the last bits

It’s hard to believe that my due date is right around the corner.

Baby showers have been had, the little one’s room is all ready to go, and we can’t wait to meet our son or daughter! [Oh my, does it ever make it more personal & real to say son or daughter instead of just baby!]

Most exciting moments:
The thing I found most exciting throughout the entire pregnancy is still hearing the heartbeat that very first time -- even more than the big ultrasound at eighteen weeks, hearing that little heart racing was absolutely life-changing. But seeing our obstinate baby on the screen, not wanting to budge from its arm-over-eyes, legs-crossed-at-the-ankles position was pretty neat too. It's easy to forget, even though I could feel the baby moving regularly as early as 15 weeks, that there is an actual BABY in there, not just some lumpy thing rolling around. Seeing teeny flailing body parts at the ultrasound and being able to feel the coordinating movements in my belly made it real all over again.

Most Challenging Moments:
The baby has been quite low in my pelvis for a few weeks now, which made us wonder if our little guy or girl might show up early. As usual, hindsight is 20/20, and we definitely shouldn't have shared those thoughts with anyone else, because we've been asked hundreds of times already whether or not we've got a baby. We've already made it quite clear to everyone [family & friends & facebook & twitter] that we will be calling our families to let them know the baby has arrived, as well as making an announcement online shortly afterwards. We were also very transparent in saying that no one will be made aware that I am in labour -- everyone [other than immediate family] will find out at once, after the baby is here.

The challenging thing about this situation is simply that we have to listen to a dozen people a day, asking us whether or not the baby has arrived, or telling us to hurry up on the baby thing. Believe me, I want to meet this child more than anyone else does! It's just getting annoying -- especially since we feel we've been rather explicit with how and when we're going to share the news. We certainly won't be going from facebook wall to facebook wall telling people individually, nor will we respond to any wall posts on Joey's facebook page as the first announcement that baby is here! [It just seems very duh to me, but apparently there are a lot of people who don't get it!]

Favourite Food:
I'm very firmly on the dairy train. This kid loves cheese and yogurt. Can't get enough.

Something That Surprised Me:
This may sound horrible, but I always thought I would just blow up when I got pregnant. I saw pregnant ladies out walking around the mall, with their little round bellies, and I was jealous -- I just knew that I would gain everywhere -- butt, thighs, hips, breasts, and all the way around my middle [aka: love handles galore]. I have been insanely surprised to find that I have not grown anywhere at all other than a round belly [and the breasts: they've certainly grown too]. It's a very welcome surprise!

Looking Forward To:
At this point, I'm really just looking forward to meeting this kid! I can't wait to find out whether our first child is a boy or a girl, although I have never had a day where I really cared either way. I'm excited to finally see my  baby, and to have him or her lay eyes on me!