Boys and Their Dogs

We are now at 38 weeks and 5 days. When people ask, "So, when are you due?" I answer, "About a week and a half!" Just amazing.

I feel ready, but there are parts of me that aren't. Perhaps I'll never actually feel ready. My bags are packed, we've got a plan (as well as three backup ones,) and everything is clean and folded. What more is there to do other than just wait? So, wait we are. I am moving a lot slower. I've given up on housework completely. Well, except for preparing food for the boys, dinners and laundry (and caring for two toddlers, of course.) I'm only trying to do the minimum. Thank God for a husband who's letting me get away with that!

Sleeping is becoming especially difficult, now that most of the ligaments in my legs and butt feel like Jello. It's an amazing part of the process when your body prepares for the baby's Big Exit, but not so much on my body. It's difficult to lift my legs much less try and adjust my position from side-to-side in bed... which happens probably every hour through the night. I get Braxton Hicks contractions pretty reguarly, but nothing that makes me cringe in pain. It's just tight. Today in church, however, Baby Girl was moving around in such an awkward way, it sent pains down my butt and leg. Ouch. Passenger driving can also be really uncomfortable as we hit bumps and make fast stops or turns. I'm grateful that Andy is now sensitive to that and adjusts his driving habits accordingly :)

Even still, I remind myself that these are all normal end-of-the-pregnancy symptoms and that Lord willing, they will bring a wonderful healthy birth and baby at the end of it.



As we've traveled this pregnancy journey over the last few months, it's been interesting to see how much my boys seem to understand. I'll never know how much they reeeeally understand about the whole thing, but they definitely seem to grasp a few things: there's a baby in my belly and she'll be coming out soon. They really seem excited!

My husband wasn't thrilled about the idea of me buying them DOLLS in order to help familiarize themselves with the whole baby-handling process, so I've been using their favorite TY Beanie Baby dogs. We used to call them "baby doggies," but over the past few days, the boys have been calling them "baby girls." It honestly is the cutest thing.

As many kids before them, they have become very attached to these dogs over the past few days. Out of nowhere, really. My boys have never seemed to be really attached to any stuffed animal, blanket or that sort of thing - the closest they've come is asking for their handmade blankets when they go to sleep or when they want to be comforted - they twirl their hair when they drink or when they're going to sleep :) But these dogs have come pretty close to being close pals. They come with us to MOPS, to church, the grocery store, dinner, anywhere. And as we're walking into wherever we're going, they want them zipped up inside their jackets so their heads are just poking out of the top.

They'll put them on their shoulder and stroke their heads. They "feed" them food and water out of their hand. They go to sleep with them. And most recently, they stuff them inside their shirts and take them out a few seconds later, because it was "time for 'dem to be born." At first, Andy thought this was a little strange. "Just wait until they see me breastfeed," I joked. But honestly, I'm not kidding. I have no doubt those dogs will be drinking from their breasts in just a few short weeks. heehee

This new friendship has been so so sweet. They are treating them just as they will their new baby sister. They're very gentle with their dogs and sometimes, I wonder if they realize they're not real. I joked with Andy the other day that they're the best dogs ever - their food doesn't cost us a cent, there are no vet bills and they never bark!

Last night, we were putting the boys down to bed and as has been the custom over the past few nights, we fed out dogs first. One hand is held out with "dog food" and then the dog drinks "water" from the other. I had just helped Jack feed his doggie when Andy tried to encourage Jack to go to the bathroom to brush his teeth. Andy motioned for Jack to take his hand when Jack replied, "I can't. There's food in there." That little boy truly believed he had dog food in his palm and therefore, could not hold his dad's hand. How sweet is that? I just love their little imaginations!!

Still hoping we can make it to the month of April, but I certainly wouldn't hold it against my little one if she decided to come earlier! Whenever she's ready. Keep on bakin', Baby Girl, keep on bakin'! In the meantime, I'll keep encouraging the boys to let their dogs go on the baby swing themselves without being pushed. That would just be wonderful.