Still Waiting! 38 1/2 Weeks

We are getting closer, but I am starting to think that I should have believed Ryan when he stated "If Little Payton is anything like her mommy, she won't be on time." I really think these last couple weeks are going by the slowest!  We have everything ready to go, (or so we think) so all we have to do is sit and wait.

I officially went on maternity leave this week.  I had mixed emotions about this, which really caught me off guard.  I just knew for sure that I would be so excited to not have to think about school for a long time, but I always forget how attached you really get to your kids.  Even though I know my perspective will entirely change once Payton arrives, it did make me sad to leave my students. (This kind of scared me to think about how hard it will be to leave Payton when I must return to work.  Yikes!)  My kids at school somehow can't grasp that I won't be back until next year, and most of them really think I should be back the week after the baby is born. We turned this conversation into a learning experience about how much work a newborn is and how important it is to make sure you are really ready for that kind of huge committment.  (Hopefully, this was good for a bunch of 7th and 8th graders to hear.  lol!)  On a positive note, my blood pressure has went down a bit since going on maternity leave.  Imagine that!

We went to the doctor yesterday.  Payton is around 7 pounds, is head down, and is ready to come out!  (At least mommy thinks so!)  The doctor is giving us the option to induce next week unless she decides to come before then, so we are looking at about 1 more week at the latest.  Thank goodness!

I really can't believe that we have made it to March.  Ryan and I keep fantasizing about the moment when we get to see her for the first time.  I just cannot imagine what this is going to be like!  We feel so blessed to have gotten to share this wonderful experience together.  My mom really put it into perspective when she brought to my attention that not only are we bringing a little girl into this world, but we are creating an eternal soul.  Wow!  I just pray that God gives us the wisdom as parents to help mold her into the person that he has already designed for her to be. We are both so thankful that we have a tremendous support system to help us with this. We are also so thankful that God has helped us grow as Christians through this whole experience, helping us to realize what the important things in life really are!

38 1/2 week belly pictures are posted below.  It is crazy to compare these to my 5 week picture!  I sometimes wonder if I will ever look like that again.  Probably not, but I WILL be Payton's mommy, so it will all be worth it!   Also, I apologize if anyone is offended by bare belly pics, but we had to capture the moment. (Hopefully it will not look like that for much longer.  lol!)  Stay tuned for more updates!