marie is paying any heed to it. I haven't had much in the way of indicators that labor is anywhere close to imminent. I did have 3 little practice contractions spaced widely yesterday morning, but nothing since then. There are other indicators that have also not happened yet, but we won't go into the details there to spare you from the "ick" factor.

Sorry I haven't had a chance to post many updates the past couple of weeks. We have been going nonstop trying to get things done around here. And I'm finding that I have much less energy these days. The other night I ran out to pick up the new camera Arwen and I had researched (and meant to purchase weeks ago). It was a simple, straightforward errand and yet I managed to come home in tears, no camera in hand. Arwen sent me straight to bed and told me I was not to leave the house again until it's time to head to the hospital. (He has since lightened up on that order, but I am under strict instructions not to get myself and the baby stressed out.)

As you can see from the last 2 weeks' belly photos, things are starting to get out of hand. It is hard to believe that through most of this pregnancy I was smaller than most of the other ladies in my group. Now I seem to have left them all in the dust. Needless to say, getting up and moving around just gets harder every day. My hands, feet and face are swollen. Walking used to be one of my favorite things to do, especially around our neighborhood. But not lately, when it feels like the bowling ball in my tummy might just fall right out. But I'm hanging in there. I'm trying not to think about the fact that this baby may decide not to come from another 2 weeks. One day at a time...

Even though it's getting a little harder each day to keep lugging around this load, my spirits are up. I love our new house - and I'm so relieved to be out of our crappy apartment with it's nasty ancient carpet. We are starting to get settled. There's still lots to do, but it's mostly the fun stuff that doesn't really *have* to get done.

Arwen has been super sweet. He's in total take charge mode, making sure everything gets done - which usually involves him doing it. After two solid weeks of painting, renovating and moving us I scheduled him a one hour massage yesterday. He at first coyly tried to refuse, but after the fact he was so glad that I had insisted. I want to make sure we're both in a good place before the really challenging part begins.

The other thing that makes me so happy right now is having Jen here. She has been just amazing. She's done everything she can think of to be of help, from grocery shopping to cooking healthy meals to heavy lifting to making me a cup of tea and reminding me to put my feet up. And she's done it all as if it were effortless, with a graciousness of spirit about her.

One last quick note. The gals in my knitting posse threw me a surprise shower this week. Jen and I popped in on our regular Thursday night Stitch Therapy session, just to say hi and that we couldn't stay. (The week before when I didn't show up because of the move, I got several frantic phone calls wanting to know if we'd had the baby. So I didn't want to cause another stir!) When we got there they had the whole place decorated with pink streamers, and they had a spread of all kinds of dips and cheeses and crackers. There was wine and sparkling cider. And there were german chocolate cupcakes. And then there were presents. Mary Kay, one of the gals, crocheted me this beautiful baby sweater. We also got an assortment of baby care goodies, as well as mama care supplies. And the really incredible part was the huge stack of coupons everyone made offering all kinds of things - from home cooked meals, to clean bathrooms, to postpartum massage... It was really overwhelming. I never expected to make so many good friends so soon after moving here.

These days I am feeling like one lucky lady.