Week 36

This picture was taken on Christmas Day, when I was technically 36 weeks and 6 days. Once again, I'm "late" with posting about week 36, since I'm now steaming full speed ahead into week 37. Oh, well...that's life these days!

Week 36 was characterized by something which I'm certain will be the trademark of all the remaining weeks: the question, "When will this baby be born???" My parents both said that they think I won't make it until January, but they didn't say why. (I'm thinking that they're thinking that because of my size!) My dad was personally hoping for today, December 27, since that was his dad's birthday. Jeff still favors December 31, since by that time, the family we will have here over the weekend will be gone and all our Christmas celebrations will officially be over, but it will still be 2007. I am ready any day...although when I think about the future and planning a birthday party for this boy, I realize it would probably be a lot easier and less hectic if his birthday was in January, with a little space between the holidays and his day. But who knows???

It's such a mystery, and I've come to appreciate that fact. One of the girls who works in the barber shop with Jeff is pregnant, too; but because they're having a planned c-section, she already knows what day her son will be born: February 29. (What a fun day for a birthday!) As I've thought about her situation, I've begun to see that the suspense of it all is really an enjoyable thing for me. I love waking up and thinking, "Will this be the day?" I love falling asleep wondering, "Will I wake up tonight with contractions?" Although some days I definitely think, "This would NOT be a convenient day for a birth," most days I imagine how wonderful it would be to be able to cancel everything else in life and focus on my baby being born. :)

I continue to check off things that I was hoping the baby would be born AFTER: like the first day of winter (a silly wish of mine is to have a baby born in each season, and this is our winter baby), like this past Sunday when I was involved in our church service, like Christmas, like 37 weeks (so I can technically be full-term), etc. I really think the only two things on my mental list now are the visit this coming weekend from my brother and his family from Pennsylvania...and a Harmonia Sacra singing that I want to go to on New Year's Day. That's all I have on my agenda! But you know, if little man decides to poke his head out before either of those events, it would be completely fine with me. :)

Another thing about this stage of pregnancy is that, despite my continued fatigue, I do have bursts of energy....which is very good...but also somewhat frustrating because I never know when they're going to come--and when they're going to end. Yesterday I felt fairly energetic and felt like I was accomplishing a lot...until about 8:00 p.m. last evening when I collapsed into bed, leaving various projects half-finished. But I just keep reminding myself that my energy will return and my enthusiasm for certain tasks will not be gone forever. For example, this week I've been thinking about painting the walls in our bedroom and rearranging things in there. Not that I'm planning to actually do that work now, but at least I'm dreaming for the future and planning that sometime in 2008, it might get done! For me, this is a step in the right direction that I'm actually able to devote some brain power to this and get excited about it.

I think most of all right now, it truly is sinking in that I'm going to have a baby...that soon and very soon, I will go into labor...it's not a far-off situation anymore, since it really could happen any day. It's been fun to talk about the upcoming birth with my parents and with Jeff, and I've also spent an enormous amount of time thinking about it, especially when I'm lying in bed at night trying to sleep. Last night, for example, I consciously thought my way through the whole process: what I would do when contractions started...when it was time to go to the hospital...when we arrived at the hospital...etc. The whole process from start to finish. It will be interesting to see if reality even comes close to my imaginings!