39 weeks!

39 weeks. That doesn't really make it seem that long.
273 days....seems like a lot?!
10 months....that makes it feel like forever!

At this point in time....I can't remember what my body was like without this giant bump. It actually is weird to see pictures from the beginning of my pregnancy.
Here is what 39 weeks looks like for me:

I look tired in the picture, and I am tired. God is slowly taking away my sleep (I am somewhat of an insomniac now)...but I know he is preparing me for what is to come!

39 weeks was a funny one for me. We had a doctor's appointment at the beginning of the week (so basically 38 weeks and a few days) and Dr. Jean basically did nothing. I got weighed, did a urine sample, and she felt my stomach and said "still breech". That is basically it! I was expecting to find out more...but ok with just waiting as well.
However, the waiting thing is now starting to become hard. Its all a mental game now. Will he flip or not? C-section or not? Planned or not? my mind is finding it hard to relax and I am really starting to question myself and what is the best decision for us as a family and for baby boy's enterance into this world.
I know i just need to relax and trust in God's provision and perfect timing!
We do have an appointment this afternoon (39 weeks and a few days). We are hoping Dr. Jean checks things a bit more today and gives us her medical opinions (while still being open).
Pray that we have wisdom today during the appointment to know how to move forward with things!

Baby Boy seems to be doing well though!
He is still very active. LOTS of movements (even though they pretty much hurt now because he is so big).
I went for a swim this week to try and help him flip:

He did move a TON while I was in the water. However, I am pretty sure he is still "head up"! Cam and I had great fun together. It was a BEAUTIFUL day (yes though, we were at an indoor pool). We laughed a lot. Swam laps together, and he helped me do lots of handstands :)

I am starting to really understand though, that it may be God's will for baby boy NOT to flip. I know there are TONS of people praying he will. It is still my hearts desire as well. I know that God KNOWS that...but he also knows way more than that. He knows exactly what the baby and I both need now and what we will need during birth/delivery. He may be protecting baby boy and actually NOT allowing him to flip (despite my million tries) because the cord could get tangled or something!
So I trust! I choose to trust in my SOVEREIGN and FAITHFUL God! He is good! His will be done!

After our morning swim on Saturday, Cam and I spent the rest of the afternoon/evening enjoying the GORGEOUS weather, enjoying one another, and having fun on what was most likely our last date night (as just a family of two).

I have so much LOVE in my heart already. I am thankful for the love God daily pours out on me and for the LOVE he has blessed me with through Cam. I am excited, anxious, nervous, etc....to learn more about LOVE as we welcome this little guy into our lives and become a family of three!

But for now....we just WAIT :)

38 weeks!!

Still full term! Still doing great!

It is getting to the point where I understand why I have heard so many moms say "OK, he can come at ANY time now. I am READY"!! I have loved being pregnant (and still do)...but the discomfort that comes at the end, definitely makes you ready for that baby to be out and in your arms!
I am starting to loose sleep AND am feeling quite uncomfortable at times!
My belly button is still an "inny" which just amazes me. It doesn't really feel like I could stretch a bit more...but I know I will.

Baby Boy is:
*probably 7 lbs or more now (some days it feels like 100)
*around 20 inches long (give or take an inch). His femur bone has measured long the whole time...don't know what that means!
*He is still shedding the crisco coating (vernix) and the peach fuzz (lanugo)
*getting his lungs ready...he is producing more surfactant which will prevent the air sacs in the lungs from sticking to each other when he takes his first breath!
*still breech :( (However, I KNOW God knows the desires of our hearts and he also knows what is best for all involved. May HIS will be done!)

ANY DAY NOW!!!!

37 Weeks!

37 weeks = Full TERM!
I can't believe I am considered full term already. This pregnancy flew by! YET...at the same time, I feel like my belly has been huge FOREVER. I saw a picture of my prior to pregnancy and I forgot that I actually at one point, didn't have a belly!

Baby Boy Klump is considered full term now....but he is still growing!
This week:
He weighs around 6 1/2 pounds.
He is about 20 inches long.
He is continuing to accumulate baby fat :)
He is spending his days busy inhaling/exhaling, sucking, blinking, and pivoting from side to side (which looks quite strange from the outside). Some days I wonder if he is going to just pop right now of my skin!

Preparing for Baby Boy

Over Christmas break, we spent lots of time doing little projects around the home.

