Almost 38 weeks...and the serious countdown begins!

Hi everyone! Sorry it's been awhile since my last post. This little momma's been busy! I will be 38 weeks along tomorrow and this photo was taken earlier this week, at technically 37 1/2 weeks. :)

My tummy looks really big in this picture! Whoa. Baby Donovan is growing of course (according to babycenter.com he's about 6.8 lbs now and 19.5 inches). I still feel like my stomach is smaller than I imagined it would be and from other preggy women I've seen this far along--but that is great! I'm hoping for a seven-pounder, and since Josh weighed nearly 11 lbs. at birth (yes, God bless his momma!) I was worried in the beginning that I was going to have a huge baby, haha!

Feeling lots of movement every day. Donovan has been in the correct, "head down" position since about 30 weeks. He hasn't "dropped" yet (a settling lower into the pelvis to prepare for birth), so I feel him sometimes on my ribs, which is more uncomfortable than painful for a few minutes. It seems to help if I elongate my torso by sitting up straighter or change positions.

I got a fabulous pregnancy massage this week at Aveda Spa, thanks to my friend Sherri who got me a gift certificate for Mother's Day. (Thank you again, Sherri!!!) It was soooooo awesome. I could go for one of those every day. With my mid-back feeling more strained in these last few weeks, I'm so glad I saved the gift certificate until I got futher along. I told the masseuse I wish I could have her there with me when I go into labor, because I hear being as relaxed as possible is the key, and boy was I relaxed! I actually had to focus on NOT falling asleep so I could consciously enjoy every minute of it. :)

"Are you ready?" is the question I'm getting asked a lot lately. Josh and I packed our bag for the hospital today, and that was pretty much the last thing we needed to do to be all set if the baby came today. Thanks to help from my mom and Josh's mom the last couple of weekends, Donovan's room is completely ready; all his clothes are washed, organized by age group, and hung up. Josh and I love going into his room. The decor is so happy and colorful and it's neat to imagine our baby there.

Emotionally, I feel ready--very excited and thinking a lot about what it's going to be like to see and hold and cuddle Donovan. I have had a little bit of "fear of the unknown" regarding labor, because I've never experienced it before...but I pray, trust, and know that the Lord will take care of everything. Physically, Donovan's ready (at 37 weeks, a baby is considered full term) and so am I, although I haven't hit that miserably uncomfortable state that many women say they experience toward the end. I'm still at work (I want to use my time off to be with my baby), and have a good amount of energy.

And so, the countdown continues... Can't wait!