40 Weeks - Dear Baby

Weight gain: 40 lb
w/ Maddox: NA   w/ Grady: NA   w/ Ada: NA

Dear Baby,

Thank you for making my crazy wish of reaching my due date come true.  Today we are 40 weeks into this whole growing in the belly thing.  A new experience for me!  Although I've been a whiner lately, I love new experiences and know that I will look back on this with a huge smile.

Yesterday I was going through my whole Instagram feed and came across this picture from 39 weeks ago that made me chuckle. Me snuggling newborn baby Pyper.  Now, I'm not going to explain the timing of the birds and the bees to you just yet (where 39 weeks ago falls within this 40 week pregnancy), but I think some day you might want to thank your cousin Pyper for being at least part of the reason for your existence. When your Mom gets hit with the baby bug, she gets hit hard.

It's a miracle for me to think of what you were in this moment captured above (a tiny lone egg) and that now you are a full grown newborn in there.  I'm just dying to see what you look like.  To see how big you will be.  To see if you have hair and what color it will be.  To see if you remind me of any of your siblings.  Your whole family is so very ready to meet you.

I'm trying to be patient.  I had the option to force you out this week, but I really don't want to do that.  I know you will come when you are ready.  I know that every day you are putting on pounds and your brain and lungs and all of the other organs are still developing at rapid speed while in there.  But the truth is this waiting game is getting harder by the day!  Being 40 weeks pregnant is so much different than being 38 weeks pregnant.  Day by day my belly runs out of more room, I waddle a little more, and I get more tired.  And cranky.  Your poor father, brothers, and sister need the normal me back!  And I've been working from home and trying to avoid the public as much as possible this week.

But even with all of my complaining, I fully stand by my wish of hitting my due date.  The complaining and "tough" times are all part of the experience.  You are stretching me (and I don't just mean that extra 40 lbs I've put on).  You are teaching me a thing or two about patience.  About letting go of control and trusting that things will happen just as they should.  About enjoying the ride.  This isn't going to last forever.  Soon you will be in my arms.  I know I will miss this too.

I also have a theory about you so comfy in there.  You, my dear, are the baby of the family, and you already want to keep it that way.  You are soaking up Mom's time for what it is worth. You are teaching me what it's like to not have the simple privilege of having a quick surprise baby at 38 weeks.  (This makes me scared about what you are going to do for your birth).  You are dragging this out so that when I hold another newborn in a year, that baby bug won't hit me so hard because I do not want to be 40 weeks pregnant again.  Good job. :)

I love this.  Thank you for not being too hard on me.  I feel good.  I feel thankful that you are growing and so healthy in there.  I also feel ready to have you.  To meet you.  To hold you in my arms.

Happy due date baby girl.  Time to come meet your family.

Love,
Mom