9 Days {and counting}

So, I'm still pregnant! Don't I just seem so thrilled???

Embrace the belly, embrace the belly, embrace the belly {deep breath}

My due date is in only 9 short extremely long days away...and this is officially the longest I have been pregnant. And now, with every Braxton Hicks contraction (which have gotten so strong, so frequent, and so annoying) I find myself thinking (simultaneously) this could be labor, and it's definitely not labor and I'm going to be pregnant forever...

This past Friday at exactly 38 weeks, after my chiropractic appointment I started feeling very crampy and had strong BH's all day. That evening I had a midwife appointment and let her know what was happening, and she offered to check me...sure enough I was 2 cm dilated and 50% effaced (for those of you who care about my cervix) and she said she wouldn't be surprised if I was in the very early stages of labor. John and I went Christmas shopping that evening and I had several contractions while walking around. I thought for sure I needed to hurry home and get a good nights sleep because this could be it, and I needed to rest up for real labor...so that's what I did. I went to bed Friday night and slept better than usual. When I woke up the next morning...NOTHING, nada, nilch. Crickets in my uterus all day. It was a horrible tease...shucks!!

So my mother in law flew into town on the 29th. She's been such a huge help with the kids and helping out around the house. She is here until the 19th, and I really hope that Baby Girl comes sooner rather than later so Grandma Laurie can get as much time with her before heading back to California. I know she hopes the same thing!

We've been staying busy with Laurie in town! I volunteer every once in a while in Jade's class to read a book and do an activity with the kids. I brought Laurie with me and Jade was so excited to have Grandma come visit her at school!

In fact, both kids are SO excited to have Grandma here. She is TONS of fun!!! I mean, did your Grandma ever challenge you and all your neighborhood friends to a bike a race???

Laurie rode that green bike down the hill about 10 times...she's defintely the most popular Grandma on the block now!

On December 1st we got our Christmas tree at May-Lan Plantation, the same tree farm we have gone to every year since living here.

We even saw Santa there!!

Then that night, we went to the Christmas Parade downtown...



The Grinch!

So we're all Chistmas'd out...



Ahh I love this time of year!!

So basically we are just staying busy, enjoying having Grandma here, and waiting...waiting for Baby Girl and waiting for Christmas, and making the best of it!

Aaaaaaaaand...I really hope my next post is announcing the birth of our daughter...like I really, really, really hope so!