Almost there...

*I had prepared this blog post back in my 39th week (the end of November) and didn't finish it before Dave came home so it kinda got left behind... and once you get behind it makes it hard to make additional blog posts!*


Here are some pics from the WONDERFUL baby shower Kathy, Nicki, and Megan hosted for me in November.

Victoria's initials embroidered on a gorgeous purple blanket. From Dave's co-worker in Iraq. Thanks Natalie!

The cake. As always, Kathy does great cake decorations and it was yummy too!

My 38 week pic:

And the 39 week pics:

Well I must say that this week has definitely been a rough one. Every day I think my belly couldn't get any bigger and, guess what, every day somehow it ends up larger than before. I'm very front-loaded and awkward and my back gets more and more angry with every ounce I gain though I know it's important and the baby needs this time to grow those last layers of fat to get her through the upcoming winter snows! All the same, I'm admittedly ready to be a mommy for reals and be done with the whole belly business.

Saturday I witnessed my own pregnant clumsiness...and paid the price for it too! Kathy had invited me to come down to Auburn and see Harry Potter with her. It was fun and we went to an AMAZING and authentic Mexican restuarant afterwards. While we were there, we discussed what I wanted to do for my mom when she gets here and we talked about the bed that Nicki has since she replaced Connor's bed a little while ago. She suggested I head over and visit Nicki which I thought was a great idea.

I had a great chat with Nicki and then went upstairs to see how she'd upgraded Connor's bed. Well, on the way back downstairs, I managed to slip and fall flat on my butt and slide a few steps before coming to a seriously embarrassing stop. I sat there kinda dazed and waiting for the pain in my backside to subside enough to stand up while Nicki rushed over to see if I was alright. I was immediately worried about the baby but didn't say anything as I didn't want to worry Nicki any more than I wanted to think about how worried I really was. After a minute I got up and despite already feeling the goose egg (well more like a goose LINE) grow on my right cheek, I managed not to cry and to say my goodbyes and head back to Camillus.

Walking to the car I realized that I'd hurt my ankle too but I thought it was probably just the shock and would go away by the morning... Again, I was more afraid that I had hurt the baby or that I'd go into labor and it would all be my fault that Dave missed her birth. I cried and prayed all the way home where I got online and was able to see my wonderful husband barely waking up on the videoscreen. As he calmly asked how I was doing, I broke down into a fresh wave of tears and told him in all my anxiety what had happened and that I was feeling contractions even while talking to him. He reminded me to take things easy and that it was just an accident and not to feel bad if the baby came before he got here. I put some ice on my ankle and managed to get to sleep with Dave's reassurance that we'd get someone to bring me the sacrament and give me a blessing the next day.

Sure enough I had a very hard time walking the next morning though I knew my ankle wasn't broken as I could easily put weight on it and it only hurt when I moved the wrong ways. Casey and Bryan came over to give me the sacrament and also volunteered to bring me dinner Sunday night. It was sincerely touching and wonderfully comforting to have them respond so quickly and cheerfully in my time of need. I asked Brittany to come look at my ankle and wrap it, which she did after we had a wonderfully candid discussion about marriage, the pressures of dating, the sexual frustrations of abstinence, and life in general. As I calmed down throughout the day and took time to rest and hopefully heal a bit, the contractions disappeared, I felt the baby moving normally, and no blood appeared to say there were any problems. I had an OB appointment the next morning which further confirmed that everything was alright. Big bruise on my butt, smaller and more painful bruise on my ankle, but happily cushioned baby continuing to grow.

So, as my body gets more and more frustrated and weak with the demands of pregnancy, my heart and testimony are strengthened by the generosity and thoughtfulness of those around me. I had numerous texts and Facebook posts of support, and even an unknown sister from the ward offer her daughter to come over and clean my house! I gratefully took her up on that offer today and have 2 clean bathrooms and vacuumed carpet as a result. :) The point is, I am increasingly grateful to see how the Lord is watching over me and my family--especially our growing little girl. I'm so glad the fall wasn't worse and I'm humbled to see how people really care for me to offer assistance.

Now on to a few more days of waiting and the VERY long-awaited arrival of my wonderful handsome husband. I continue to pray that this little one will wait long enough for her daddy to welcome her into this world and so far she seems to be cooperating and understands how important her patience really is. 3 more days to being reunited with the love of my life and an unknown number of days--yes days--until we officially become parents.