As I Sit here in my easy chair with my feet up

And I listen to Jimmy snoring on the couch, with the dog curled up next to him, on this lazy Sunday, I realize more than ever that I am blessed. Our baby is kicking around in my belly, happy with the extra serving of bleu cheese potato salad that I have eaten. There are thousands of people wishing for something that simple everywhere in the world: Someone to love them, a roof over theirs heads and all the amentities ( including the dog), and a life growing inside of them, half me/half him. Please Lord, let me never again take those things for granted.

I cannot believe that I am just 12 weeks away from my due date. I remember when I prayed just to make it to 12 weeks, then prayed to make it to 24 weeks, always praying that this little life inside of me would continue to grow, despite all of the worries that we had during the beginning of our pregnancy, despite the emergency room visits and the bleeding, despite the "50/50" chance that the ER on-call doctor gave us at 15 weeks, despite the hematoma that has now disappeared could have brought for us, despite so many things. Here we are, the place where so many times I worried that we would never make it.

I am getting super excited for delivery day. I am ready to pack my suitcase and stick it next to the door. I am ready for the pain...I am preparing myself for the worst X 10. I am ready for Jim to be oblivious to how he can help me during delivery and to probably make me a little, ok ALOT, annoyed. I am ready for the birth plan to maybe go off course. I am ready for the loss of sleep, though I keep hearing that is something you are always amazed by. I am ready for the advice of everyone to become unnerving, even when they just want to be helpful.

I am ready for that moment when Jim takes my hand and I give that final push, and for him to walk into the waiting room and tell everyone that we love..."It's a _____! I am ready to stare into the eyes of the most important little person in the world to me. I am ready to count their fingers and toes and decide who they look like. I am ready to say their name out loud so that the doctors can write it own on their birth certificate. Lord, I am ready for this gift that you have given to us... it is so much bigger than I imagined it was, just 28 weeks ago.