"For the times they are a-changin' "

Last Wednesday, I had a check up with my OB in Huntsville. Normally these are very quick, non-eventful visits. However, I had a bit of a scare, because I had not only lost a few pounds but my stomach measurement had dropped by a few weeks. I started to immediately panic that Charlotte had lost weight and they would make me go in for an emergency c-section. God is sovereign and good, and after an ultra sound to check out Charlotte’s progress, they told me she was now up to 5 lb 7 oz!!!! I know these are all estimates but I was proud of my little girl. I contribute her wonderful weight gain to the chocolate molten cake with s’more ice cream I devoured the night before!!! Maybe she will be up to 6 lb by the time she is born.

After the doctor’s visit I headed to Covington for a few nights. I had some errands to run in Atlanta (a few more things to purchase for my hospital stay) and thought a trip home would be nice. It was wonderful to hang out with my parents, Henry, and Dana for a few days. The real bonus was getting to see all that Dana has done for Lia’s nursery. It is wonderful!!! The wall color is so soothing, but then there are brighter colors that any child would love. And the rug is the softest thing you have ever put your feet on. Dana has also painted a fair amount of the furniture which turned out fantastic. I’m jealous of this talent because my one attempt to paint furniture turned out rather pitiful. The crib wasn’t up yet but the room still looked amazing. I absolutely cannot wait to see it with sweet Lia inside!!!! Hopefully, Henry will post some pictures on his blog when it is finished.

My other favorite part of my trip home was a delicious dinner I enjoyed with everyone on Thursday night. Poor Ben, I haven’t been much of a cook as of late and wish he could have been with me to enjoy it all. My mom made a scrumptious artichoke and chicken dish and my brother brought a beautiful strawberry roulade for dessert. He is an excellent chef, and it seems every dish he makes is perfection. That night I said goodbye to Henry and Dana for the last time before Charlotte’s arrival. It was definitely a reality check. My heart pounded out of my chest as they drove away and I realized the next time I saw them would be with a baby!!! How quickly time passes. As I lay in my bed that night so many memories flooded me. Was it really so many years ago when Will, Henry, and I were riding through rain puddles on our bikes? When the three of us were climbing the fence to get to the pound behind our house? When we were fighting over which Saturday morning cartoons to watch? It just doesn’t seem that long ago when Henry and I were playing in leaf piles and now we’re about to be parents. It is wild to think I will be experiencing so many of these events from a mother’s perspective soon. It reminds me of words from one of our favorite movies as children: “The greatest adventure is what lies ahead. Today and tomorrow are yet to be said. The chances, the changes are all yours to make. The mold of your life is in your hands to break.” Here’s to “the greatest adventure” and the many that lie ahead!!!

Ben and I had another weekend at home which was great since they have been such a rarity this summer. We had a divine dinner with the Barber’s Friday night. Thank you, thank you Ann!!! Your house was lovely (as always), the meal was delicious, the fellowship was wonderful, and I am sorry we kept y’all up so late but we had such a great time. Thank you!!! Saturday, Ben and I both had the “nesting” instinct going on and were able to clean his car, sort books, move games to a new spot, and clean the garage. I have to give Ben full credit for the garage which had gotten to the point of ridiculous (mostly my fault) and now makes us both smile when we see how organized it is. Sunday, was a wonderful end to the weekend with a very powerful sermon by Steve and I was happy to have communion before Charlotte’s arrival. We also got to go over to Beth and Graham’s house which was tons of fun. She has done more decorating and arranging since I was there last and the house looks wonderful. I’m especially in love with a group of pug pictures she has in her library/sitting room. We were also able to eat lunch at Grill 29 which is one of my favorites. It is so nice to have family in the same town!!!

This might be a bit too much info for any guys that read my blog but I’m going to share anyway!!! Monday night Ben and I went to a movie with his parents and afterward I noticed I was a bit sore. Kind of like cramps but I didn’t think much of it. Tuesday morning I had my last OB visit in Huntsville. They decided to do a test which checks the baby’s heart rate, movement, and contractions. Of course, whenever I have any testing done I get nervous about how things are going. I was hooked up to monitors and told to press a button every time I felt Charlotte move. Her movement has always been a concern to me because she can be a bit sedentary, and with a first time pregnancy it’s very hard to know what is “normal.” I was left to do this for twenty minutes. It seemed like two hours. After a little while my Doctor came in to look at the results. She would have like to have seen more variance in Charlotte heart rate but I think since my c-section is schedule so soon it is not a huge concern. The other thing she asked was if I could feel all these contractions I was having. WHAT?!!! I thought they were just some painful jabs from Charlotte. I have to say when she showed me how regular they were I began to think I might be driving down to UAB and having the baby that day. However, my cervix is still closed (relief flooded me when she told me this), and she told me to just try and rest to prevent going into labor. And of course, to call if they got bad enough I could not talk through them or if I thought my water broke. They did get very sharp by the end of the day but were still very irregular and short. I also noticed that I was guaranteed to have one when I got up after sitting for awhile. Since I cannot have Advil…I found solace in ice cream!!! I think what I am having is prodromal labor which is basically painful Braxton-Hicks. And from what I have read, can be much worse than what I am experiencing. The pain is more annoying and fatiguing than it is anything to write home about. Thankfully, it did not keep me from sleeping like it does to some women, and it has seemed mild this morning. However, it has made me jump on the ball about packing my hospital bag!!!

I cannot believe there are only five more days till Charlotte’s arrival. Sometimes I wonder if I should be more nervous, or more excited, or more ready. Yet, I think the birth of a child is just something you have to experience to truly realize the full wonder of it all. And I am sure I will not be getting much sleep Sunday night!! Thanks for all the prayers, words of encouragement, and wonderful friendship you all have provided. I’ll try to post at least once more before the birth…unless she decides to come early. Ben and I will also try to keep everyone posted during the process, just please bear with us as there are still so many unknowns, and it will be a bit chaotic for awhile.

“May the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done.” –Ruth 2:12