As time continues to creep by and I get closer and closer to holding my little girl in my arms, I just can't help but get overwhelmed by a hundred conflicting emotions. I feel extremely fortunate that I've had such an enjoyable pregnancy and to be honest, I'll miss being pregnant and being able to take Laurel with me everywhere I go. But at the same time, I can't wait to get to know her face-to-face.

Another thing I'm really looking forward to is seeing Tim with her. As anyone who knows Tim knows, he is going to be an amazing father. I joke about it, but I honestly think he has more maternal instincts than I do (and a lot more practice with babies and toddlers!) I feel very lucky to have a husband who is so prepared to bring home a new baby.

I feel like overall we are ready for her arrival, but as Tim likes to point out (daily), we still have a lot more to do. We don't have a car seat or stroller. We haven't washed her bedding or any of her clothing. I don't have a hospital bag packed (or even a list of what I need to put in one). I need to finish the artwork I'm doing for her nursery. We've got to get a dresser.

While I know that all of these things need to be done, I believe that emotionally we are ready for her! I love knowing that every single day since I found out I was pregnant, Tim and I have prayed for her at least once a day (that's more than 215 prayers). And that's just from us. It's so wonderful to know that she will arrive into a world where so many people will have loved her and thought about her long before she takes her first breath.

I had my 34 week appointment today. During the four weeks between my 28 week and my 32 week checkup, I gained a whopping 10 pounds...oops. That put me up to a total of 30 pounds already (with eight more weeks to go)! I was really starting to get scared that I was going to wind up gaining 50 or more pounds total, and I was already dreading having to take all that weight off later.

Well, when I got on the scale (with LOTS of trepidation) I could not believe me eyes. I had lost half a pound! Which is completely insane given that I went to at least a dozen Christmas and holiday parties, and despite the nurse practitioner's speech, I didn't really pay much attention to what I ate. Luckily my blood sugar has consistently been very low, so I knew I didn't really have to worry about gestational diabetes and the concerns that go along with that.

On a not-so-exciting note, I've got Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. This is apparently a really common ailment for pregnant women because of the increase in blood and fluid volume. The nurse practitioner I saw today said it should go away "when I finish being pregnant." So for now I'm just going to try wearing a wrist brace to sleep in and see if that helps.

Everything else is going well and overall I'm feeling really good and still have quite a bit of energy. I'll see the doctor again for my 36 week appointment on January 21st and then will start going in every week. I'm really excited that I have three baby showers coming up in the next couple weeks, and then we'll hopefully have everything ready and waiting for Laurel's arrival!

My home church is not very large (average attendance of about 70-80), but there are currently lots of babies and babies on the way! We had a baby shower on Sunday for Kara (our previous minister's daughter). She is also expecting a baby girl and is due a couple of weeks after me. Also, our youth minister's wife, Whitney, is expecting a baby boy about two weeks before me! So it has been fun to watch all of our bellies growing as we get nearer and nearer to our due dates in January and February. Although after seeing this picture, I think I get the award for growing the most!

(Kara - EDD 2/28/09; Sarah - EDD 2/16/09; Whitney - EDD 1/30/09)

So this is the one addition to our nursery that I have been really exciting about getting. Right after my birthday, Tim and I went all over the Tri-Cities trying to find the right rocker/glider and ottoman. (After reviewing the recommendations and reviews on Consumer Reports website, of course.) I decided pretty early that I wanted a fully upholestered chair because I hope to use this for more than just rocking an infant. I hope to have my little girl curl up with me on the chair for years to come as we read together.

When we found this style and realized that we could choose any color and material we wanted, I knew this was it. The chair is so comfortable; I'm sure I'll get tons of use out of it (probably some before Laurel even gets here!) It just arrived on December 23rd, so perfect timing for Christmas!

And if you notice on the right side of the chair is my children's rocking chair that I just recently finished painting. I love it and hope Laurel will, too!

For those of you who have seen me recently, you know how much my belly has grown in the past 10 weeks, but for those who haven't, here are some pictures.

Overall, things are going well. It's odd to watch my belly now because as Laurel moves, so does my whole stomach. I can pick out some body parts, too, like knees, feet and elbows. Like I said in the last post, many of my changes in position take some maneuvering, but I can't complain. For the most part, I'm feeling fantastic and getting more and more excited every day waiting to finally see my little girl!

Today I hit 30 weeks in my pregnancy, and while it is hugely (appropriate word for those of you who have seen me recently!) exciting, it is also frightening to think of everything that is to come in the next 10 or so weeks. While I'm dying to be able to hold Laurel in my arms, the getting her out into the real world is pretty scary. And there's also all the other preparations that need to be completed before we are ready to welcome a baby into our home and our lives. We're in fairly good condition in the nursery, but there's still a surprising numbers of things we need (like a carseat, stroller, high chair) just to name a few.

I've also entered the realm of general uncomfortableness. No more flinging myself down on the sofa for a little cat nap or cozying up in bed for an uninterrupted night's sleep. I now need a strategic pillow plan to make myself comfortable and an even better plan to get myself to my feet. Poor Tim has to squash himself onto the couch if he wants to cuddle up with me, and then he is subjected to numerous demands to move, scoot over, bend his legs a different way, adjust his arm, etc. He's taking it all in stride, although he does get back at me by teasing me about my daily-widening girth and the development of a waddle when I walk.

Even with these changes, I'm feeling fantastic overall and still have quite a bit of energy. I'm now seeing the obstetrician every two weeks, and in just five weeks that will switch to once-a-week visits.

It has been awhile since I posted my thoughts. I thought now would be a great time to do so.

Things are going wonderfully with the pregnancy. Sarah looks more and more beautiful everyday. The excitement grows more intense with every minute. Laurel moves and kicks almost every time we are lying around at night. It is an awesome feeling I get when I feel her kick around, I guess it is an assurance that all is well. I have been “having” to feel her at night or I get a little worried. By the way, she does react to a flashlight! Just like me!

My cousin asked me last week what it is like knowing that I am going to be a dad. I could not really answer that question without thinking. Right now, everything seems the same as it was before she got pregnant. The only changes are physical with Sarah, and I try not to get too wrapped up in thinking about it because I start to worry too much. When I do sit down to think about it, I get all “tingly” inside. I just can’t wait to be able to touch her, to hold her, to hug her, to kiss her and most of all I can’t wait for her to feel the warmth that we have to offer her.

Over Thanksgiving we sat down with the family and watched the Bucket List. (It you don’t want to tear up….DON'T WATCH IT!) At one point in the movie Morgan Freeman asks Jack Nicholson about joy. He asks him something like, “Do you have joy?” and, “Have you brought joy to others?” I have thought about these questions ever since that night. At one point over the weekend I looked up the definition of joy. I am not sure if I have brought joy to others, but I am definitely sure that I have something in my life to be joyful about, as a matter of fact I am completely overflowing with joy!

I am getting wrapped up in the baby’s room. I just want it to be perfect for her…not too hot, not too cold, the bed in the perfect position, correct lighting…. Sarah may have to fight me out of there. I think I might be getting a little obsessive.

As far as the grandparents go, I am pretty sure we have some anxious ones. The grandmothers are starting to act like grandmothers and the granddads well, they are hard to read but they seem to be excited, too.

All of our friends are very supportive. We have people buying things, sending us things and best of all we have people making us things. Not that I don’t appreciate the other stuff but the making stuff just seems more personal to me.