It's A Two-Sided Coin...

Over the last few months, people have kept asking me if I am so ready to get my baby out. My answer to this is no. I know many women have very uncomfortable pregnancies and by this stage of the game will do just about anything to have their baby early. But I have loved just about everything about being pregnant and have some mixed feelings about it all ending. Even just a few weeks ago, when friends asked if I was ready to have little Carter and I replied 'yes and no' they told me, 'well you will be soon - the last couple weeks are miserable!' Well, I'm still not miserable and so thankful for that.

Therefore, I am viewing this time like a two-sided coin. There are so many things I am looking forward to with my sweet baby boy but there are also some things I will miss...Let's start with the latter:
*I will miss him moving around in my belly. His constant hiccups. His jabs in the ribs. His little bottom that seems permanently wedged under my right rib cage making my stomach extremely uneven. Watching my tummy roll with his movements and jab in and out as he adjusts himself with his very little remaining room.
*I will miss Nick's fascination with my changing body and all the miracles that accompany pregnancy. I love watching his face as he feels his son kicking through my stomach with his hand resting on top. But I know this fascination and awe will transfer to Carter and Nick's new role as a dad.
*I will miss elastic waistbands and the excuse of having tight fitting shirts.
*I will miss people asking how far along I am, when my baby is due, and whether I'm having a boy or a girl.
*I will miss my belly. Maybe some people get embarassed of their huge stomachs but I love my tummy and the knowledge that it is home to the most precious baby in the world. I like that, as my friend Wendy put it, it looks like I swallowed a basketball :)

Now, on to some things I am looking forward to:
*Holding my baby boy for the first time. Showering him with love and kisses. Cuddling with him and telling him how much his dad and I love him.
*Seeing what/who Carter really looks like! Will he be chunky? tall? brunette/blonde? All I'm sure of is he will be the best looking baby, to me, in the entire world!
*Introducing everyone to 'our son.' Still getting used to that idea...but totally in love with the fact.
*Sleeping on my stomach! Oh, how I have missed my nightly routine of flopping in bed, completely on my belly and zonking out.
*Shaving my legs and putting on my tennis shoes. It's the little things in life that I have taken for granted that I have learned to appreciate! Shaving has become quite the feat and I feel like I've already gotten my workout before I get to the gym when it comes to putting on my sneakers...
*And of course there are a few pregnancy symptoms I could live without: swollen ankles/feet, hot flashes, going to the bathroom what feels like every five minutes, and trouble sleeping. Of course, all have been worth it!

It's all becoming so real. Carter is due in 13 days and the anticipation of meeting him is building and building. I'm such a planner that I wish someone could just tell me the day he is going to arrive but I guess the anxious waiting is just another part of the process. I love this little boy so much and we are looking so forward to meeting him, spoiling him, caring for him, and loving him.

Photo Updates:
37 weeks

38 weeks