Last of the nesting days

My official due date just passed yesterday and our little bear (or "spoonie" as Andrew has started to call baby) has been a little shy to just yet make an appearance. The encouraging news at my 40 week + 1 day check up today was that my body has already begun some of the preparation for labor, including a significant bit of dilation (2.5cm) and effacement. My last official day of work was February 19th and I have been so, so grateful for this extra bit of time to settle into a rhythm at home, rest more, and just play a little before our days transform into newborn-land.

I'm also grateful to be still relatively comfortable in this final stage of pregnancy. I did have some terrible back/sacral pain starting about 3 weeks ago which seemed to coincide with baby dropping deeper into the pelvis. It seems like in the past 3 days that has finally started to alleviate. I suspect not sitting at a desk for 5-6 hours a day, naptime whenever I please, looser joints from all those pregnancy hormones, and twice weekly massage has been immensely helpful! Does this look like the face of a miserable past-due pregnant lady to you? :)


So, what is an almost-mommy to be doing with the last of her nesting in days? Let's see....time has been spent introducing Sophie to baby toys (that also appear suspiciously like her very favorite B-A-L-L-S)



Catching up with friends and family, the most lovely gathering recently being that with my Mom, Auntie V. Unfortunately little sister Bree missed out on this one, due to the appearance of Bell's Palsy a few days ago. (We are all expecting a full recovery for her, but I think we'd all agree this recent turn of events is just a drag in more ways than one.)

The best part of enjoying tea with the ladies is usually aahing over the pretty teacups and of course, dessert! None of us quite had the appetite for the full tea service, but we did order a nice dessert sampler...which still (as lovely as it looked and tasted) was not the best part.


The best part was being served tea by Aunt Victoria, whom as many of you know was involved in a near fatal accident Sept. 2008 with multiple, severe fractures, internal injuries, a bruised heart-just an overwhelming list of injuries. Despite many serious conversations with the excellent physicians at Harborview about the possibility of having to fuse her elbow, today that elbow is a functional! (she will always have weight-lifting limitations, but you have to imagine we thought initially she was facing--at best--a fused elbow for the rest of her life)

And here she is today, our family's very own miracle, in more ways than one:
The more domestic side of nesting in has, of course, been full of preparations for baby. I won't bore with you with all the mundane details...but I will give a shout-out here to my patient friend Jenna, and her sewing tutelage which enabled me to finally finish a very simple pillowcase which will serve as our third basinette sheet. I guess with these babies things tend to get, ahem....messy from time to time!


I've also been doing quite a bit of knitting and a few baking endeavours, but that will be a topic for a different kind of post! Thanks to fellow blogger/college friend Deanna and her idea of OPAW (one project a week) I have been inspired to finish a few more things lately.

So, until next time friends...wishing for a smooth delivery and more stories to share with you all soon.