okay, peanut.

… oh my! Just 23-ish days until our little miss makes her big entrance into the world. Her home will no longer be in my belly (Still such a miracle in my mind.), but out in this big, scary world under the care and supervision of my husband and I. Only 23-ish more days of …

1. the most amazing feeling in the world of this little person moving around in my belly. I will miss this, for sure.
2. Fiona feet (If I spray painted these suckers green, I could be Princess Fiona’s double! Hello Hollywood and Shrek!).
3. waiting to make special moments for our family members! Lots of firsts ahead as three fantastic sisters will become first time aunts, one brother will become an uncle, two awesome nephews will get a cousin, a set of parents will become grandparents for the first time, and another set of parents will become grandparents of 3, now to include a granddaughter!
4. needing help with my shoes. Then again, I haven’t seen real shoes in a few days, so this may not be valid. Yes, I can get my Crocs, flip flops and slippers on all by myself! Yay!
5. being without some sort of “beverage!” I really only had a beer, glass of wine or cocktail on rare occasions anyway, but 40 weeks is pushing it, people!
6. waiting to meet the person we’ve created. Oh, how I can’t wait to meet her!
7. Cody’s kingdom. Our husky will learn quickly that he is NOT #2 in line behind daddy (Believe it – he really thinks he ranks higher than me in our hierarchy.), but rather #4. I can only imagine what destruction we’ll face until he really gets it.
8. looking into an empty crib … just waiting.
9. rolling over in bed like a walrus. This is a trade, however, to be replaced by waking for feedings.
10. worrying about my belly popping out of my ever shortening shirts. What seems so long at 20 weeks just isn’t quite long enough at 37 weeks! Thank goodness this has yet to happen.
11. dreaming about holding her in my arms.
12. my husband being a father-to-be. Can’t wait until we drop the “-to-be” and become dad and mom!
13. waiting to play our role in a miracle. I’m not afraid of her “birth day,” but excited to see how our miracle will play out. (Yeah, I’m sure that’ll all change once labor begins!)
14. quiet. Sweet peace and quiet.
15. her protection. It’s a crazy world out here and while we can take steps to help her be as safe as possible, anything can happen.
16. suspense when it comes to the name game! Who will she be? We’ll have to wait and see!
17. not being able to reach things.
18. wondering how life will change. I’m so ready!
19. the obnoxious parts of pregnancy, like people asking, “How are you feeling?” instead of, “How are you?” (Ha ha, I have to clarify here! It’s the people who ask this on a daily basis that drive me crazy. I want to say, “I haven’t changed in the past 24 hours or less, you know, since the LAST time you asked me! And by the way, how are YOU feeling today?”) Like people looking at me like I have 8 heads or laughing when they see me. What’s so funny? Like strangers touching my belly like it’s their property and people talking to my protrusion with their face just about in my … eh, I’ll spare you the details.
20. uncomfortable car rides. An hour is about all I can handle these days, and we’ve had too many long trips in the past few weeks. It’s not easy!
21. a dishwasher-less kitchen. Well, it’s there, it’s just not hooked up yet – I guess technically we’re not dishwasher-less. We’ve survived, but I’m ready to appreciate this lovely appliance already!
22. waiting for at least part of a summer off! Once little miss arrives, I’ve got at least through June until I return to work, and could stretch it until early August if I really want to!
23. anticipation.

I could go on and on … but I’ll stop at 23. These 23-ish days will be both too long and too short, and girlfriend’s arrival will be here before we know it. I can’t wait to meet our little miracle!