It's a Wonderful Life

     Before we got married, I contemplated if it'd be hard or "boring" to have an anniversary just a few weeks before Christmas. It's only proven to make it more sparkly and special. :) Our honeymoon was amazing amongst all the festivity and lights in Gatlinburg, and our 1st Anniversary was just as special. Celebration is already in the air, and we get a day to claim it as all ours!
     Yes, we've been married an entire year now. We celebrated our first anniversary on the 12th. It was a very special day, shared just between John and me. I thought we'd go on some grand cruise or vacation to celebrate--but when the time came about, I was thirty weeks pregnant. That leaves out alot of options. Christmas is also a busy time of year--not to mention expensive time of year. I don't know how we would have managed a cruise or 5-star hotel somewhere anyway! The point was, we were together, and that's what made a seemingly normal day so much fun.
     Well, I'm just about 32 weeks pregnant. It has gone so fast--yet it does feel as if I've been pregnant forever! I have so enjoyed this phase of life. Despite the aches and pains--not to mention the penguin-waddling-walk--this has been a moment by moment blessing. I am not taking the miracle of life for granted. I've been praying for my future children since I was five years old--and I know God heard those prayers.

     It's hard to imagine how huge I am--I've toppled over completely a few times while in sitting position. It is pretty much hilarious. It's hard to brush my teeth because I can't lean completely over the sink. I can't reach alot of cups or plates from the cupboards because I squish uncomfortably into the counters. I definitely can't try to balance--and sleeping isn't the most comfortable thing in the world. This life is so different than my previous prancing-around-lifestyle. I was the yoga queen and pretty darn flexible, getting from one place to another in a flash. That has all changed.
     In fact, everything has changed. It's like those diaper commercials--"A baby changes everything." Maybe that's cheesy, but it's so true! I love her like nothing else. Each time she kicks or rolls around (which is QUITE often), I just smile and put my hand wherever she is. I can't wait until I can really touch her and catch up on the months of cuddling we've missed while she's been inside of me.
     I'm in the home-stretch now . . . just 8 weeks to go until her due date, and 5 weeks to go until she's considered "full term." I am so beyond excited. I know I won't get sleep, I know I won't automatically look how I did before pregnancy, I know labor will hurt, I know I'll get frustrated as a new mother at times--but compared to the thoughts of cuddling her close, brushing my fingers across her chubby cheeks, changing those tiny outfits, comforting her when she's upset, or just staring at her when she's asleep--no negatives could compare to the simple benefits and overall miracle of a new life entering my world.