37 weeks

I cannot believe that I'm 37 weeks today. Time has flown by, and at the same time, it has crawled. Especially lately, it feels as if this pregnancy will never end. But I must keep reminding myself that the child cannot stay inside forever. :) It's so exciting to daily log on to my fellow Preggie bloggers, and see how they're doing. Cathy just had her baby, welcome to the world Tyler Reesh is in early laborjust had her baby, welcome to the world Lily, Kristin is almost there, Mrs. Mogul hopes to pop her little human out next week, Liza is so close to labor she can feel it, and Avorie is where I am... Braxton Hicks and all.

There are so many other pregnant bloggers out there, but those are the ones that are so close... so, so, SO close. We're all due within the next several weeks (or days even!) so this should be some fun, fun reading. :) It's so wonderful to be able to read about other women experiencing the same things that I am. Especially since moving up to NoVa, because we haven't really had a chance to plug in to the local social scene (translation: we have no friends here). But somehow, even though I hardly know them, it feels as though I have some of the closest friends in the world, if only because they understand what I'm going through, and these friends live all over the country. Isn't it wonderful?!

Anyways... so 37 weeks is considered full term. Thing is, I know better now than to get my hopes up that this chid is coming early. My due date is February 21 and that's what I'm aiming for (or afterwards). Anything before will be a pleasant surprise. I am, however, very ready for Shepherd to be born. I have started that uncomfortable phase that most women talk about. Until now, I've had a wonderfully comfortable and great pregnancy. But now? I'm big... REALLY big... and my hips hurt in the mornings, my feet itch like crazy, my ankles swell to the size of softballs... but I know I really shouldn't complain. This is all part of the natural process of bringing a child into the world.

Shepherd, I cannot wait to meet you... whenever you're ready, mommy is ready to... until then, I'll just stare at the only picture I have of you and wait... wait until the day I can hold you in my arms and look into your beautiful face and fall in love with you ALL over again...