39 Weeks! Final Pregnancy Post!!

Well, this is my final pregnancy blog post, since I am being induced on Tuesday morning. The next time I write, it will be "all about Blake"! I have a mix of so many emotions right now... Most importantly, I am excitedly anticipating her arrival! I know our lives are about to change for the better, and soon we will no longer be able to imagine what life pre-Blake was once like. I can't wait to be a Mommy and take care of this precious, little life. At the same time, I am nervous and quite terrified! Those particular emotions come from a place of pure irrational thought and selfishness. When I think of all the stories I have heard from veteran parents about sleeplessness, God-awful messes, lack of control, etc., those things scare the poppycock out of this control freak! But, at the root of it all, I am just ready to embrace the excited-Mommy emotion. What kind of life would I have if everything was perfect and mess-free? It's the unexpected moments that make life so interesting and rewarding. And I have known all my life that I wanted to be a Mommy, more than anything else. I've had 35+ years now to sleep as much as I want and live by my own schedule. It's time to move to the next chapter of my life, and I am so thankful to God that He has brought me to this place. I'm ready! Let's do this!!

Blake, There are so many people who are excited to meet you! They all love you so much. There are so many babies out there who weren't even planned and aren't really wanted.  We prayed for you, planned for you, waited for you, and God gave us our miracle. You are our greatest blessing. I can't wait to meet you!! Love, your Mommy

How I’m Changing

Total weight gain: 12 lbs (3 lbs lost since last week, according to OB's scale on Thursday)

Maternity clothes? yes, but not for much longer! (although they *are* pretty comfy, so we'll see...)

Stretch marks? not one!

Sleep: I have been exhausted! Lately I've been sleeping very hard. One night, Shawn said I was sleeping so hard that I was snoring really loudly. He tried to wake me up 3 times, and I have no recollection of it.

Best moment this week: Finally getting confirmation that I will be induced on February 12th!

Miss Anything? yummy food!

Movement: lots! she's ready to bust out of there!

Food cravings: not really -- unless it's something I'm not allowed to have at that moment (sugar, bread, pasta, etc.)
Anything making you queasy or sick: no

Gender: girl

Symptoms: swollen feet, some lower back pain (from sitting or walking), some mild period-like cramps (intermittent), mild cervical cramping at times, pink spotting, irregular Braxton Hicks contractions (tightness), mild carpal tunnel from sleeping, may have lost part of my mucus plug this last week but not quite sure

Belly Button in or out? the top part is out, bottom part still in

Wedding rings on or off? off

Happy or Moody most of the time: anxious, but excited

Looking forward to: BLAKE'S ARRIVAL this week!!!!!! :-)

I thought I would share a few pictures of my swollen feet, since I've been talking about them for about 27 weeks now. I have heard that they should go back to normal within a few days after delivery. I don't think I will be able to recognize my old feet, but I welcome them with open arms!

Swollen feet and "cankles"... these are not my normal feet! :-(

Looking a bit more normal, but with flip-flop indentations

Lastly, we finally got the nursery chandelier installed!! I'm so excited! The princess room is now complete. Yay! Also, we made two very important safety improvements: 1) We purchased fire extinguishers for both the downstairs and the upstairs of our house, 2) We had the corner bookshelf (as seen in the far right of the pic below) anchored to the wall. You can never be too safe!!

Another angle...

Blake Alexis Kirby Week 39 Update:

Your baby's the size of a watermelon! Baby keeps growing, despite being so crowded in there. She probably weighs around 6.2 to 9.2 pounds and measures about 18.9 to 20.9 inches. She's probably able to flex her limbs now. Her brain is still rapidly developing -- she's getting smarter by the week! Her nails may extend past her fingertips.