In the air...

Dear Elliot,
You can literally feel it in the air. Change. It's everywhere.

This weekend it was in the upper 60's and sunny. We 'sprung forward' an hour last night. Birds have begun waking me up with their singing every morning. Neighbors we haven't seen since October have come out of hibernation to sit out on their decks, and Target has swim suits on display and no less than four entire aisles dedicated to Easter candy. Spring is coming. The season's are changing.

And it's not just the weather. In no less than 12 days (maybe sooner!), my life is about to change in a huge way. The sense of anticipation I'm feeling is simply overwhelming.

I feel like I've been stuck in winter for the last almost two years, and my spring is finally coming. The timing of your upcoming birth couldn't feel more more perfect. More right.

So this weekend we put the house cleaning we really should get done aside and just basked in the feeling of Spring, of change, in the air...

Family photo

Got lots of walking in!

Wet dogs = happy dogs

After giving the girls their spring shave-downs...

First deck time in months

My little sun-bathing buddy :)

My view

So as far as baby news goes, as of Friday I was dialated to 3cm (at just over 37 weeks) and had a 'very favorable cervix.' If anything, it's nice knowing those are 3 centimeters I don't have to get through once I'm actually in labor! :) I'm not going to lie--I'm having a really hard time now that we're so close. I am terrified of something going wrong in there when I know you'd be just fine on the outside. While my doctor understands my fears, she doesn't want to induce when we have 'every indication' that you are doing 'wonderfully' and still cooking. And I really want to hold out a while longer, too, but like I said, I'm also really scared. 

My doctor said she will try stripping my membranes if I want her to at my next appointment (Friday, when I'll be just over 38 weeks), and I think I am going to let her. If you don't come on your own before the following Friday (3/23) at 6am, that's when we'll induce. I've been doing everything I can think of to keep things progressing--tons of walking, lots of bouncing on my birth ball, etc--we'll see if any of it helps! My hope is that I go into labor on my own before next Friday, but it's really nice to have an end date in place that I can hang onto when I start to worry and freak out. In 12 days, you'll be in my arms. 12 days. I think I can do it. 

Here are a couple belly pics from this weekend (37w3d). I'm not sure how much more stretching my poor belly can take! I have no idea how I don't have any stretch marks with how stretched out I feel. Watch them all pop up in the next 12 days :)

I swear the fact that my sports bra matches my sweat pants is purely accidental, ha

This is my 'hurry up and take the picture, I feel like a whale' face :)

I can't wait for all the ways my life is about to change. I am so ready for a fresh start.

I love you so much,

Mom