37 weeks (almost)

Technically I'm 36 weeks and 5 days, but whatever.  It kind of helps me to focus on the fact that I'm actually almost 37 weeks.  It's a technicality but it helps me.  And I'm a glass half-full kind of person.   I guess I shouldn't rush it but anyone who's gone through 41 weeks and 1 day of pregnancy before understands.  I'm  ready.  Since I was 8 days late with my pregnancy with Chase, I'm trying to mentally prepare myself for the same thing to happen with this one.  The hardest part of being induced was spending 40 weeks preparing for the DAY.  The DUE DATE.  And then my due date came and went.  And nothing happened.  For 7 MORE DAYS.  People suggested all the usual things: take a walk, eat spicy food, eat pineapple, have sex.  None of it is fun when you look like you're smuggling a small to medium-size watermelon under your shirt.  and none of it worked.  Looking back, I was actually lucky.  I was lucky because when I did finally go to the hospitla to begin the induction process, the cervadil got things going pretty quickly and then I never had to go through Pitocin or (God forbid) a C-section.  One of the midwives that I am now seeing at my new practice told me that meant I most likely would have gone into labor naturally.  (What, at 43 weeks???)  That's nice to know and all but I still am glad that I didn't have to go any longer than 41 weeks and 1 day before meeting Chase.

not the greatest picture but I'm not exactly volunteering for a close up these days...

I'm hanging in there, focusing on the positives, things that help me get through.  Like the fact that this is my last full week of work (thank God for Christmas and New Years).

Like I said, I know I shouldn't rush it.  I know that many people are struggling to get pregnant and I should appreciate every last second that I have where it's just me and this little guy.  But, I'm still human.  The heartburn, reflux, swollen feet, back aches, and 5 pee-breaks per hour make me very ready to move past being pregnant into being the mom of 2.  And man.  I'm ready.

I don't want to forget

I want to always remember all the funny, sweet and charming things that Chase says.  Right now, at 3 years and 9 months old, life is all about this little boy.  Things are going to change so much in 4 weeks or so (Please, God, maybe less) for us and especially for Chase.  But that's a whole other blog post.

For now, I want to document a little bit of the 'funny' that is fresh on my mind from this morning.  We were all 3 about to walk out the door.

And Chase announced, "I want to ride with Daddy.  Because we're mans.  And mans ride in man cars."

A couple of nights ago he asked me for a screw driver because he needed to 'fix' one of his toys.  After fixing the toy, he looked around the room and said, "Now what can I screw?"

This was about 30 minutes after he'd told me that his baby (this small, lovey that looks like a baby) was thirsty.  I took advantage of this teaching opportunity and grabbed one of the bottles that I'd just dug up from the garage and showed him how to feed his baby.  He asked me how you hold a baby so I demonstrated and then he practiced.  I almost teared up at this moment. Then he said that the baby was tired and needed a nap.  So we tucked his baby in under a blanket in the living room.

These are the moments that I wish I could capture and replay over and over.

Santa 2012

Chase has been making the rounds with Santa.  We saw him a few weeks ago at the mall..

And then we had storytime with Mrs. Claus

Decorated a gingerbread house 

And saw Santa again last weekend.

 

Chase has come a long way from a couple of years ago when he was terrified by the guy in the red suit with the beard. 

Now he can't get enough.  :)