We packed our bags for the hospital.
Cleaned the house.
Made lots of soup to freeze (since we aren't paying for the hospital food).
Read some baby books (or tried to...)
Cleaned some more.
Crafted and did some sewing.
Organize and reorganized (trying to get everything to fit in this little apt of ours)
And.....we can finally say Baby Boy Klump's room is ready:

The glider chair Alicia helped me sew and recover....

Baby boy's little corner (his bed, new curtains, homemade mobile, and leaf (swing/bouncer)

Here is a close up of the mobile (I think its my favorite part of the room. It turned out way better than I could have imagined):

And a picture of me being quite excited after I figured out how to sew the fitted sheets for his pack'n'play:

Closet and diaper changing area...

His room is TINY...but I love how it turned out! It looks more like a nursery than I ever thought our little storage room could.
Now, we are just waiting on him!

Happy New Year!

Xin Nian Kuai Le! 新年快樂!! Happy New Year!

We spent the Friday before New Years with these dear friends:

They took us to the most amazing hot pot restaurant! Cam and I are excited to take family and guests there in the future!
One of the best parts....a chocolate fondue fountain with fresh fruit and all you can eat Haagen daz ice cream (as if you have room after eating all you can eat hot pot yummies:

Then it was New Year's Eve. We debated all day what to do. Should we be social? Should we throw a party? Should we ring in the New Year just the two of us?
We ended up having a fun and low key evening...just the two of us.

We played some banana grams:

And a little ticket to ride:

We made homemade pizza:

We ate lots of yummy no bakes:

And some delicious strawberries (its nice that strawberry season is in the winter here):

We watched a movie. Drank hot chocolate. And just minutes before midnight we made our way up to the rooftop of our building to watch the fireworks at Taipei 101. The roof was packed with people. We all got to see the countdown and the first few fireworks before the sky was too full of smoke to enjoy the rest of the show.

But, they were pretty cool this year.
Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHNP-bYOrjw

As soon as we came back down stairs, we turned our calendar to January! It's baby month!!!

2012 brings lots of newness and blessings! WE are excited!!

Merry Christmas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS! 聖誕快樂! Sheng Dan Kuai Le!!
So, What did Christmas Break looked like for us this year? We weren't on the beach and we weren't on the Great Wall!
This year we stayed close to home since I am 36 weeks pregnant!
We spent LOTS of time together just the two of us (we realize that that part of our relationship is over) AND we enjoyed every minute of it!

We opened some presents:

We helped with an outreach at one of the local Chinese schools here in Taipei:

(We worked with a group of 3 MS/HS kids from our school and taught two English lessons about Christmas. We shared with them the meaning of some of the symbols of Christmas time, made an angel craft, decorated sugar cookies, and played a present game. We then went and hosted a special education Christmas party...for their special education department. There were about 90 kids I think. Here is my friend making his Christmas card:

We couldn't really communicate, but I do know that he kept asking if he could kiss me :)
It was fun to see their faces light up as we shared along side them making crafts, decorating cookies, singing, and opening gifts:

we made and decorated some Christmas cookies:

We went to a Christmas Eve service at our old church (which we waited 40 minutes in line for just to get in the church and then we didn't even have a seat...so we watched it on tv in overflow seating). But it was great to see SO many locals pouring into the churches:

We watched the Nativity together and read the Christmas story all cuddled up with hot chocolate in hand.

We went to our church on Christmas morning to worship:

We ate Korean for lunch with some dear friends!
We ate a big ole American style dinner (bacon cheeseburger and fries) with other friends:

We went shopping and had a date day down by Taipei 101:

And....we stayed up late, watched movies, played games, ate cookies, took naps, ate more cookies, etc. etc.

All in all, it was a WONDERFUL Christmas!

36 weeks....

36 weeks! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

At week 36, Baby Boy Klump is:
*weighing in at about 6 pounds (but I think he is a bit above that)
*measuring somewhere around 20 inches long
*equipped for life outside the womb in the sense that most of his systems (such as circulatory and musculoskeletal) are ready to go!
*shedding his downy covering of hair that covered most of his body up to this point (except...with no indoor heating, he may want that extra fuzz here in Taipei)
*getting rid of the Crisco layer (as my step dad so eloquently put it) that has protected him while he has been swimming inside the amniotic fluid for 9 months
*STILL head up (breech)

So this is what I have been doing A LOT this week:

Flip, baby flip!